Black communities in Canada continue to live with the effects of prejudice, discrimination, and hatred-from unconscious bias to anti-Black hate crimes and violence. These systemic inequalities have resulted in the overrepresentation of Black people in Canada's criminal justice system, including as victims of crime. To further its work to address these systemic issues, the Government of Canada is working with Black communities to develop Canada's Black Justice Strategy (the Strategy).
Today, the Honourable David Lametti, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada was joined by the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion; the Honourable Marci Ien, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth; Dr. Akwasi Owusu-Bempah, Associate Professor of the Department of Sociology at the University of Toronto; and Zilla Jones, Human Rights Lawyer, to announce the establishment of a Steering Group to lead the next phase of Canada's Black Justice Strategy.
The nine-member Steering Group will develop a framework for consultations led by Black communities across Canada and work with other experts and community leaders. This work will ensure that the Strategy is grounded in the diverse backgrounds, experiences and regional realities of Black communities across Canada.
The Steering Group members are Dr. Akwasi Owusu-Bempah, Anthony Morgan, Fernando Belton, Mandela Kuet, Moya Teklu, Sandra Muchekeza, Suzanne Taffot, Vanessa Fells, and Zilla Jones. These leaders from across the country will bring their expertise and experiences to this very important work. Dr. Akwasi Owusu-Bempah and Zilla Jones will co-author a final report, providing an overview of the information gathered through consultations and the Steering Group's recommendations.
The goal of this work is a comprehensive strategy that identifies concrete ways to address both the systemic discrimination and anti-Black racism that exists in Canada's criminal justice system, as well as actions to reform and modernize the criminal justice system, to ensure that every Canadian has access to fair and just treatment before the law.
