Police watchdog’s pledge to publish archive of reports is transparency at its ‘bare minimum’ without demographic data, say experts
The civilian police watchdog’s reversal of its position to publish only a “sample” of investigations into allegations of police misconduct falls short of its intention to increase transparency in the absence of data about the identities of individuals involved, say experts. The Civilian Review and Complaints Commission (CRCC) for the RCMP plans to release its […]
New StatsCan data ‘indispensable’ for understanding systemic anti-Black racism, says professor
Data released by Statistics Canada over the past year and a half could help to dispel the myth of a single, uniform Black population in Canada, and will be “indispensable” for researchers studying systemic racism in the country, say professors from three universities across the country. Statistics Canada has released a spate of data on […]
Black Caucus still waiting for government action on racial justice
As the end of summer approaches, members of the Black Parliamentary Caucus say they are still waiting to see how the government will act on their call for racial justice reforms, released in June after protests against anti-Black racism swept the world following the killing of African-American George Floyd by a police officer in Minnesota […]
Freeland sitting atop a glass cliff
August seems to be a month of shattering “glass ceilings” for women in politics. From Kamala Harris being named as Joe Biden’s running mate to Chrystia Freeland becoming the first woman federal finance minister, the future seems to be bright for women in politics. But there is much more to it than that. Women in politics are often […]
‘I refused to be silenced’: Women politicians say gender makes them a target
When Wanda Thomas Bernard was appointed to the Senate in 2016, she spent thousands of dollars upgrading security at her Nova Scotia home. No stranger to racist and sexist attacks, she said she knew being a Parliamentarian, publicly visible, and vocal on the issues she cares about, would make her a target. “It makes me […]
Triage model necessary to shift away from police-first system in response to distress calls, say officers
As the government grapples for solutions in addressing systemic racism in police institutions, two police leaders say they support a national shift to a model of policing that emphasizes public health over “traditional law enforcement.” In a hearing on Friday before the House Public Safety Committee, Nishan Duraiappah, chief of Peel Regional Police, said that […]
‘It’s a national security threat’: DND launches anti-Black racism initiative
Addressing anti-Black racism in the ranks of the Canadian military is a matter of national security, with recent bad press likely to dampen recruitment, says the head of the Federal Black Employee Caucus. “For a long time this work has been piecemeal and people kind of do it at the corner of their desk, but […]
A roadmap already exists to advance the rights of Black communities
Earlier this year, the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, put out a call for feedback on efforts underway to achieve the objectives of the International Decade for People of African Descent (2015-2024). Given the dramatic events and protests that have marked the year so far, one could say that little has been […]
PM’s ‘Tiger Team’ meant to address diversity, inclusion in Canada’s national intelligence and security community hasn’t met since 2018
The federal government still has “much work to be done” on addressing diversity and inclusion issues within its intelligence and security apparatus, according to a recent parliamentary committee report, with one leading intelligence expert suggesting more senior leadership within the Privy Council Office with “power and clout” is needed to oversee the problem—and questioning why […]
Racism poisons Canada’s future
OTTAWA—Last week, I had lunch with two exceptional young Canadians, Ayanda and Mordecai. It was both enlightening and disturbing. I have known Ayanda for more than a decade. He worked at the YMCA camp, Kanawana, near Montreal. Ayanda was a counsellor, then a colleague to my children and became a family friend. He was always […]
