Angles Covered: March 2017

Sunday, 26 March 2017

Justice Michael Tulloch to submit his review report of civilian oversight bodies for police in Ontario

By Neil Armstrong

Justice Michael Tulloch speaking at the opening of an exhibition at Ryerson Image Centre.

Hanging out with community activist and Osgoode Hall law student, Knia Singh.

One day before Justice Michael Tulloch receives a vice chancellor’s award at the University of the West Indies Toronto Benefit Gala, he will submit his review of civilian oversight bodies for police in Ontario to the government.

The vice chancellor’s award, given to people of Caribbean heritage who have made significant contributions within their organizations and communities, will b presented to five community leaders, Tulloch included.

In a letter to community members last week regarding his upcoming report, Justice Tulloch notes that on April 29, 2016, he was asked by the Government of Ontario to conduct an independent review of the civilian oversight bodies for police in Ontario. These bodies are the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), the Office of the Independent Police Review Director (OIPRD), and the Ontario Civilian Police Commission (OCPC).

“Once I accepted the assignment I put together a team of highly dedicated and competent professionals to assist me in conducting the review. Over the past eleven months my team and I have examined in detail the existing legislation, practices and processes regarding police oversight. As well, we have reviewed numerous past reports which led to the creation and evolution of the oversight bodies and engaged in a very extensive and unprecedented consultation process across the province.

“We have now completed our consultations and I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your participation and your contribution. Your input in this process was essential to the formulation of my recommendations.

“As required by the Order-in-Council, my Report containing all recommendations will be delivered to the Attorney General on March 31, 2017. I expect that it will be made available to the public the following week.”

Following the public release, Justice Tulloch will present his report in five cities to community and policing stakeholders.

The presentations will be held at the following locations:

Toronto

April 11, 2017

Ryerson University, Ryerson International Living Learning Centre, International Room

240 Jarvis Street

6:30-8:30pm

Ottawa

April 12, 2017

Ottawa Conference & Event Centre, Room 110

200 Coventry Road

6:30-8:30pm

Windsor

April 18, 2017

St. Clair College Centre for the Arts, Waterfront Ballroom

201 Riverside Drive West

6:30-8:30pm

Thunder Bay

April 20, 2017

Da Vinci Centre, Marco Polo Room

340 S. Waterloo Street

6:30-8:30pm

Hamilton

April 24, 2017

Sheraton Hamilton Hotel, Centre Ballroom

116 King Street West

6:30-8:30pm

Space is limited so anyone wanting to attend should rsvp their attendance to info@policeoversightreview.ca, indicating which presentation they will attend.

On April 1, Justice Tulloch will receive a vice chancellor’s award along with four others at the UWI Toronto Benefit Galat at The Ritz-Carlton which will be hosted by CBC news anchor, Dwight Drummond.

Justice Tulloch has been a judge on the Court of Appeals for Ontario since 2012 following nine years on the Superior Court of Justice. He was an Assistant Crown Attorney in both Peel and Toronto.

In 1995, he entered private practice, specializing in criminal law and continued in this practice until his appointment to the Bench in 2003.

During his private practice, Justice Tulloch was also appointed a special prosecuting agent with the Federal Department of Justice, participating in a number of commissions. He has been actively involved in post-secondary education as well as numerous community organizations.

In 2011, he was appointed a Distinguished Research Fellow for the Centre of Law and Policy at Ryerson University. He is the recipient of two honorary doctorate degrees: a Doctor of Laws from the University of Guelph and a Doctor of Theology from Tyndale University and Seminary.

The other vice chancellor’s award recipients are: Dr. Renn Holness, consultant neurosurgeon; Wayne Purboo, entrepreneur and philanthropist; Dr. Vivian Rambihar, cardiologist and community activist; and Kay McConney, businesswoman and retired diplomat.

The chancellor’s award will be presented to the company, GraceKennedy, while Archbishop Desmond Tutu is the recipient of the luminary award.

Canadian senator, Murray Sinclair, will receive the G. Raymond Chang award.

Under the theme “Light, Learning and Liberty”, the University of the West Indies Toronto Benefit Gala provides funds for scholarships.

Over 250 scholarships have been awarded to date. Over 70 have graduated, most with first class honours. The patron of the eighth annual Gala is The G. Raymond Chang Family (wife Donette Chin-Loy Chang, and children Andrew Chang and Brigette Chang Addorisio). Lead Sponsor is Scotiabank for the eighth consecutive year. The event is sold out.

SOME UPCOMING EVENTS

A Different Booklist and Toronto Storytelling Festival present “Storytelling at its Best” featuring master storytellers from the USA: Karima Amin & Charlotte Blake Alston, hosted by Itah Sadu on Wednesday, March 29, 7-9pm at A Different Booklist Cultural Centre, 777-779 Bathurst St., Toronto. Admission: $10

The Consulate General of Saint Lucia in Toronto and A Different Booklist present “A Tribute Evening for Derek Walcott,” 1992 Nobel Prize winner in Literature. Reception, Readings, Remembrances on Friday, March 31, 6:30pm at A Different Booklist Cultural Centre, 777-779 Bathurst St., Toronto. You are invited to share your thoughts, memories and poetry.

Public lecture: “50 years ‘Beyond Vietnam’: Dr. King’s Revolutionary Dream Against Our Neoliberral /Neofascist Nightmare” by Robin D. G. Kelley, Professor and Gary B. Nash Endowed Chair in U.S. History, UCLA on Saturday, April 1, 5pm at Bloor United Church, 300 Bloor Street West, Toronto.

Professor Kelley is the author of Hammer and Hoe; Race Rebels; Yo’ Mama’s DisFunktional: Fighting the Culture Wars in Urban America; Freedom Dreams: The Black Radical Imagination; Thelonius Monk: The Life and Times of an American Original; Africa Speaks, America Answers!: Modern Jazz in Revolutionary Times.

Opening with Lee Maracle, author, instructor and traditional teacher, and Faith Nolan, celebrated social justice activist and musician.

Free and open to the public. Wheelchair accessible. ASL provided.

Sponsors: A Different Booklist; Caribbean Studies; Academic Initiatives Fund; New College; Women and Gender Studies; African Studies; Geography and Planning; Centre for the Study of the United States, at the Munk School of Global Affairs; Diaspora and Transnational Studies; Equity Studies; Hart House; History; MVS Proseminar; and the Faculty of Arts and Science at the University of Toronto.

The African Canadian Mental Health strategic planning session will be held on Saturday, April 1, 10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. at the Sally Horsefall Eaton Building, SHE 549, 5^th Floor, Ryerson University, 99 Gerrard St. East, Toronto. Contact tabonoinstitute@gmail.com for more information.

Ms. Letna in association with The Scarborough Hospital Foundation and Rouge Valley Health System Foundation presents the “5^th annual Healing Hope Fundraising Brunch” on Sunday, April 2, 1-5pm at Sts. Peter & Pau; Banquet Hall, 231 Milner Ave., Scarborough. Call Ms. Letna: 647-406-5668/Foundation supporting SRH; 416-281-7342. Hosted by Marcia Brown. Keynote speaker: Dr. Theepa Sundaralingam.

Robin D.G Kelley & Fred Moten in Conversation on Monday, April 3, 6p.m. at Great Hall, Hart House, University of Toronto.

Robin D.G. Kelley, Professor & Gary B. Nash Endowed Chair in U.S. History, UCLA and Fred Moten, Professor, Department of English, UC Riverside. Northrop Frye Visiting Scholar, University of Toronto.

Moderated by Rinaldo Walcott, Director, WGSI and Afua Cooper, James Robinson Johnston Chair in Black Canadian Studies, Dalhousie University.

Tickets are free but required.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/robin-dg-kelley-fred-moten-in-conversation-tickets-32116721980

The Nuts & Bolts of Event Planning with Sandra Whiting on Saturday, April 8, 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. at Verity, 199 Queen Street East, Toronto. Introductory workshop. Subsidized spaces now available. $149 per person or for two $275 (must be booked by one person). Covered in 4 hours will be: How to make a plan; Work the plan and execute your event; Important things to think about (they will surprise you).

Mawenzi House and A Different Booklist present “A Night of Great Poetry and Reception” with Natasha Kanape Fontaine, George Elliott Clarke and Charles C. Smith on Thursday, April 6, 6:30pm at A Different Booklist Cultural Centre, 777-779 Bathurst St., Toronto. Free Admission

April 7-8: A Different Booklist Cultural Centre Open House, Ribbon Cutting Ceremony with a twist – Bring your own ribbon to cut. Formalities: April 7 at 7pm. Open House: Friday, April 7 at 6pm. Saturday, April 8 at 11am.

Global Afrikan Community Network (G.A.C.N.) presents Professor James Small LIVE in Toronto – 2-Day Lecture Series -- Saturday April 29 & Sunday April 30. At York University on Saturday, April 29 and at the Toronto Plaza Hotel (1677 Wilson Ave) on Sunday, April 30.

Lecture Topics: Saturday: Post Traumatic Slavery Syndrome/Disorder

Sunday: Overstanding True African Religion & Spiritual Systems

Time: 3pm - 9pm Both days

Ticket Price: $20 each day or both days $35

Children under 16 years are FREE. Students $10 at the door, with a valid high school or post secondary school ID.

Professor Small will take his audience on an amazing 2-day journey through the effects of the Maafa and its impact on the minds of the African family. Professor Small will relay solutions on how the African family can unravel the effects through the inner/over and understanding of the African spiritual systems and the powers that it possess. Powers that have been left and are now ready to be reclaimed.

Join us on Saturday before the lecture, for a special viewing of the documentary 'Out Of Darkness'

Come out and support our vendors at the Black Market, the market will feature an array of African inspired products & services.

Bring your business cards and connect with others in our community!

This 2-day event promises to be a historic and memorable one, you don't want to miss this!!

For Information & Tickets: Call 647-919-0466 (Kofi) Email - culture.power@gmail.com or Ma'at Re Email - alkalivity@gmail.com

For Vending Opportunities & Information: Call 416-454-3848 (Lori) Email - sunwomansecrets@gmail.com

Stay connected, stay informed visit the gacnto.com site for any updates.

Tuesday, 21 March 2017

A Public Lecture at the University of Toronto and more happening in April 2017

Robin D. G. Kelley, Professor of History and American Studies, University of Southern California will present at Public Lecture at the University of Toronto on April 1, 2017.

Some of Professor Kelley's books at A Different Booklist at 777-779 Bathurst Street in Toronto.

Public Lecture: “50 years ‘Beyond Vietnam’: Dr. King’s Revolutionary Dream Against Our Neoliberral /Neofascist Nightmare” by Robin D. G. Kelley, Professor and Gary B. Nash Endowed Chair in U.S. History, UCLA on Saturday, April 1, 5pm at Bloor United Church, 300 Bloor Street West, Toronto.

Opening with Lee Maracle, author, instructor and traditional teacher, and Faith Nolan, celebrated social justice activist and musician.

Free and open to the public. Wheelchair accessible. ASL provided.

Robin D.G Kelley & Fred Moten in Conversation on Monday, April 3, 6p.m. at Great Hall, Hart House, University of Toronto.

Robin D.G. Kelley, Professor & Gary B. Nash Endowed Chair in U.S. History, UCLA and Fred Moten, Professor, Department of English, UC Riverside. Northrop Frye Visiting Scholar, University of Toronto.

Moderated by Rinaldo Walcott, Director, WGSI and Afua Cooper, James Robinson Johnston Chair in Black Canadian Studies, Dalhousie University.

Tickets are free but required.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/robin-dg-kelley-fred-moten-in-conversation-tickets-32116721980

Lecture Topics: Saturday: Post Traumatic Slavery Syndrome/Disorder

Sunday: Overstanding True African Religion & Spiritual Systems

Time: 3pm - 9pm Both days

Ticket Price: $20 each day or both days $35

Children under 16 years are FREE. Students $10 at the door, with a valid high school or post secondary school ID.

Join us on Saturday before the lecture, for a special viewing of the documentary 'Out Of Darkness'

Come out and support our vendors at the Black Market, the market will feature an array of African inspired products & services.

Bring your business cards and connect with others in our community!

This 2-day event promises to be a historic and memorable one, you don't want to miss this!!

Professor Small is considered a living legend in the fight for the liberation of the minds of his people and against Eurocentric distortion of world history. Much of Professor Small's expertise is found in African traditional spirituality, African-American history & culture. He has conducted tours of Africa for over 25 years.

For eleven years, Professor Small served as principal bodyguard to the late Ella L. Collins, the sister of Malcolm X, the then President of the Organization of Afro-American Unity (O.A.A.U.).

Between the years of 1966 and 1980, Professor Small held membership in the Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee (S.N.C.C.), the N.A.A.C.P, Uhuru fighters and O.A.A.U. During this period, Professor Small had the opportunity to interact with such historical giants as Congressman Adam Clayton Powell Jr., Kwame Ture, H. Rap Brown of S.N.C.C, Eldridge Cleaver, Zaid Shakur, and Lumumba Shakur of the Black Panther Party (B.P.P.) in which he served as a liaison between the B.P.P. and the O.A.A.U.

Professor Small taught for nearly twenty years at the City University of New York, including 15 years at the City College of New York's Black Studies Department, thirteen of those years also serving as an administrator and two years at New York City Technical College. Prof. Small has taught courses on Malcolm X, Traditional African Religion (Prof. Small is a priest in the Yoruba religion), Pan Africanism, Crime in the Urban Community, Urban Crisis and Issues, and African Folklore.

Prof. Small has been a member of the Association for the Study of Classical African Civilization (A.S.C.A.C.) for 14 years. He served as President of A.S.C.A.C Eastern Region for two years, where he worked and studied with Dr. John Henrik Clarke, Dr. Yosef A. A. ben-Jochannan, Dr. Leonard Jeffries, Dr. Ivan Van Sertima, Dr. Asa Hilliard, Dr. Wade Nobles, Dr. Amos Wilson and Dr. Francis Cress Welsing, just to name a few.

For Information & Tickets:

Call 647-919-0466 (Kofi)

Email - culture.power@gmail.com

Ma'at Re

Email - alkalivity@gmail.com

For Vending Opportunities & Information:

Call 416-454-3848 (Lori)

Email - sunwomansecrets@gmail.com

Stay connected, stay informed visit the gacnto.com site for any updates.

Monday, 20 March 2017

Responses from some Community Partners of Ontario's 3-Year Anti-Racism Strategic Plan

By Neil Armstrong

Matthew Green, City Councillor, Ward 3, City of Hamilton Photo contributed

In light of March 21 being International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, I am sharing excerpts of comments made by four community partners at the launch of Ontario’s 3-year anti-racism strategic plan, A Better Way Forward, by the Anti-Racism Directorate on March 7. The plan was announced by Michael Coteau, Minister Responsible for Anti-Racism at the Thorncliffe Neighbourhood Office in Toronto.

The theme of the UN-designated day is, “Racial profiling and incitement to hatred, including in the context of migration.”

“Every person is entitled to human rights without discrimination. The rights to equality and non-discrimination are cornerstones of human rights law. Yet in many parts of the world, discriminatory practices are still widespread, including racial, ethnic, religious and nationality based profiling, and incitement to hatred,” says the United Nations on its website.

A Better Way Forward includes these goals:

Developing a framework for the collection of race-based data in various institutions,

including the child welfare system and the justice, education and health sectors.

Collecting race-based data is a valuable way to better understand where racial

inequalities exist, which will help government work toward solutions to address it.

A new Ontario Black Youth Action Plan targeted at increasing access to supports and

opportunities for Black children, youth and their families to address outcomes

disparities.

Implementing an anti-racism impact assessment framework to help anticipate and

remove unconscious bias in proposed policies, programs and decisions.

New legislation that would, if passed, ensure the sustainability and accountability of

the province’s anti-racism work by providing a framework for government and

organizations to identify and combat systemic racism.

Public education and awareness initiatives targeting racism, including Islamophobia

and anti-Semitism

Eliminating systemic racism and advancing racial equity is part of Ontario’s plan to create jobs, grow our economy and help people in their everyday lives.

Matthew Green, City Councillor, Ward 3, City of Hamilton

“… I would also like to begin by acknowledging the decades long work contributed by our frontline organizers, activists, elders, cultural groups and civic leaders who have fought tirelessly to ensure that our collective experience as racialized people have not been erased. And who consistently suffered the discomfort of having to lead this values conversation in our society despite facing further marginalization and public critique. And who consistently hold us accountable as elected officials for the ongoing history of systemic injustice demanding that it be addressed at all levels of government with policies that are commensurate to the collective impacts of racism and discrimination.

“Sisters and brothers, we are definitely indeed in historic times. It is an era that I call the New Civil Rights, not because the issues are new for any of us but because they demand for a new level of responsibility. A new level of accountability and a new level of solutions must be met with an immediate action and ongoing commitment to the same. And I believe that the New Civil Rights has been led by the direct action of our young Black and Indigenous women and queer folk which has resulted in this escalated response by different levels of government to properly and rightfully address the systemic barriers faced by racialized Ontarians.

“And as an inner-city councillor all the way from Hamilton, I’m proud to report locally that as a follow-up to the ARD consultation that with our youth we continue to provide an incredible leadership, organizing community-led initiatives that support the ongoing work of the Anti-Racism Directorate with a clear and critical intersectional analysis and participation.

“It was historic for us to have the minister provide his time and attention specifically to hearing the youth voices on the issues of racism that they face every day in our city, with the intention to continue to include and centre them in the conversation. We are in historic times in this province when our Premier provided the mandate to the Hon. Minister Coteau, a man who himself understands these issues through the eyes of his own lived experience and through the Anti-Racism Directorate is providing much needed leadership.”

[Matthew Green will be participating in an upcoming event at the Jamaican Canadian Association. If you’re thinking about running in the upcoming 2018 elections and you don’t know where to start, check out “So You Think You Can Run” organized by the JCA’s Political Advocacy Committee for Saturday, April 15, 1:30-4:30 p.m. at the JCA, 995 Arrow Rd., Toronto. See the details in the attached flyer.]

Avvy Go, Clinic Director of Metro Toronto Chinese & Southeast Asian Legal Clinic, and currently the spokesperson for Colour of Poverty-Colour of Change

“As a member of the Colour of Poverty-Colour of Change Network, a broad-based racial justice, education and advocacy network in Ontario, I’m very pleased to see that a number of the key recommendations that the network has been pushing for are now incorporated into the 3-year anti-racism strategy.

“In particular, we are very pleased to hear that the government will be introducing legislation to give the minister the power to mandate the collection of disaggregated data on the basis of race and other social demographic identities in order to better measure and understand the impact of government policies, programs and practices on racialized and other equity seeking groups. The collection of disaggregated data is foundational to the success of any anti-racism strategy. Without such data we simply cannot properly measure the progress over time of any plan that the government might choose to adopt or implement. The data will also help government set more appropriately targeted goals and objectives, as well as identify gaps in areas that need attention and improvement.”

Go said Colour of Poverty-Colour of Change also fully supports some of the population specific measures that the government will be undertaking to address anti-Black racism and racism facing Indigenous people. She noted that she will be looking forward to more announcements in the future on how the government will be addressing Islamophobia.

“Apart from the data collection and the introduction of a legislated framework, the Colour of Poverty-Colour of Change has also been urging the minister and the government to introduce strategies to address the colour-coded systemic discrimination in workplaces across the province’s labour market. A recent study by Ryerson University finds that employers are far less likely to hire people with East Asian and South Asian last names as compared to Caucasian- and European-sounding names. This is just one of many studies that highlight the economic disparities in the labour market in which members of racialized communities are denied fair and equal employment opportunity simply because of their race or ethnicity.

“We acknowledge with hope that some positive initiatives have been undertaken by the Premier to achieve more equitable hiring and employment outcomes for those who have for too long gone without. One example is the incorporation of targeted hiring objectives for historically disadvantaged communities into the Community Benefits Agreement negotiated for the Eglinton Crosstown transit project. So we look forward to seeing similar hiring expectations and obligations attached to all such public infrastructure projects and investments because more needs to be done to ensure all Ontarians have equitable access to employment regardless of their race, gender identity, sexuality and disability.”

Go called on the leadership of all political parties in Ontario to support this strategy in the legislature and beyond for the shared prosperity for all Ontarians.

Ontario Regional Chief Isadore Day

“…As I listened to the minister and looking at the policy, legislation, education, and partnership mix that is built within the strategy, I can tell you that I’m very confident that what is the path forward will include First Nations people.”

Highlighting two points, Chief Day noted that:

“From the First Nations perspective, we have been afforded and we certainly work closely with the Ontario government on these types of initiatives. Where we are very clear on and make the distinction is that much of what we’re dealing with, with Ontario, with Canada, with municipalities and other jurisdictions, we deal with issues on a government to government basis. And in this case, we look at racism and two points of history -- one being that, I’m not sure if folks know this but there is a history of racism that is very deep here in this country. The first point is that in April 1876 the Indian Act was given royal assent and the Indian Act is a piece of legislation that is still alive and well. It is still utilized by the federal government and supported, just by convention, by the provinces and territories. So institutional racism born out of the Indian Act is one issue that we are working very closely with other governments to ensure that it gets eradicated and that we begin to move closer towards a government to government relationship. One that respects our nations, and as the young elder and as the minister spoke I can’t help but think about the treaties and the original history that the settler colonial government had with our people when you landed here on these shores.

“I also want to point out that the Indian Act has also been awarded some recognition in the development of the apartheid system in South Africa. In the early 1900s, the Indian Act was offered up by the British monarchy to the South Africans for a model of race-based segregation. Yes, these are hard discussions, yes, these are things that most Canadians don’t know about but these are things that governments are willing to work with First Nations on in moving forward. I am very appreciative of this Ontario government -- Premier Kathleen Wynne and her ministers. But when we come to these events, I’m very keen to recognize the work that lay ahead and as such I want to just assure you that I had spoken with Minister Coteau and he’s assured me that within the next two weeks we will be meeting together. We will be discussing what the parallel processes are going forward because, yes, we need to be part of this type of a strategy but on a government-to-government basis. We still have the colonial aspect of that relationship to deal with directly.”

Ihsaan Gardee, executive director of the National Council of Canadian Muslims

“In the last few months, both in Ontario and across Canada, we have witnessed an increasing number of incidents that can be classified as xenophobic and racist targeting various communities. They’ve ranged from verbal abuse to vandalism to arson to assaults against women in broad daylight, including one in this very neighbourhood. This is a dangerous and startling change that we need to be aware of and vigilant about, and announcements like today will hopefully put a spotlight on these troubling incidents. My Ontario, our Canada is one of inclusivity, not just acceptance. It is one of respect, not just tolerance.

“We unfortunately saw the worst-case scenario a few weeks ago through the tragic event of the Quebec City terrorist attack. This is the first time in recent history a terrorist act took the lives of six innocent people in a house of worship in Canada -- Khaled Belkacemi, Azzedine Soufiane, Aboubaker Thabti, Abdelkrim Hassane, Mamadou Tanou Barry and Ibrahima Barry. We must never forget these names because this loss of innocent lives represents and will serve as a constant reminder that words matter. Hate-filled words have no place in our society; hate-filled acts are not a passing incident to be ignored. Justice must be served for the six and for the thousands like them across this province. And today’s announcement of the strategic plan and the path for finding the solutions that will ensure these types of hate crimes never happen again begins now.

“At the end of January of this year, the results of a recent analysis of Canada’s online behaviour commissioned by CBC’s Marketplace suggest a 600% jump in the past year in how often Canadians use language online that is racist, Islamophobic, sexist or otherwise intolerant. The Ontario Human Rights Commission has recognized that anti-Muslim discrimination is “a leading form of contemporary Creed-based discrimination in Ontario. Stereotypes of Muslims as a threat to Canadian security and Canadian values have been particularly pronounced.” Echoing this, according to Statistics Canada in the last three years hate crimes targeting Muslims have doubled. Muslims report experiencing discrimination or unfair treatment in the past five years and 62% of Canadian Muslims are worried about discrimination. These figures mirror the data that the NCCM has been collecting on hate crimes and incidents targeting Canadian Muslims. To be clear, no one is saying that we shouldn’t have a robust, even passionate debate about how we best manage our growing diversity or that we should not be vigilant about and vociferously defend our cherished rights. At the same time, however, unchecked political rhetoric can drive and foster environments of fear and hate. Just over 17 months ago, we had a federal election here in Canada where Muslims were targeted by similar rhetoric we have seen elsewhere. Today, we still have some elected officials implying that Muslims and other minorities need to be screened for anti-Canadian values.

“Moving forward the NCCM is proud to lend its expertise, knowledge and experience to support the development of new and enhancement of old initiatives.”

Saturday, 18 March 2017

Toronto has more Anti-Black Racism Conversations planned for March

By Neil Armstrong

Mayor John Tory greeting some of the people who attended his Black History Month reception at City Hall in February.

The City of Toronto will be conducting nine more Anti-Black Racism Community Conversations within the first half of March.

Since January 21, the first of these conversations took place at Ujima House with Mayor John Tory in attendance.

In total, 32 community conversations about anti-Black racism were hosted by 11 partner agencies across Toronto in January and February.

The partners are: Young & Potential Fathers in partnership with Black Daddies Club, Women’s Health in Women’s Hands, For Youth Initiative, Tropicana Community Services, METRAC, Jamaican Canadian Association, Skills for Change, Oasis Centre des Femmes, Delta Family Resource Centre, African-Canadian Social Development Council and the Black Coalition for AIDS Prevention.

These organizations were selected partners to work with the City of Toronto on the project to reflect the diversity of Toronto's Black communities in age, sexual orientation and gender identity, areas of residents, region of origin, areas of interest, etc.

At his Black History Month Reception at City Hall on February 22, Mayor Tory thanked Premier Wynne for being among those who have shown “great personal leadership on the issue of anti-Black racism.”

“We’re here celebrating history, that is a history where we have to acknowledge the fact that in the past and in the present that it is still being experienced right here,” he said.

Tory said he had attended three of the conversations and he was impressed with the manner in which young and older African Canadians, people from the Black communities in Toronto held the gatherings constructively.

He said the community conversations are giving the city what it wants and what it needs to come up with an action plan to address anti-Black racism.

The community conversations are organized around a city review of recommendations made by members of Toronto's Black communities over the past 41 years.

About 500 residents from Toronto’s diverse Black communities have already taken part in these small “kitchen table-like conversations facilitated by 15 civically engaged youth.

The results of all the community conversations and online input will be compiled by city staff with help from community leaders to create the “Toronto Action Plan to Confront Anti-Black Racism.”

All of this information will be accessible to the public online at http://www.TorontoForAll.ca.

After the city has drafted the initial version of the action plan, it will also make it available on the website.

The city plans to host a citywide meeting to finalize the action plan with residents.

The “Toronto Action Plan to Confront Anti-Black Racism” will be presented to city council for approval and implementation in partnership with Black communities.

The action plan will be written and reviewed between March and April 2017 with the intended goal of presenting it to the executive committee in June, and the city council in July.

Meanwhile, the province’s Anti-Racism Directorate released its 3-year anti-racism strategic plan, “A Better Way Forward,” on March 7.

It is the province’s strategy for combatting and dismantling systemic racism in order to achieve fairer outcomes for racialized people, including Black, Indigenous and Muslim communities.

Michael Coteau, Minister of Responsible for Anti-Racism, released the strategy at Thorncliffe Neighbourhood Office in Toronto, one of the province’s most ethnically diverse neighbourhoods.

The directorate said this strategy is an acknowledgement that racism—anti-Black racism, anti-Indigenous racism, Islamophobia and racisms experienced racialized communities—is real, and can act as a barrier to achieving opportunity.

“To complement A Better Way Forward, the province is also announcing the Ontario Black Youth Action Plan, a targeted, community-based approach to increasing access to supports and opportunities for Black children, youth and their families to address outcomes disparities. This $61 million commitment over the next five years will allow government to work with Black leaders, organizations and youth to shape stronger futures for Black youth,” said the directorate in a press release.

The plan includes a commitment to develop a framework for the collection of race-based data to monitor the impact of policies and programs on different segments of the population.

There are also plans for public education and awareness initiatives targeting racism, including Islamophobia and anti-Semitism, and proposed anti-racism legislation to ensure sustainability and accountability of the government’s anti-racism work.

Reflections on Community and Resistance at a Book Signing

By Neil Armstrong

My plan was to spend a relaxed evening yesterday (March 17) at a book signing at the new location of A Different Booklist – 777-779 Bathurst St. – across from its former location.

Since its move to the new spot on Feb. 4, this was my firs time in the space and for a good reason.

The bookstore and community cultural hub was hosting its first event there – author, publisher/media owner, entrepreneur and activist, B. Denham Jolly, was signing copies of his recently published memoir, In the Black: My Life.

An event like this brought out many historians, community activists -- members of the Black Action Defense Committee, Urban Alliance on Race Relations, and others who are resisting in their own way.

While there, a friend called to say he was finally home after six weeks in hospital after a heart attack and a triple bypass surgery. I was thankful because upon reflection that was one of the main reasons I hadn’t made it to the new space for the bookstore before. I was connected to a longtime friendship and willing someone who is like a brother to me to become well again. And here it is that on the evening that I was reconnecting with a community of friends at the bookstore he called with the good news.

Shortly after entering the store, someone came over to me to talk about the topical issue of Senator Don Meredith’s conduct, soon after another, and not long after another person. Their views were as divergent as many of the views about the matter expressed on Facebook and elsewhere. [I saw some more views on social media when I got home late last night.] I listened, engaged in the conversations, but really wanted to focus on my reason for being there -- to celebrate with owners, Itah Sadu and Miguel San Vicente, the new space and celebrate with Denham Jolly his book signing in the space.

What was important about those conversations was the sense of community – some felt the senator was getting a raw deal, others not so. In other conversations, one person said they didn't know who he was until now, and asked if there wasn’t a discussion sometime ago about reforming the senate. [I shared information on the five black senators: Anne Cools, 73, of Ontario, the first Black Canadian to be appointed, in 1984, and the longest-serving member of the Senate; Donald Oliver, 78, of Nova Scotia, who served from 1990-2013; the late Calvin Ruck of Nova Scotia, (born Sept. 4, 1925), appointed in 1998 and served until reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75 in 2000 – he died on Oct. 19, 2004; Don Meredith, 52, of Ontario, appointed in Dec. 2010; and Wanda Thomas Bernard, 63, of Nova Scotia, appointed in Oct. 2016 under a new system of selecting senators introduced the Justin Trudeau-led government. She applied for the position and was chosen. Senator Thomas Bernard recently attended the Viola Desmond Day Awards at Ryerson University where an award named in her honour was presented to a professor at the university.]

Last night the themes of community and resistance were quite evident because many of the activists and community builders, like Jojo Chintoh, Norman ‘Otis’ Richmond, Peter Rosenthal, Valarie Steele, Kingsley Gilliam, Hewitt Loague, Keith Ellis, Al Peabody, Knia Singh, Nigel Barriffe, Louis March and others were there to celebrate Jolly and his new book. Hearing the names of Sherona Hall, Dudley Laws, Charles Roach and other community stalwarts no longer living had me thinking about something Akua Benjamin, activist, academic and community leader, said at an Urban Alliance on Race Relations event a Ryerson University a few years ago. In her acceptance speech after receiving the lifetime award, she said, “Resistance is in our DNA” – something that has become the mantle of the Akua Benjamin Legacy Project. I think this resistance is being demonstrated in Black Lives Matter-Toronto and in places like Jamaica where women in the Tambourine Army marched to resist violence against women and rape culture.

Having written about the book in multiple media, I’ll share this excerpt from its front flap: “In the Black is part memoir and part manifesto, documenting Jolly’s personal struggles while also chronicling the stories of an entire generation of social activists. It is a passionate narrative about personal ambition, a community’s hardships and successes, and its search for a voice. It is a story about the search for social justice.”

It was good last night to hear Knia Singh talk about his friendship with Jolly (who will be 82 in August) and Denham Jolly encouraging him to keep up the fight – to speak truth to power and be tenacious. Knia took a break from working on a final paper in law school at Osgoode to attend the event last night. Wishing him success with that. It was also nice to overhear other elder community stalwarts encouraging the younger community, activist and soon-to-be lawyer to be steadfast. They’ve got his back.

B. Denham Jolly and Valarie Steele at A Different Booklist.

B. Denham Jolly reading Chapter One 'In the Lion's Den' at his book signing.

Knia Singh and Robin Battle at A Different Booklist.

Group photo at A Different Booklist -- B. Denham Jolly's book signing event.

Standing: Gene S. and Jojo Chintoh and seated: B. Denham Jolly and Knia Singh at A Different Booklist. Also caught in this pic is Norman 'Otis'Ricmond.