Ontario to conduct economic study on anti-black racism

TORONTO – Ontario is conducting an economic study to quantify the cost of anti-black racism as part of a broad new plan.

The anti-black racism strategy, released Thursday, sets out how the provincial government will try to address disparities for black Ontarians in the child welfare, education and justice systems.

The government says the plan aims to tackle the intergenerational impacts of slavery, a history of racial stigmatization and ongoing systemic racism.

It includes doing an economic study, developing targets in child welfare, education and justice, developing anti-black racism programs for government employees and institutions, and creating public awareness initiatives.

The government says black children are more likely to be in foster care and enrolled in lower academic streams, while black men are more likely than white men to interact with the justice system and black women are more likely than white women to be unemployed.

Premier Kathleen Wynne says the anti-black racism strategy makes the government accountable in the fight to eliminate discrimination and inequality that Ontario’s black community endures.