Rev. David Nobu-tsune Murata

Reverend David Murata was born in Japan in the late 1950s and moved to the downtown eastside of Vancouver with his family in 1968, where “the blunt head of racism” was his first push towards politicization. He followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather and became a minister — in his case, with the United Church of Canada, where he found mentorship that furthered his politicization process. He was involved in opposing nuclear weapons, supporting campaigns by farm workers, standing in solidarity with Koreans living in Japan, working to support the struggles of the Lubicon Cree Nation, and in community organizing/community development in Toronto, Vancouver, Lethbridge, and Winnipeg. Murata also played a crucial role at a crucial moment in the Japanese-Canadian campaign for redress from the federal government for their unjust and racist internment during the Second World War.

Material from Murata on this site:

• Transcript excerpt where he talks about his role in the Japanese-Canadian redress campaign.