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Collective Action on the City of Toronto Interim Anti-Black Racism Plan

Collective Action on the City of Toronto Interim Anti-Black Racism Plan


action plan

 

After a series of public meetings and community consultations, the City of Toronto (the City) has developed an Interim Action Plan to Confront Anti-Black Racism. The report was released on June 12, 2017. It is attached and linked below, along with a staff report on the interim plan.

The JCA Director Responsible for Advocacy, Yolande Davidson, participated in the City’s consultations on this matter and is part of a coalition of several individuals and community groups who organized to provide a joint deputation on the action plan at Executive Committee on Monday, June 19th. The deputation included a letter to which the JCA is a signatory, which calls for community oversight and accountability, and allocation of resources by the City, among other considerations. Please see attached.

THERE IS STRENGTH IN SOLIDARITY. After waiting nearly 10 hours for this agenda item to be called, the deputation was provided to the Executive Committee at 11:00 pm. Our motion to create a permanent African Canadian community accountability and oversight mechanism and process for this action plan was approved! Advocacy will continue on the issue of new, meaningful long-term resources to support the action plan.

JCA will continue to work in partnership with community and keep you apprised as the report and Council process move forward.

BACKGROUND:

In November 2016, the City and its community partner, the Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants (OCASI), launched a public education campaign to raise awareness about anti-Black racism in Toronto and to equip people with the means to identify it, question it and challenge it. This was the second phase of the City’s Toronto For All initiative which is intended to challenge people’s perspectives and beliefs and encourage them to self-identify their implicit biases and negative attitudes in order to support a Toronto that says “no” to all forms of discrimination and racism, and which supports Toronto’s motto: Diversity Our Strength.

From January to March 2017, the City, with community partners, hosted 41 community conversations across Toronto, with the goal being the development of an action plan to address anti-Black racism in Toronto. JCA’s Director Responsible for Advocacy participated in the inaugural community conversation last winter as well as the city-wide workshop held by Mayor John Tory at City Hall in mid-May.

(INTERIM TORONTO ACTION PLAN TO CONFRONT ANTI-BLACK RACISM )

(Staff Report)
 
For Mayor and Exec Committee Letter click link below:

Mayors and Exec Committee Letter ABR Action Plan deputation letter

 

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