An Ontario NDP<\/a> candidate who said she wanted to \u201cbe a Black woman\u201d and to have the experience \u201cof poverty and living in addiction\u201d has stepped down and said she will not contest the upcoming provincial election<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Amanda Zavitz, the NDP candidate for Elgin-Middlesex-London, was recorded during a presentation for the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women in March 2024.<\/p>\n In the video, she is heard saying: \u201cMy secret is that I want to be a Black woman,\u201d adding later, \u201cI want to be an expert in inequality with lived experiences of poverty and living in addiction and alcoholism. I want to be able to share my ideas without the barrier of looking the way I do.\u201d<\/p>\n The clip was unearthed by the Progressive Conservative Party campaign and released on social media. There appears to be a cut between where Zavitz says she wants to be a Black woman and her comments about inequality.<\/p>\n Story continues below advertisement<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n After the video was shared, Zavitz released a statement saying she understood her comment was \u201charmful\u201d and apologized but didn\u2019t resign.<\/p>\n For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \u201cAs a professor of sociology and women\u2019s studies, I have made it my entire life\u2019s work to amplify the voices of marginalized communities,\u201d Zavitz, who is a sociology professor at Western University, wrote on Facebook.<\/p>\n \u201cMy goal is to use my education and voice to challenge the systemic inequalities that hold our society back.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t![\"For](\"https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/wp-content\/themes\/shaw-globalnews\/images\/skyline\/national.jpg\")
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