TACKLING ANTI-BLACK RACISM HEAD ON

Tackling

Anti-Black Racism HEAD ON

The Pickering Anti-Black Racism Taskforce (PABRT) was established in 2020, after many community members came together to express concerns about anti-Black racism at a town hall meeting in Durham Region.

The Taskforce is made up of 13 dedicated Black community members who call the City of Pickering home, in addition to Mayor Dave Ryan and two staff liaisons. The PABRT started to meet early last year with a mandate to identify and address issues of anti-Black racism in Pickering. A Mandate and Terms of Reference were developed for them to use as a guide as they move forward.

The members of the PABRT want other Black community members to get involved and help the City make positive and inclusive changes. Some of their goals include sharing their expertise on efforts to dismantle anti-Black racism in addition to promoting Black culture and Diaspora. “We recognize that anti-Black racism has a unique history in North America with systemic consequences that continue to have disproportionate impacts on diverse Black communities today, including here in Pickering,” said Dave Ryan, Mayor, City of Pickering. “As a community-driven model, the PABRT will engage and collaborate with a broad array of community stakeholders in order to address anti-Black racism as well as other social justice concerns that affect our diverse residents and stakeholders.”

It was important for the City to engage with diverse Black communities, in order to identify the gaps and try to eradicate systemic racism and create an environment where everyone feels safe and that they belong. The establishment of the PABRT is a great step in the right direction for Pickering and the Taskforce is the first of its kind for the City.

If I had a magic wand, I would want to increase the engagement among the Black residents of Pickering and work towards empowerment in the community. We are not well-known yet, but it’s my mission to raise the profile on the PABRT and to let others know that they are not alone.

Odessa Grignon Vice Chair of The PABRT

Who is PABRT?

Floyd Heath has been a resident of Pickering for 15 years and he serves as Chair on the Taskforce. He is very committed to the work that the PABRT has been tasked with. He shared that they have already completed a survey in the City and were able to identify three key topics of interest: education, health care and business development. Heath says, “Last year we focused on introducing ourselves to the community. We have a lot of strong members coming on board and we’re looking forward to working with them.”

The PABRT recently welcomed six new members in March and is currently working on developing its strategy and action plan that promises to include more community residents and stakeholders. The Taskforce has already hosted various events including “Artist Talks,” hosted by Cora Reid of the Black Rose Movement. This gave members an opportunity to discuss social justice and race relations issues. They also wanted to feature events that celebrated health and wellness in the Black community, which led to PABRT hosting “Soca Wellness Social” and “Family Floetry Fitness” during the Culture Days celebration and included giving Thanksgiving Baskets to families. At the end of 2021 they engaged with youth through the “416 Meets 905” open mic night, allowing youth to express themselves and speak their truth through spoken word.

Collaboration is key

Odessa Grignon is the Vice Chair of the Taskforce. She was born in Canada to parents who immigrated from the West-Indies. Grignon has lived in Pickering for most of her life and is now married, raising her family here. She joined the PABRT because she was experiencing racism in her neighbourhood and when she saw the opportunity to be a part of a solution, she signed up.

Left to Right: Dennis Governor, Odessa Grignon, Andrew Fraser, Kim Lopez, Andrea Davis, Ebony Gittens, Kenisha Hanson, Claudia Farihna, Floyd Heath, Nicola Hepburn, Joshua Heath

“If I had a magic wand, I would want to increase the engagement among the Black residents of Pickering and work towards empowerment in the community,” expressed Grignon. “We are not well-known yet, but it’s my mission to raise the profile on the PABRT and to let others know that they are not alone.”

Andrea Davis is also a proud to be a member of the PABRT, currently serving as their Treasurer. Originally from Nova Scotia, Davis has lived in Pickering for almost 20 years. She joined because she wanted to be a face of change and to educate others that racism exists, and that there are pathways to stop it from happening.

Davis has lots of ideas and one of them is for the PABRT to connect with other like-minded organizations in the Durham Region and neighbouring Toronto to collaborate and brainstorm solutions on issues that they all are facing.

She says that she loves being a part of the PABRT because they are doing great work and it’s nice to work with an educated team of people who are dedicated to making systemic changes in government and policies that will improve the quality of life for Black people in the City of Pickering.

PABRT is looking forward to connecting with Black residents in Pickering throughout 2022 as they plan to participate in the upcoming Artfest, Canada Day celebrations and the Cultural Fusion Festival as well as launch Powerfully Informed, a civic engagement initiative.

For more information about the Pickering Anti Black Racism Taskforce visit: pickering.ca/PABRT