The City of Toronto today announced TAIBU Community Health Centre (TAIBU CHC) as the successful grantee for its Black Leadership Governance Training Project Grant. TAIBU will partner with East Scarborough Boys and Girls Club, Alpha Kappa Alpha Toronto Chapter and the University of Toronto (Scarborough Campus) to develop and implement an initiative to increase the representation of Black Torontonians on the boards of health and social service organizations.
“The Black Leadership Governance Training Project Grant addresses a specific action item in our Toronto Action Plan to Confront Anti-Black Racism,” said Mayor John Tory. “It’s encouraging to see parts of the action plan come to fruition with the allocation of this grant to TAIBU and what they will accomplish by supporting diverse Black Torontonians for leadership and governance roles in health and community organizations.”
A number of other recommendations from the plan are in the process of being actioned and this is the third grant in support of the plan. In 2018, the City awarded two other grants focussed on Black youth leadership and strengthening organizational capacity of Black-led, Black-focused organizations.
“TAIBU and the partners are very excited to be part of this very important initiative to build capacity and lay foundation for the representation and participation of the Black communities in strategic governance and influencing decision making processes that are important to the communities,” said Liben Gebremikael, Executive Director of TAIBU CHC.
Black Torontonians (people of African descent or origin, African Black Caribbean, African-Canadian, Canadians of African descent) contribute to all areas of city life – adding their talents and assets to make Toronto stronger, more vibrant and more successful.
Studies continue to show that anti-Black racism still exists in this city, affecting the life chances of more than 200,000 people of African descent or origin who call Toronto home. Anti-Black racism has detrimental impacts on the life and work of Black people in our city.
The City recognizes its responsibility to create a city that works for all residents. Confronting and removing barriers caused by anti-Black racism benefits all Torontonians, especially other Toronto communities experiencing racism and marginalization. To begin confronting anti-Black racism in Toronto, on December 5, 2017 Toronto City Council adopted the Toronto Action Plan to Confront Anti-Black Racism https://bit.ly/2GwMBK5, which is being rolled out by the City’s Confronting Anti-Black Racism Unit.
The Confronting Anti-Black Racism Unit was developed in 2018 along with the unanimous adoption of the action plan. More information on the plan and the unit can be found on the City’s website at www.toronto.ca/abr.
TAIBU CHC provides primary health care and related services for Black populations across the Greater Toronto Area as its priority population and residents of the local community of Malvern. Recognizing that systemic oppression has fostered conditions of ill-health with Black communities, TAIBU CHC strives to deliver these services through intersectional, equity based and culturally affirming practices which promote holistic wellness, health education, and prevention. TAIBU is a Kiswahili word used by well-wishers as a greeting that means “Be in good health”.
Toronto is Canada’s largest city, the fourth largest in North America, and home to a diverse population of more than 2.9 million people. It is a global centre for business, finance, arts and culture and is consistently ranked one of the world’s most livable cities. For information on non-emergency City services and programs, Toronto residents, businesses and visitors can visit http://www.toronto.ca, call 311, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/cityoftoronto, on Instagram at http://www.instagram.com/cityofto or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/cityofto.