The City of Vaughan recognizes that anti-Black racism is perpetual, pervasive and systemic in Canada, and that an effective strategy is required to challenge anti-Black racism in all its forms. Addressing anti-Black racism is a key priority in the City’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategy and multi-year action plan (PDF).

Addressing Anti-Black Racism Action Plan

Through the development of the Addressing Anti-Black Racism Action Plan, the City is committed to identifying and addressing barriers to the full and meaningful participation of the Black community in services, programs, events and general city life.

There is rich diversity within the Black community – with people from different backgrounds, identities and experiences. These different lived experiences and perspectives must drive the Addressing Anti-Black Racism Action Plan. The City will collaborate with Black individuals, organizations serving the diverse Black communities living in Vaughan and community leaders to develop strategies that address the ongoing challenges of anti-Black racism. The process will engage individuals from the Black community, hear their perspectives, and collaboratively develop recommendations for sustainable change. 

Project Scope

The Addressing Anti-Black Racism project, including community engagement, will be exclusively focused on services offered by the City and within its jurisdiction. Matters outside this scope, while welcome as part of any community discussions and recognized as deeply impactful to the diverse Black communities in Vaughan, will be recorded and, where possible, provided to the relevant organizations for any subsequent action. Learn more about the City of Vaughan’s government structure and services.

Project Updates

Since the project launched in September 2022, the City has:

• Reviewed existing Anti-Black Racism Action Plans across cities in Canada to better understand existing efforts, plan components, structures and more.
• Identified organizations led by and/or supporting the Black community in Vaughan and York Region.
• Organized an Addressing Anti-Black Racism Special Advisory Committee comprised of Black citizens through a ​public recruitment. The mandate of the Special Advisory Committee is to:
• provide advice on the project.
• facilitate community connections.
• advise on and guide the community engagement process.
• provide feedback on the reports in each phase of the project.
• provide feedback on the recommendations and action plan.
• Organized focus group sessions with organizations supporting the Black community in the city.

The City will seek community perspectives through a series of consultations and a city-wide survey to gather information on key issues, challenges and opportunities for change. Check back in mid-February for more information.

Project timeline

• Strategy review and initial outreach – Q4 2022 | Complete
• Community engagement: identifying key issues and recommended actions – Q1-Q2 2023 | Coming soon
• Validation of the draft action plan – Q3-Q4 2023
• Launch the final action plan city-wide – 2024 

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Understanding Anti-Black Racism