Anti-Black Racism Resources

Campaigns & Initiatives

Confront the Past, Change the Future

The City of Toronto is committed to addressing historical injustices by exploring the legacies and impacts of the trans-Atlantic Slave Trade on Toronto and its residents. This aligns with the principles of the UN Decade for People of African Descent: recognition, justice, and development. This public education campaign tackles systemic anti-Black racism through educational initiatives that address the unique challenges faced by Black communities. Celebrating the resilience, resistance, and contributions of people of African descent, the Confront the Past, Change the Future public education campaign fosters reflection, awareness, and collective action for a more just and equitable society.

Visit Confront the Past, Change the Future for more detail.

Data for Equity Strategy

The City of Toronto’s Data for Equity Strategy aims to support City divisions in collecting and using disaggregated socio-demographic to inform equitable program planning and service delivery. Approved by City Council in November 2020, the Data for Equity Strategy is the first of its kind at the municipal level in the world.

As one of the strategy’s guiding principles, the City will approach Black Communities and Data Governance using Anti-Black Racism Analysis as embedded in the Toronto Action Plan to Confront Anti-Black Racism, ensuring that Black communities are engaged in the City’s development, collection, analysis, reporting and use of data. The City will share data and collaborate and engage with Black communities, experts and organizations to ensure that data supports positive community outcomes and does not stigmatize, harm nor negatively impact Black communities. 

Toronto Community Crisis Service

Recognizing the need to rethink current approaches to public safety, Toronto residents, communities and organizations called on the City of Toronto to reimagine a non-police model for mental health crisis response that is client-centred, trauma-informed and reduces harm. In February 2021, Toronto City Council approved four community crisis support service pilots to test a non-police led approach to non-emergency, non-violent calls, including mental health crisis calls and wellness checks. One of these pilots, lead by TAIBU Community Health Centre, provides Afrocentric, culturally-safe approaches to mental health and wellbeing for Black Torontonians. The Toronto Community Crisis Service (TCCS) provides free, confidential, in-person mental health supports from mobile crisis worker teams. TCCS supports Toronto residents 16 years of age or older and is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Call 211 or 911 to be connected to TCCS.

Visit the Toronto Community Crisis Service (TCCS) for more detail.

Black Mental Health Week

The City of Toronto & TAIBU Community Health Centre came together to highlight the impact of anti-Black racism on the mental health of Black residents in our city, and as a first step, the City officially declared Monday, March 2, 2020, as Toronto’s first Black Mental Health Day . In 2021, the day was expanded to a week to provide greater opportunity to cultivate greater awareness of the impacts of anti-Black racism on Black communities, families and individuals. Visit Black Mental Health Week for for details.

International Decade for People of African Descent (2015 to 2024)

The International Decade for People of African Descent, proclaimed by the United Nations from 2015-2024, aims to recognize the significant contributions of people of African descent promote their full inclusion and participation in all aspects of life. The Decade focuses on three overarching themes: recognition, justice and development. It seeks to address issues of discrimination, inequality and marginalization faced by people of African descent globally, promoting their human rights and fundamental freedoms. Activities and initiatives during this period emphasize education, awareness and the implementation of policies to improve the socio-economic conditions of of people of African descent, fostering a more inclusive and equitable world.

 

Videos & Recordings

Emancipation Month

• A Conversation with Dr. Julius W. Garvey – Event Recording (August 2023) 
• Discussion on Emancipation and Black Liberation in Toronto feat. Arshad Suliman & Anthony Morgan (August 2022) 
• Mayor’s Message on Emancipation Day (August 2021 )
• Emancipation Month Proclamation and Flag Raising – Event Recording (August 2021) 
• Mayor’s message on Emancipation Day (August 2020) 

COVID-19 Response

• Confronting Anti Black Racism Unit Covid-19 Response Recap 
• Toronto Voices: Black Bodies 

e-Learning

Call It Out

This 30-minute interactive e-course offers a foundation for learning about race, racial discrimination and human rights protections under Ontario’s Human Rights Code. The course offers a historical overview of racism and racial discrimination, explains what “race,” “racism” and “racial discrimination” mean and provides approaches to preventing and addressing racial discrimination. Note: Call It Out is designed for use on desktops, laptops and tablets in landscape orientation.

Criminal Record Disclosure

This interactive online tool helps those with a criminal record to better navigate the job-seeking process. Learn how to proactively and transparently disclose a criminal record to a potential employer.

Articles & Reports

• The Ontario Human Rights Commission’s (OHRC) Policy and guidelines on racism and racial discrimination (2005) contain the OHRC’s position on racism, racial discrimination and racial harassment, at the time of publication. It deals with issues that fall within the OHRC’s jurisdiction. In the policy, discrimination and harassment due to race are analyzed. The policy highlights some of the broader issues of racism to create an appropriate context. The policy is bounded by the provisions of the Ontario Human Rights Code and Canada’s legal framework for analyzing discrimination.

 

• The Ontario Human Rights Commission’s Under Suspicion: Research and consultation report on racial profiling in Ontario (April 2017) is the result of a year-long consultation and a review of Canadian case law. It provides detailed policy guidance on the different forms of racial profiling occurring in Ontario. The aim of this report is to give specific information to organizations, individuals and communities on how to identify, address and prevent racial profiling.

 

• Every Woman Matters: A Report on Accessing Primary Health Care for Black Women and Women of Colour in Ontario (April 2011) provides highlights from the pilot program, A Collaborative Process to Achieve Access to Primary Health Care for Black Women and Women of Colour (hereafter referred to as the Access Study). The study examined the disparities disproportionately affecting Black Women and Women of Colour who seek access to primary healthcare. The purpose of this report is to assist community members, researchers and health service providers (HSPs) working to remove barriers and increase access to equitable, inclusive, primary healthcare in Ontario that addresses the challenges facing Black Women and Women of Colour.

Ontario-Focused Resources

A brief list of provincial anti-Black racism resources is listed below. Download the more extensive list for additional Ontario-Focused resources.

Intersecting Forms of Discrimination

• Trans PULSE, “Experiences of racism among Trans people in Ontario, e-bulletin,” vol. 3, No. 1 (March 2013).
• Prof. Grace-Edward Galabuzi, Deputation to the OAS Rapporteur on People of African Descent and Against Racial Discrimination, September 8, 2014
• Carla Gillis, Michelle Da Silva, Tabassum Siddiqui, Vish Khanna, “Real talk about racism in the T.O. music scene.” Now Magazine, January 28- February 3, 2016, Issue 1773, Vol. 35, No. 20, at pages 36-42.

Education

•  Canadian Review of Social Policy, Vol. 72 Issue 73 (Jan. 2015).
• Khenti, A. A. (2013). Homicide among young black men in Toronto: An unrecognized public health crisis? Canadian journal of public health, 104(1), 12-14.
• Black Lives Matter Toronto. (2015). “Black Lives Matter-Toronto denounces anti-Black racism against children in the TDSB.”

Unemployment & Housing

• Micheal Orntein, Ethno-Racial Groups in Toronto, 1971-2001: A Demographic and Socio-Economic Profile (Toronto: Institute for Social Research, 2006).
• Kothari, M. (2007). Report of the Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living. UN.
• Prof. Grace-Edward Galabuzi, Deputation to the OAS Rapporteur on People of African Descent and Against Racial Discrimination, September 8, 2014 [Deputations on Poverty, Unemployment and Housing, Deputations on Migrant Workers].

Child and Family Health and Welfare

• Baines, D. (2002). Storyline in racialized times: racism and anti-racism in Toronto’s social services. British Journal of Social Work, 32, 185–199.
• Tilbury, C., & Thoburn, J. (2009). Using racial disproportionality and disparity indicators to measure child welfare outcomes. Children and Youth Services Review, 31(10), 1101-1106.

Policing & Justice

• André Marin, “Street Checks and Balances – Submission in response to the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services’ consultation on proposed Ontario regulation for street checks” (August 31, 2015): Ombudsman Ontario.
• Book: Cashmore, E., & McLaughlin, E. (2013). Out of Order? (Routledge Revivals): Policing Black People. Routledge.
• Ontario Human Rights Commission. Paying the price: the human cost of racial profiling: inquiry report. The Commission, 2003.

Canada-Wide & International Resources

A brief list of national and international anti-Black racism resources is listed below. Download the more extensive list for additional Canada-Wide & International resources.

Canada’s African Canadian Population: Historical & Current Overview

• A.J.B. Johnston, “Mathieu Da Costa and Early Canada: Possibilities and Probabilities”, (Government of Canada – Parks Canada: 2001).
• Canadian Museum for Human Rights: The Story of Africville
• Book: Cooper, A. (2007). The hanging of Angelique: The untold story of Canadian slavery and the burning of Old Montreal. University of Georgia Press.

Policing & Justice

• African Canadian Legal Clinic, “The Hidden Side of Paradise: Violations of the Economic and Social Rights of African Canadians” (March 5, 2003)
• Nangwaya, A. (2013). Fact sheet on police violence against the African community in Canada. Tor. Media Co-Op, 25.
• Alison Crawford, “Prison watchdog probes spike in number of black inmates,” CBC News Online.

Understanding Racism – General Resources

• Book: Abigail, B. B., and Dua, E. (Eds.). (2015). Theorizing anti-racism: linkages in Marxism and critical race theories. Vol. 76. Toronto, ON: University of Toronto Press.
• Giroux, H. (1992). Resisting difference: cultural studies and the discourse of critical pedagogy.
• Giroux, H. A. (1997). Racial politics and the pedagogy of whiteness.

Child and Family Health and Welfare

• African Canadian Legal Clinic, Policy paper on poverty.
• Committee on the Rights of the Child: Canada, “Concluding observations on the initial periodic report of Canada, adopted by the Committee at its sixty-first session” (17 September-5 October 2012).
• National Council of Welfare, “A Snapshot of Racialized Poverty in Canada,” (January 2012).

Education

• Birrell, J. R. (1995). “Learning how the game is played”: An ethnically encapsulated beginning teacher’s struggle to prepare black youth for a white world.” Teaching and Teacher Education, 11(2), 137-147.
• BLAC Report on “Education: Redressing Inequity-Empowering Black Learners,” Black Learners Advisory Committee, 1994.
• Brathwaite, O. (2010). The role of the school curriculum to obliterate anti-Black racism. Our School, Our Selves, 19(3), 305.

Court Decisions

• Christie v. York Corporation, [1940] S.C.R. 139.
• R. v. Desmond, (1947) 20 M.P.R. 297 (N.S.S.C.); Hill v. Camden and Zone, 11 U.C.B.Q. 573 (Ont. Q.B.)
• Supreme Court Decision: R. v. Le, 2019 SCC 34
  Read about the case or learn more about the media coverage, and its connection to the action plan.