City Hall Takes Action on Anti Black Racism in Toronto

In a major step toward addressing systemic anti-Black racism, the Confronting Anti-Black Racism Advisory Committee has adopted a motion introduced by Walied Khogali Ali, a Regent Park resident and committee member. The motion urges the City to implement key recommendations from the Ontario Human Rights Commission’s (OHRC) From Impact to Action report, which examines the prevalence of anti-Black racism within both the Toronto Police Service (TPS) and the Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC).

Dawar Naeem – Local Journalism Initiative

This motion called on the City to invite the OHRC to present its findings, providing valuable insights into how Black Torontonians, particularly those in diverse and mixed-income neighbourhoods like Regent Park, are disproportionately affected by systemic racism. Regent Park, one of Toronto’s most diverse and historically under-resourced communities, is home to a significant number of Black residents who have long faced systemic challenges in public housing and interactions with law enforcement.

The motion also demanded that the Toronto Police and TCHC, along with other City agencies, present their existing anti-Black racism initiatives, with a focus on adopting the OHRC’s recommendations for deeper reform. The goal of the motion is to ensure these institutions take active and well informed steps to address the issues raised in the report, which highlighted ongoing discrimination against Black residents, especially those living in public housing or involved with police.

At its core, this initiative aims to hold City agencies accountable for implementing meaningful change. After the Motion was passed by the  Confronting Anti-Black Racism Advisory Committee, it was recommended to the Economic and Community Development Committee (ECDC).

At the ECDC meeting, Chair of the committee, Councillor Alejandra Bravo, amended the motion. The motion Adopted at the Confronting Anti-Black Racism Advisory Committee meeting and recommended to the Economic and Community Development Committee was

1.  1.    Request the Confronting Anti-Black Racism Unit, Social Development, Finance and Administration to invite the Ontario Human Rights Commission to present on the From Impact to Action: Final report on anti-Black racism by the Toronto Police Service, to share key findings and recommendations from the report.

1.  2.    Request the Confronting Anti-Black Racism Unit, Social Development, Finance and Administration to invite relevant City divisions and agencies, including the Toronto Police Service and Toronto Community Housing Corporation to present their existing anti-Black racism initiatives and work to consider and adopt findings in the From Impact to Action: Final report on anti-Black racism by the Toronto Police Service.

And the Amended motion by the Economic and Community Development Committee is:

1.  1.     Requested the Confronting Anti-Black Racism Unit, Social Development, Finance and Administration to invite the Ontario Human Rights Commission to present on the From Impact to Action: Final report on anti-Black racism by the Toronto Police Service, to share key findings and recommendations from the report.

1.  2.     Requested the Confronting Anti-Black Racism Unit, Social Development, Finance and Administration to invite the Chair, Toronto Police Service Board to present their existing anti-Black racism initiatives and work to consider and adopt findings in the From Impact to Action: Final report on anti-Black racism by the Toronto Police Service.

For Black Torontonians, particularly those in Regent Park, this action signifies a crucial step toward reforming the systems that continue to marginalize them, offering hope for lasting change.