The City of London is committed to combatting hate and discrimination of any kind within our community.

At the City of London, we recognize the adverse social and health consequences that social inequity and disproportionate access to programs and services has had on members of Black communities.

The City is seeking input from Black Londoners to create a sustainable, community-informed Anti-Black Racism Action Plan that will help make London a more welcoming, supportive, and safe city for Black people.

This Action Plan will provide recommendations and measurable actions on how the City can better deliver services that meet the needs of Black Londoners.

The development of the action plan will occur in three (3) phases. The first phase of development is the engagement. It is during this phase that we will be collecting feedback and input from Black Londoners through a variety of community consultation formats including focus groups, one-on-one interviews, and an online survey.

During the second phase the data obtained from our consultations will be analyzed and developed into a draft action plan. The draft action plan will be shared with the Black community for their feedback.

The third phase of the action plan will involve the incorporation of feedback received during the second phase and the finalization of the action plan. The finalized action plan will then be submitted to Council for approval (please see “Key Dates” on the right pane for a detailed timeline)

To support our commitment to prioritize issues facing Black Communities, and to reduce barriers to participating in City services and programs, we are asking you to please take some time to share your experiences and recommendations on how we can address Anti-Black Racism in our community.

Take the survey

Survey will be open till May 31, 2023

Community Focus Groups

The ARAO Division team will be hosting community focus groups with members of the Black community to garner more information on their experiences within our City and the barriers faced when accessing City of London services and programming. Below is the schedule of events and registration links. Please let us know if you are interested in participating by registering early as spots are limited.

How can we fight Anti-Black Racism in our Community

Acknowledging that Anti-Black Racism exist is the first step in learning how to fight this type of discrimination in our community. Below are a few steps to consider in order to fight Anti-Black racism in our community.

Reflect

Accepting that racism lives within our society is an important first step. Reflect on the ways systemic racism and your position have impacted you and your perspectives. The experiences of marginalized groups can also vary, so don’t forget to apply an intersectional lens when you consider the ways that different groups face oppression. You may feel uncomfortable, but this sets a solid foundation for you to explore the complexities of racial discrimination, challenge your notions of race and culture, and see anti-racism in new ways.

Educate

To move forward, it is essential to confront our past with racism and oppression as a country. Having knowledge and understanding in Canada’s history with racism provides us with the necessary foundation to fight against injustice. As you learn more about Canada’s history with racism, ask yourself the following questions: How have the laws changed? Is the targeted group still experiencing the effects of this event today? Were you familiar with this historical event? If not, what is the significance of you not knowing about this event?

Get Involved

Challenge yourself and your communities by bringing conversations into your spaces. Regardless of our intersectional identities, talking about racism is no easy task, but your ability to have more meaningful and productive conversations will grow as you practice more. To get involved in supporting Black communities and initiatives, residents are invited to participate in, and share information about the Anti-Black Racism Action Plan through the Survey.

How to be a good Ally

Combatting Anti-Black racism in our community means working together. Black communities cannot address this systemic issue by themselves. Allies, who have access to audiences and opportunities, can play a significant role in the work of Anti-Black racism. Whereas ‘advocacy’ is about standing up for people who cannot stand up for themselves, ‘allyship’ is to make room and space for people to stand up for themselves. Both are needed but allyship provides a lasting and meaningful solution.

Learn more about how you can become an ally at work and in your personal life.