Item - 2017.EX29.11

The Executive Committee recommends that:

1.  City Council adopt the Toronto Action Plan to Confront Anti-Black Racism as outlined in Attachment A to the report (November 15, 2017) from the City Manager.
 

2.  City Council adopt the 2018 Annual Work Priorities for year one implementation as outlined in Appendix B to the report (November 15, 2017) from the City Manager.

 
3.  City Council refer the new and enhanced request of $0.460 million gross and net for 5.0 positions and $0.535 million gross and net for community partnership initiatives, for a total of $0.995 million gross and net, and included in the 2018 Operating Budget Submissions for Social Development, Finance and Administration for consideration with other City priorities through the 2018 and future-year budget process.
 

4.  City Council request the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration, the Acting Director, Equity, Diversity, and Human Rights; and the Executive Director, Human Resources to form the City Steering Committee to lead the internal City systems change work of the Toronto Action Plan to Confront Anti-Black Racism and to align this work with other equity-based initiatives to ensure combined impact.
 

5.  City Council approve the establishment of the Anti-Black Racism Partnership and Accountability Circle comprised of diverse Torontonians of African descent to support the implementation of the Toronto Action Plan to Confront Anti-Black Racism in effective, collaborative and accountable ways.

 
6.  Subject to the adoption of Recommendation 5, City Council request the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration, the Acting Director, Equity, Diversity, and Human Rights; and the Executive Director, Human Resources, in collaboration with the Anti-Black Racism Partnership and Accountability Circle to report annually on the progress of implementation and the next year's work priorities.

 
7.  City Council forward the Toronto Action Plan to Confront Anti-Black Racism as outlined in Appendix A to the report (November 15, 2017) from the City Manager, to the Board of Health, Toronto Library Board, Toronto Police Board, and Toronto Community Housing Corporation Board for their consideration.
 

8.  City Council forward Toronto Action Plan to Confront Anti-Black Racism as outlined in Appendix A to the report (November 15, 2017) from the City Manager, to the Premier of Ontario and the Minister of Children and Youth Services for consideration on program and funding alignments.

Toronto is the most diverse city in the world. However, studies continue to show that anti-Black racism still exists in this city, affecting the life chances of more than 200,000 people of African descent who call Toronto home.  

Anti-Black racism is policies and practices embedded in Canadian institutions that reflect and reinforce beliefs, attitudes, prejudice, stereotyping and/or discrimination that is directed at people of African descent and is rooted in their unique history and experience of enslavement and colonization here in Canada.

The legacy of anti-Black racism lies in the current social, economic, and political marginalization of Torontonians of African descent. It is experienced as a lack of opportunity, poor health and mental health outcomes, poor education outcomes, higher rates of precarious employment and unemployment, significant poverty, and overrepresentation in the criminal justice, mental health, and child welfare systems. 

To begin confronting anti-Black racism in Toronto, the City of Toronto partnered with Black leaders and organizations to create and implement a four-phase process. Phase one was the development and launch of the Toronto For All campaign in November 2016, naming and challenging anti-Black racism for public education. Phase two was the review of 41 years' worth of research and recommendations about addressing anti-Black racism in Toronto. This review created the foundation for 41 Community Conversations in phase three to determine how best to take meaningful action going forward. Conversations ran from January to March 2017. Black Torontonians reviewed a draft action plan at a citywide workshop in May 2017 and provided feedback. In Phase four, City staff and subject matter experts from across Toronto's Black communities worked together to create work plans and to identify resource requirements to begin implementation.

The Toronto Action Plan to Confront Anti-Black Racism is the result of this collaborative effort between the City of Toronto and Torontonians of African descent to take corrective action. 

This five-year plan leverages the talents, knowledge, and experiences of Black residents and Black organizations as partners in making municipal services, spaces and policies fully inclusive and accessible to Torontonians of African descent in both intent and in practice. The Action Plan includes 22 recommendations and 80 actions to address five issue areas: children and youth development; health and community services; job and income supports; policing and the justice system; and community engagement and Black leadership. This report recommends adoption and implementation of the Toronto Action Plan to Confront Anti-Black Racism.