Anti-black Racism Task Force’s recommendations accepted by University of Toronto

BY PAUL JUNOR

As institutions continue to deal with the challenges of addressing anti-black racism in their programs, policies and procedures, the University of Toronto has taken bold steps.

It was announced on U of T News on Wednesday, April 14^th, 2021 that the final report of the U of T’s Anti-black Racism Task Force has been accepted by the university administration (Utoronto.ca). There were a total of fifty-six recommendations with specific measures that seek to counteract anti-black racism and address issues of diversity, inclusion and equity at the Scarborough, Mississauga and Toronto campuses of Canada’s largest university.

It was in September, 2021 that the task force was formed with the goal of  engaging in expansive change at all levels in the aftermath of the world-wide response to the killing of George Floyd in the U.S.The task force consisted of twenty-five individuals who looked over the processes, practices , current university policies, and other relevant documents.

There were seven systematic areas that the report addressed. They include the following:

• Leadership and accountability
• Diverse governance
• Collection and use of data
• Funding structures and advancement support
• Promoting Black inclusive spaces
• Complaints and investigations processes
• Anti-black racism training

Professor Dexter R. Voisin, co-chair of the Anti-black Racism Task Force told U of T News, “This is a pivotal moment for the University of Toronto. Our university is the biggest player in Canada in terms of academic prestige. That brings responsibility, as well as visibility. Other institutions are watching to see how we respond.”

Three leaders of the University: President Meric Gertler, Vice-President and Provost Cheryl Regehr, and Vice- President, Human Resources & Equity unanimously accepted the recommendations. They acknowledged that it is their collective responsibility to deal with all forms of racism. U of T notes in their response, “We must not expect only black and racialized communities to do so. In particular, we would like to thank the members of the black community who contributed, despite the hurt and exhaustion felt by many in the wake of recent events.”

Data collection, analysis and reporting was identified as one of the important areas that will be addressed. Roger Bulgin, co-chair of the task force notes, “Data collection is so important. It is vital to substantiate, not just to tackle anti-black racism, but also for mental health, for campus policing, and all forms of racism.”

U of T News reports that the University has been collecting data with respect to staff equity and gender in the form of employment equity survey over the years. There is hope that there will be an increase from the 87.1% staff engagement through a concerted effort to get more feedback.

There is a call to increase diversity at the upper level of the university administration.

In addition, there is an emphasis on mandatory training to ensure that all staff are aware of unconscious bias and anti-black racism strategies. There will be reforms to the complaint process and communication channels. U of T has started a Black Research Network, invested in attracting black and Indigenous faculty. The full report can be seen at hrandequity.utoronto.ca