Joint Open Letter on Ontario’s Bail Reform
November 4, 2024 – Letter on behalf of the Black Action Defence Committee, Canadian Association of Black Lawyers, and the Black Legal Action Centre regarding Ontario’s Calls for Bail Reform We write in response to the recent calls for criminal justice and bail reform made by the Ontario government and echoed by police associations. Cumulatively, […]
International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition 2024
Modern day slavery can be found in many different countries and is marked in several ways. Canada is no exception, with Human Trafficking being recognized by the United Nations as a form of modern-day slavery. Human trafficking is of significant concern to BLAC as 67% of reported trafficking takes place in Ontario.[1] Debt bondage or […]
New Executive Director & General Counsel: Demar Kemar Hewitt
Toronto, ON August 19, 2024 – The Board of Directors of the Black Legal Action Centre (BLAC) is delighted to announce that Demar Kemar Hewitt is the clinic’s new Executive Director and General Counsel. His appointment took effect on June 17, 2024. For the full press release click here. [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]
BLAC in Black and White: A quarterly newsletter on all things BLAC
Check out our latest newsletter for August 2024 here! Here are our previous issues which feature BLAC’s work over the past year: April 2024 November 2023 July 2033 May 2023 February 2023
Our reflection on Emancipation Day! 2024
…no Slave shall be admitted an (sic) evidence in any cause, except in cases of plotting among themselves to run away, kill or destroy their Master. Our reflection on Emancipation Day! On this Emancipation Day, we celebrate the official end of slavery in Canada and other parts of the British Empire. The occasion also compels […]
Happy Pride!! 2024
7 in 10 Black Canadians who have experienced discrimination have been discriminated against for more than one reason (Statistics Canada, 2019). These reasons can include gender identity, physical appearance, and sexual orientation. Why does this matter? Intersectional discrimination can impact Black people in the 2SLGBTQIA+ community at higher rates. BLAC recognizes discrimination caused by homophobia, […]
Happy National Indigenous Peoples Day! 2024
On this National Indigenous Peoples Day, we recognize and pay respect to the Indigenous lands on which we live and work and we honour the First Nations, Inuit and Metis peoples including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee, and the Huron-Wendat peoples. The relationship between Indigenous people and the justice […]
Congratulations Dr. Zanana Akande!
At June 19, 2024 Convocation at OISE U of T, a degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa (LLD) was conferred upon the Honourable Dr. Zanana Akande, a former Minister in the Ontario Government, BLAC’s former Chair of the Board of Directors from 2017 – 2021, one of the founders and Lifetime Member of The […]
BLAC in the News – Fairness in Background Checks
BLAC has intervened in an appeal involving the Toronto Police Services Board. This case is critical because of its implications for transparency and fairness in hiring decisions. A job applicant, who was trying to build a career in law enforcement, was denied a special constable position due to a failed background check. The details of […]
Child Welfare Survivors Can Now Apply for Permanent Residence Status!
Our System, Our Children, Our Responsibility: A Campaign Against the Deportation of Child Welfare Survivors, is a coalition steered by BLAC that seeks to end the deportations of child welfare survivors and to address their related immigration issues. As a result of the Coalition’s work, on January 22, 2024, the Government of Canada announced a […]