Percy Paris
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Percy Paris is a Canadian politician and member of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly, representing the riding of Waverley-Fall River-Beaver Bank for the Nova Scotia New Democratic Party. He was first elected in the 2006 election.
Percy is a well-known resident of Waverley- Fall River - Beaver Bank, with a long history of professional accomplishments and community volunteerism.
Before being elected to the Nova Scotia Legislature, Percy was the Director of Dalhousie University’s Diversity Initiative and has also acted a Black Student Advisor.
He is the recipient of human rights award from the Human Rights Commission of Nova Scotia for his work bringing communities together through sport.
As an entrepreneur, Percy has been the President and majority owner of his own investment and holding company as well as a consulting company.
Over this career, Percy has also been employed as a university professor, a civic employee at City Hall, a hockey scout with the International Hockey League and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and Director/Owner of the Jet Journal, a local publication.
Percy is deeply involved in the community as a volunteer. Over the years, he has held a number of voluntary positions, including an Executive Member of the Riverlake Residents Association; a member of the Board Directors of the Black Business Initiative; Vice-President of National Access Awareness Week; Vice President of Network for Entrepreneurs with Disabilities, a member of the Board of Directors of King’s-Edgehill Alumni Association, a Board Member of the Team Work Co-operative; a member of the Halifax Black Community Workshop, a member of the Board of Directors of the Dartmouth East Black Learning Centre and a member of the Metro Committee for Persons with Disabilities.
Percy has long been involved in local sports organizations. He has coached a number of hockey, fastball and softball teams at the local community level, as well as the provincial team at the Canadian nationals.
Percy’s involvement with minor ball and hockey programs in the area has given him the opportunity to interact with kids and parents of all ages.
Percy and his partner Debbie Paris have three children, Jason, Joel and Jacqui. They have all attended, or are still attending, school in the riding. As a parent and educator, Percy has a strong grasp of the issues and challenges in the education system in the riding and at the provincial level.
The only African-Nova Scotian member of the provincial legislature is accusing some of his house colleagues of being racist.
Percy Paris, MLA for Waverley-Fall River-Beaver Bank, said the behaviour started the day he was sworn in as an NDP member last June, and has continued since then.
The rookie politician said the heckling by Progressive Conservative and Liberal members in the house gets louder and more intense when he speaks, making the atmosphere "oppressive."
"The discrimination comes from being invisible," Paris said Tuesday, "and I could use a stronger word, but the avoidance of those individuals in the house of assembly that do not want to have contact with me."
Paris, a former student adviser at Dalhousie University, said sometimes when he sits down to a meal in the members' lounge at the legislature, other members choose to cram together at another table rather than sit with him.
Paris also said he was offended that an MLA would describe another legislator using a derogatory term.
