By nearly every measure, the African Canadian community across Ontario experiences markedly disproportionate rates of poverty, high school drop-out, child welfare, unemployment, violence and incarceration.
While there have been some meaningful responses from the municipal, provincial and federal governments to the levels of disparity faced by the African Canadian community, such as Ontario’s Youth Action Plan, the level of inequality remains inexcusably dramatic. Many feel that the observations of the Stephen Lewis Report on Race Relations in Ontario remain as true today as they were when they were written in 1992. As Mr. Lewis put it, “the doors of upward equity” for African Canadians is still “slammed shut”.
In light of these appalling circumstances, the OFL has joined forces with the African Canadian Legal Clinic (ACLC), Midaynta Community Services, the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU), and the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) to convene the 2nd African Canadian Summit on April 29 under the banner, “Critical Crossroad and Crisis in the African Canadian Community.”
Three key thematic pillars of the Summit are:
- Violence Reduction
- Equity in Outcomes
- Good Jobs in a Changing Economy
Politicians and representatives of key public institutions and the business community will be invited to join community groups and labour unions in marking 2015 as the first year of the United Nations International Decade for People of African Descent by setting out a road map to ending racial inequality. The full-day Summit will feature discussions addressing the root causes of youth violence, the ongoing disparities affecting the African Canadian community and the development of an action plan that focuses on concrete solutions to the social and systemic barriers that are holding back equality.
REGISTER NOW: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/the-2nd-african-canadian-summit-tickets-16383502497
