Addressing anti-Black racism in Canada requires concrete action, not empty gestures

The death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers has sparked outrage across Canada, with numerous demonstrations, rallies, and vigils highlighting the realities of anti-Black racism and associated police violence in this country. These realities are in no way new. Systemic anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism long predates Canadian Confederation and has been a stark and disgraceful part of this country’s history for the past 153 years. The latest cross-country demonstrations do not reflect a tangential concern that what happens in the United States, happens in Canada too. Rather it is a fundamental concern that this happens in Canada, has been happening for far too long, and it must end, full stop. Amnesty International is joining activists and leaders in Black communities across Canada in urging the federal government to advance transformative change addressing anti-Black racism in Canada, including but not limited to the systemic anti-Black racism in policing and justice systems. A failure by the federal government, and governments at all levels in the country, to respond with concrete and meaningful action to address this grave and longstanding human rights crisis would be tantamount to complacency. Canadians have heard many expressions of dismay, regret, and even outrage from politicians and police officials in recent days. Many leaders have taken a knee during protests or as part of moments of silence extending to eight minutes and 46 seconds, reflective of the length of time it took police to kill George Floyd. It is not always clear what motivates these public displays by leaders. There was considerable media coverage when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took a knee during the protest in Ottawa on June 5. However, with images of his brownface and blackface photos still fresh for Canadians, these gestures risk appearing to be empty when not accompanied by announcements of concrete change that will truly begin to tackle anti-Black racism in the country. RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki backtracked and acknowledged systemic racism within the RCMP, but only after considerable political and public pressure. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade Yet many political and policing leaders in the country continue to deny that systemic racism is a reality and a serious human rights crisis in Canada. There were particularly troubling indications of this from RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki and Deputy Commissioner Curtis Zablocki, the RCMP’s commanding officer for Alberta. They both subsequently backtracked and acknowledged systemic racism within the RCMP, but only after considerable political and public pressure. The list of public figures insisting there is no systemic racism in Canada grows daily. The shameful reality though is that there is already ample evidence that anti-Black racism and systemic racism exist in Canada, and countless indications of the immediate steps that can and must be taken to address it. These come from United Nations reviews by such bodies as the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent and the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. In fact, the list of recommendations from the UN and comprehensive reports by independent bodies and experts in Canada is disgracefully long, including the Ontario Human Rights Commission, the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission, the Independent Review of Street Checks by Ontario Court of Appeal Justice Michael Tulloch, and an independent report commissioned by the City of Montreal Police Service. Bardish Chagger, the minister of diversity and inclusion and youth, has been mandated to 'develop policies that tackle systemic discrimination and unconscious bias in our country, including anti-Black racism; expand and advance Canada’s anti-racism strategy and ensure community-based projects are prioritized and meet the goals and outcomes of the strategy; and to establish an Anti-Racism Secretariat.' These tangible and crucially important steps have not advanced. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade The list is disgraceful not only because of its length but because of the consistent failure to move forward in implementing the important recommendations that have been put in front of governments and police agencies in Canada. That is what must change, and the change must start now. Amnesty International has urged the federal government to move immediately on these three fronts: First, immediately take steps to fulfill the 2019 election promise to strengthen Building a Foundation for Change: Canada’s Anti-Racism Strategy 2019-2022, including by doubling the funding to support the strategy. Bardish Chagger, the minister of diversity and inclusion and youth, has been mandated to “develop policies that tackle systemic discrimination and unconscious bias in our country, including anti-Black racism; expand and advance Canada’s anti-racism strategy and ensure community-based projects are prioritized and meet the goals and outcomes of the strategy; and to establish an Anti-Racism Secretariat.” These tangible and crucially important steps have not advanced. Second, it is time for an ambitious initiative to absolutely ban all practices of carding, street checks and racial profiling carried out by police forces in Canada. In its recent review of Canada, the UN Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent has explicitly urged that “the practice of carding, or street checks, and all other forms of racial profiling be discontinued and that the practice of racial profiling be investigated and the perpetrators sanctioned.” It is a practice that fosters, encourages and enables racism. It violates Canada’s international human rights obligation to actively prohibit and prevent discrimination. It must end. Too often the excuse provided with respect to advancing police reforms of any nature in Canada is that it is complicated because of competing jurisdictions. That may indeed pose a challenge, but it in no way justifies inaction. The federal government can begin by expressly prohibiting carding, street checks and racial profiling by policing and law enforcement agencies under federal jurisdiction, including the RCMP and the Canada Border Services Agency. Going further, the federal government can play a lead role in working with other governments in the country to develop national standards to be applied with respect to law enforcement agencies across Canada. Public Safety Minister Bill Blair must demonstrate genuine personal commitment to these particular reforms, as he carries a legacy of anti-Black racism. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade Notably, Public Safety Minister Bill Blair must demonstrate genuine personal commitment to these particular reforms, as he carries a legacy of anti-Black racism. During his tenure as Chief of Police for the City of Toronto, he continued the practice of carding, contrary to Toronto Police Services Board reforms. This understandably makes it difficult for many Canadians to have trust and confidence that he will champion policies that will demonstrably tackle anti-Black racism. Third, much more is of course required. This is not a time for tweaks and a piecemeal reform process, it is time for fundamental change. Such change includes wholesale transformation of policing in the country to address the systemic anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism that has long been at its core. Calls for that type of reform have gathered considerable attention and momentum in recent weeks, in both the United States and Canada, and include proposals to refrain from additional funding for law enforcement, significantly reduce spending on policing, curtail the militarization of policing, ban the use of facial recognition technology by police for mass surveillance, overhaul police oversight, and acknowledge the intersectionality that exists in policing Black women and Black trans individuals. All of this requires broad and time-bound consultations about community-led proposals that reimagine and propose new, transformative approaches to upholding public safety and setting and apportioning police budgets in ways that end racism and uphold human rights. Now is the time to advance this agenda of change. Alex Neve is secretary general of Amnesty International Canada’s English branch and France-Isabelle Langlois is directrice générale of Amnistie internationale Canada francophone. The Hill Times

Addressing anti-Black racism in Canada requires concrete action, not empty gestures

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