London, Ont. approves action plan targeting anti-Black racism, systemic barriers
A city in Southern Ontario has approved an Anti-Black Racism Action Plan to tackle systemic barriers and promote equity across municipal programs and services.
London City Council began developing the plan in 2020 using public feedback to shape the policy.
It contains 61 recommendations, including increasing economic opportunities through enhanced support for Black-owned businesses, prioritizing the recruitment and retention of Black individuals in leadership roles and developing housing and transportation policies that support equity-denied communities.
Many recommendations also target external organizations, such as police services, school boards, healthcare institutions, post-secondary institutions, and business organizations.
Some people have questioned the city’s action plan, noting that city council also approved a record four-year police budget of $672 million this February, which activists said will disproportionately impact racialized communities that are frequently subject to over-policing.
This summer, the federal government published A Roadmap for Transformative Change: Canada’s Black Justice Strategy, which contains 114 recommendations. Many of those recommendations target policing practices.
“Anti-Black racism and systemic discrimination have their origins in Canada’s history of colonialism, slavery, and segregation, and can impact the ability of Black people to fully contribute to Canadian society,” the federal report states.
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