Welcome to Black Canada: A Resource
In 2016, 1.2 million Black people were counted in the Canadian census, making up 3.2% of the population.
The first Black person thought to have ever set foot on Canadian soil was Mathieu Da Costa, a free man who was hired by Europeans to act as a translator. Historically, Black people came to Canada from south of the border as refugees of slavery or from the Caribbean and Africa as immigrants.
Being Black in Canada meant and still means being enslaved, dragged through the streets of Montreal and hung; being stopped, questioned, frisked and documented without any evidence that any crime has been committed; being denied access to public spaces; being imprisoned at disproportionate rates.
But things have changed, right?
Well, let’s see: today, Black people earn 76 cents for every dollar earned by white people in Canada; in some cities like Toronto, Black people are 20 times more likely to be fatally killed by law enforcement.
Black men and women contribute enormously to Canadian music, culture, and arts, producing the first female publisher in the country, Olympic gold medalists, poets, and so many more.
And yet, Black people’s personal and professional stories in Canada are fraught with racism.
Although there have been slow advances in the right direction, like the recognition of the International Decade of People of African Descent, these small wins are not enough to keep Black men and women from being murdered in broad daylight and pushed off balconies by police.
So what do we do now? Movements around the globe are garnering attention, igniting hashtags, and demanding change. But little is being shared within Canada on how we can actively support Black people in our communities. Let the list below be a starting point.
Firs, we must acknowledge that the story of Black people in Canada cannot be told without looking to the present and historical treatment of Indigenous people in Canada.
For every struggle Black people have faced here, Indigenous people have their own harrowing history and struggle to assert their rights, identities, and claims. Indigenous deaths and lives continue to be ignored in Canada.
Black Lives Matter and Black lives must be uplifted side by side with Indigenous lives. History and present tragedy demands it.
Learn: What you should know about Black people in Canada today
Defunding the police will save black and indigenous lives in Canada
Black Toronto residents 20 times more likely to be shot dead by police, study says
Police brutality continuously treated like a one-off in Canada, says Desmond Cole
Google Drive folder on Historical Resources on Racism in Atlantic Canada by Rudy Bartlett
Book - Policing Black Lives: State Violence in Canada from Slavery to the Present by Robyn Maynard
21 things you may not know about the Indian Act and Indigenous Relations Insights, Tips & Suggestions to Make Reconciliation a Reality by Bob Joseph
Act: Immediate action you can take to support Black people in Canada
Learn how policing works in your city and continuously advocate for independent investigations into police misconduct, abuse, and police-involved deaths. Involve your community, friends, and families in these discussions and in your advocacy work. Write a letter, create a social media campaign, and raise a stink about a current case in your region.
Write to your MP about Canada's Police Use of Force laws. Canada allows use of firearms even if a threat is not imminent. This does not comply with international law.
Write to your MP about requiring RCMP to use bodycams (because they're not used, currently).
Write to your city councillor about over-policing of communities during COVID-19. Encourage cities to instead use park ambassadors, life guards, and city staff to encourage physical distancing in public places and public facility closures.
Here’s a template you can use to write to your MP. Customize it to fit your voice and concerns.
“The police constitute a powerful lobby group that seeks to have its interests protected through law and policy. (...) The police go to great lengths to have their views enshrined in law and policy, influencing federal, provincial and local politicians at every opportunity.”
- Police Involved Deaths: The Case for Reform, BC Civil Liberties Association (2012)
Give: Organizations to support (monetarily and otherwise)
Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) actively stands up to power by fighting against rights violations, abuse of police powers, inequality, and discrimination. They stand for freedom, equity, and a better future for all people in Canada. Through challenging the law and educating youth on their rights, CCLA is able to effect systemic change in our communities.
Black Legal Action Center a non-profit community legal clinic that provides free legal services for low or no income Black residents of Ontario.
Black Health Alliance is a community-led registered charity working to improve the health and well-being of Black communities in Canada. Building on their track record as an effective mobilizer and champion, they continue to grow the movement for change. Driven by groundbreaking research, strong partnerships, and people, this movement continues to build innovative solutions to improve Black health and well-being, and mobilize people and financial resources to create lasting change in the lives of Black children, families, and communities.
The Federal Black Employee Caucus (FBEC) supports efforts at the national, regional, and local levels to address issues faced by Black federal public servants.
Parents for Diversity is a collective of parents committed to achieving inclusive and non-discriminatory learning environments that allow children to fulfill their true potential in this world.
Justice for Abdirahman Abdi is an Ottawa-based group supported by local and national advocacy groups. The objective of the coalition’s campaign is to obtain greater transparency, challenge racial inequity, and bring positive change in order to secure justice for the late Abdirahman Abdi and his family.
Refinery’s list of Canadian organizations to donate to, petitions to sign, charities to support and more
And because “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”:
A7G are young people that came together from the winter of Idle No More. They are Indigenous youth from various nations and our roots come from various territories. They saw the importance of a national Indigenous youth voice and platform. They believe that the assembly and unity of youth from across Turtle Island will not only contribute to our own success and healing of today, but also that of our next seven generations.
Idle No More calls on all people to join in a peaceful revolution, to honour Indigenous sovereignty, and to protect the land and water. INM has and will continue to help build sovereignty & resurgence of nationhood. INM will continue to pressure government and industry to protect the environment. INM will continue to build allies in order to reframe the nation-to-nation relationship. This will be done by including grassroots perspectives, issues, and concerns.
Today, 42% of Canadians turn to social media as their main source of information.
But when was the last time you took a good, critical look at the people flooding your feed? Do they all look like you? Talk like you? Come from the same hometown or grew up in the same conditions? How can you know that you’re hearing the social consensus on any given subject if you’re only listening to a narrow group of people? Diversify your socials and start learning from other perspectives, and not only when a hashtag is trending. Go ahead and commit to that follow button.
Follow: Very Smart Black People on social media
This list can and should go on. But I know that while some people across Canada are already aware of the injustice against Black people everywhere, many are still waking up to the reality that those same injustices happen right here, in the “Great White North.” If you’re still rubbing the sleep out of your eyes, start here. Start now. Because tomorrow, we have work to do.