Government is Seeking New Members Racism Advisory Committee

The City of Toronto government is seeking new members for the Confronting Anti-Black Racism Advisory Committee.  Knowledge Holders, community leaders, professionals, students, youth, elders, business owners, people with disabilities, newcomers, Francaphones, Somalis and other continental Africans, academics, etc are all encouraged to apply by April 11, 2023

Click Here to Apply for the Anti-Black Racism Advisory Committee

The Confronting Anti-Black Racism Advisory Committee provides advice to City Council and serves as a convening table to advise on inter-government and institutional work on anti-Black racism in sectors such as education, child-welfare, policing and the justice system, housing, and employment. In doing so, the Committee can further build on the objectives of the Toronto Action Plan to Confront Anti-Black Racism by supporting the implementation of the themes of the United Nations’ International Decade for People of African Descent, namely, “Recognition, Justice, Development”.

Responsibilities of the Racism Advisory Committee

The mandate of the Confronting Anti-Black Racism Advisory Committee is to provide advice to City Council:

• To support the implementation of the principles of the International Decade for People of African Descent under the themes of Recognition, Development, and Justice
• On the elimination of barriers faced by Black communities and recommend City engagement to help improve access to provincial, federal, and community agency services and programs
• To ensure the interests and needs of Black communities are reflected in City programs and service delivery
• On emerging issues and trends of significance to Black communities as they relate to City services and programs
• In addition, the Confronting Anti-Black Racism Advisory Committee will enjoy a collaborative, cooperative and cohesive relationship with the Confronting Anti-Black Racism Unit’s Partnership and Accountability Circle

Composition of the Racism Advisory Committee

The Advisory Committee is composed of 14 public members and one Member of City Council. The public members will include the following:

• 8 representatives of organizations working in such fields as (but not limited to) housing, healthcare, education, employment and entrepreneurship, child welfare, policing and the criminal justice system
• 3 elder members, who self-identify and represent the wisdom of Black communities
• 3 youth members between the ages of 18 to 29

Chair and co-chair

The Chair will be a Member of City Council. At its first meeting or as soon as possible after, the Advisory Committee will elect a member of the public as co-chair.

Term of office

Public members are appointed for a term coincident with the term of City Council. The Advisory Committee will meet until the completion of its mandate or the end of the current City Council term, whichever comes first.

Qualifications for the Racism Advisory Committee

In addition to the general eligibility requirements set out in the Public Appointments Policy, members should be comprised of community and policy leaders with lived experience and/or expertise in issues of Black communities’ and reflecting the diversity of Black communities, including:

• Housing, healthcare, education, employment and entrepreneurship, child-welfare, policing and the criminal justice system
• The elimination of barriers faced by Black communities to help improve access to provincial, federal, and community agency services and programs
• Efforts to recognize and celebrate the contributions of Black Torontonians as part of the City’s contributions to mark the International Decade for People of African Descent
• Emerging issues and trends of significance to Black communities as they relate to City services and programs
• How to ensure the interests and needs of Black communities are reflected in City programs and service delivery

Meetings for the Racism Advisory Committee

The advisory committee will meet up to four times per year at the call of the Chair. Meetings take place during business hours and will be approximately 2-3 hours.

Honorarium for being on the Racism Advisory Committee

• Public members of the Confronting Anti-Black Racism Advisory Committee receive an honorarium of $125 per meeting attended, to the maximum number of meetings specified in the Terms of Reference for this advisory body.
• Honoraria are not intended for members who serve on the Confronting Anti-Black Racism Advisory Committee as representatives of organizations or businesses where they are employed.