Anti-Black racism strategy underway, to be unveiled in 2025: Thames Valley board

The Thames Valley District School Board has announced the beginnings of an anti-Black racism strategy and expects that it will be made public in February 2025.

The board says it is using equity, diversity and inclusion consulting firm Senomi Solutions Inc. in order to connect with members of the Black community and support the development of the strategy.

“As a school board, it is our responsibility not only to educate future generations about the continued importance of Black history, but also to take immediate and sustained action against anti-Black racism in our schools and workplaces,” Mark Fisher, director of education, said in a statement.

“I am proud to announce that work is underway on an Anti-Black Racism Strategy for the Thames Valley District School Board, which will outline the concrete and measurable actions we will take as a board to make Thames Valley more welcoming for Black students, families and staff.”

The board says the strategy will be “directly informed by input from Black-identifying students, parents, caregivers and community members.”

In early June 2020, London, Ont., city councillors approved motions asking local school boards, the London Police Service and the Middlesex-London Health Unit to respond to issues raised by Londoners during a massive Black Lives Matter rally earlier that month.

Later that year, the board announced an extensive review of the School Resource Officer (SRO) program in schools after London Black Lives Matter (BLM) organizers said the presence of police officers in schools could trigger feelings of anxiety for Black and Indigenous students.

Local media reported that those reviewing the program ultimately supported reinstating a revamped version with specific recommendations, but the idea of bringing officers back into the schools was shot down last month.

— with files from Global News’ Sawyer Bogdan.