When Robbie Robinson was growing up in California, his mom used to drive him and his sister to school.
“You can be whatever you want, even a president,” she would tell them.
“Mom, stop,” they would say.
She would laugh, too, but she meant it.
“No, I’m serious.”
Years later, when Robinson was about 18, Barack Obama was elected the first Black president of the United States. That changed things for the young Robinson, who is Black.
“Dang, I could be the president if I put my mind to it,” he thought.
Though Robinson’s own career path ran towards athletics and basketball, he remembers what his mother told him.
Having a visual of someone who looks like them in a high-status position is important for young Black people, he said.
“You’ve got a lot of people of colour starting to be tapped into the government, have pretty high government positions. You have great Black inventors, great Black businessmen.”
This is the basic idea behind what is often called representation.
Today, Robinson plays for the Island Storm basketball team. With the Storm sidelined by the pandemic, Robinson has been sharing his perspective with Island students. But he’s not just talking basketball, he said.
“It’s cool to celebrate these people and see somebody other than an athlete or a musician — somebody that’s really about the community or affecting change.”
He spoke recently at Georgetown Elementary School about Black history.
“History in the States is mostly caucasian history, white history, and in the mix is where you get a little bit of Asian culture, a little bit of Hispanic culture, a little bit of Black culture,” he told them.
“You’re getting a quarter from someone else’s view — it’s not even a quarter from your own view.”
At a glance
- Robbie Robinson moved to P.E.I. from California two years ago
- Robinson plays Guard for the Island Storm professional basketball team
- During the pandemic downtime, he’s been helping found the East Coast Basketball League
- Robinson also operates P.I.K_AllPlay_Basketball, an Instagram page where he posts videos talking to players, coaches and agents
Not only is history dominated by white stories and voices, but when diverse stories are told, diverse people don’t always get to tell them, he said.
“When I look at history, I’m being taught about myself through the eyes of somebody else and that’s still hard to stomach.”
If people of colour want to find out about themselves, they have to do the work on their own, he said.
“That’s just how the system is. This is what you learn about and who you learn about.”
But when young people of colour do learn the history of their ancestors, it’s empowering, he said.
“The traditions they have, the holidays they have — that stuff is important.”
Earlier this month, the Black Cultural Society of P.E.I. hosted a panel discussion called History in the Making.
Last fall, Robinson made his own Island history when he appeared before the legislative assembly alongside MLA Gord McNeilly to move the Winter Wellness Day motion.
McNeilly believes this may have been the first time two Black Islanders stood before the house.
“What a big, big moment,” he said. “That day was so special, to look across the table, there’s two people of colour in the highest place in Prince Edward Island, doing something that we knew was right.”
Robinson was nervous at first, but it was a great experience, he said.
“I’m very thankful to Gord for that opportunity to work with him to present the winter wellness bill.”
That gratitude was mutual.
“He’s definitely helped me and I think he’s done that by helping the community as well,” McNeilly said.
“Anybody that’s able to work with Robbie, their organization will be better off. He’s that type of guy.”
Read more: Hidden history: how Black Islanders, descendents are uncovering P.E.I.’s past
McNeilly also brought up representation, discussing how things look and feel differently to different people.
“Robbie and I were looking at each other as just two people caring about getting more kids active,” he said. “But on the outside, you might have looked at that and said, ”Wow, he’s a Black man on the floor of the legislature defending an act.’”
Black history sometimes looks too much at the challenges and not enough at the triumphs of Black people, Robinson said.
For McNeilly, the things Robinson has been doing during the pandemic highlight the strength of Black people in the present.
“He’s not waiting. He’s doing big things for the community.”
Twitter: @loganmaclean94