Today, CCI Ottawa stands united with the Black community in our city, province and country.
We grieve with the Black community the senseless deaths of Black people that have occurred in the United States and in Canada.
Our city is not immune to systemic racism. We remember the death of Abdirahman Abdi, a Somali man who died four years ago next month. We remember the hateful graffiti targeted on a Black family’s home earlier this year.
These and many other horrific incidents are the result of systemic racism. It is time for all members of our community to acknowledge systemic racism exists and it needs to end.
With the outpouring of grief, rage and demands for change around the globe and in our community over recent events, now is the time to enact meaningful changes that will end the systemic racism against the Canadian Black community as well our Indigenous community and all people of colour.
CCI Ottawa will continue to take a leadership role in the community on anti-racism. We encourage our municipal leaders to ensure its new anti-racism secretariat is equipped with the funding and resources necessary to address anti-racism and ethno cultural relations in our community.
We are heartened by the actions of everyday citizens of Ottawa who are holding demonstrations, marching in solidarity, and demanding better of our leaders and government.
It is time to make concrete and measured changes that will end systemic racism.
Along with other nonprofits in Ottawa and the Ontario Nonprofit network, we call on our political leaders, police services and other institutions to:
- Declare anti-Black racism as a public health crisis.
- Enhance accountability infrastructure to address police brutality, police violence and harms to the Black community.
- A provincial commitment to the allocation of protected funds to provide culturally appropriate health and well-being support within Black communities.
- Fully implement the 2019 Ontario Human Rights Commission recommendations on ending racial profiling in law enforcement
- strengthen the Ontario Anti-Racism Directorate and the Canada Anti-Racism Secretariat with a clear mandate to end anti-Black racism.
We believe in building a more welcoming community. Together, we will only achieve this once systemic racism and all forms of discrimination ends.