Toronto: Today, Ontario released A Better Way Forward: Ontario’s 3-Year Anti-Racism Strategic Plan, 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, as part of the province’s commitment to support the identification and elimination of systemic racism. 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.
“I’m a firm believer Ontario is a place of diversity, inclusion, acceptance and tolerance. But some of us still experience poor outcomes, which means government’s work is not over yet. A Better Way Forward is Ontario’s commitment to change how we do things, and to set us on a path of positive change and better outcomes. I am dedicated to leading this work, and I look forward to shaping a stronger future for all.”
— Michael Coteau, Minister Responsible for Anti-Racism
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.
Further highlights of A Better Way Forward include:
· 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.
· Public education and awareness initiatives targeting racism, including Islamophobia and antisemitism.
· Proposed anti-racism legislation to ensure sustainability and accountability of the government’s anti-racism work.
· A Minister’s anti-racism consultation group to support the implementation of the plan.
· Population-specific anti-racism strategies to address critical forms of systemic racism including anti-Black racism and anti-Indigenous racism, as well as racism experience in the Ontario Public Service.
Eliminating systemic racism and advancing racial equity supports the social, economic and cultural development of society as a whole, and everyone benefits when individuals and communities are no longer marginalized.
Report by: Jaison Mathew CMN
