An Open Letter to the University of Windsor
BLAC is deeply concerned about the ongoing anti-Black racism1 and racial profiling occurring on the University of Windsor campus and in the wider community. Since BLAC opened its doors to the public in March of 2019, we have become acutely aware, through work with our community, and affirmed through recent media reports2, that many school […]
An Open Letter to Ministers re: Laval Immigration Holding Centre & Hunger Strike
The Black Legal Action Centre (BLAC) is a not-for-profit corporation incorporated under the laws of Ontario to combat individual and systemic anti-Black racism by providing legal services to members of Ontario’s diverse Black communities. We are writing this Open Letter to you to voice our support for the migrants in detention, who were on hunger […]
An Open Letter from BLAC on the state of human rights in Ontario
On January 14, 2020, Premier Doug Ford seemingly circumvented the provincial appointment process to appoint two people to sit as Commissioners with the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC). A Commissioner’s role is to govern the OHRC and to provide it with strategic direction. The OHRC is supposed to be an independent and impartial organization that […]
Feigned Outrage
When images of Prime Minister Trudeau in blackface, appeared several weeks ago, there was tremendous shock, and a frantic public and very political discussion about his racist and offensive behaviour. Blackface is a very troubling legacy of the slavery that existed in Canada1 and the United States. Its true purpose, outside of the amusement of […]
Statement by The Black Legal Action Centre on Emancipation Day
The Black Legal Action Centre (BLAC) was created to challenge and eradicate individual and systemic anti-Black racism. BLAC, and all those who we work with and learn from, have much work to do to make this vision a reality. Today, on Emancipation Day, we are especially cognizant of the work that remains to be done. […]
Statement to our Community on the state of Education in Ontario
BLAC opened its doors to the public in March of 2019. In the short time we have been open, we have become acutely aware through work with our community, and affirmed through recent media reports, that our children are, in many instances, not safe in Ontario’s schools. We believe that many school boards and school […]
Submissions to the Standing Committee on Justice Policy Bill 108
BLAC was born out of the needs of the Black community, specifically as it relates to the disproportionate and troubling ways in which Black people are mistreated, scrutinized and brutalized by legal institutions and systems of power. The experiences of Black Canadians today are rooted in our country’s history of colonialism, slavery and segregation. Even […]
Submissions to the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs regarding Bill 100
BLAC was born out of the needs of the Black community, specifically as it relates to the disproportionate and troubling ways in which Black people are mistreated, scrutinized and brutalized by legal institutions and systems of power. The experiences of Black Canadians today are rooted in our country’s history of colonialism, slavery and segregation. BLAC […]
BLAC Statement on Recent Legislative Changes
BLAC was born out of the needs of the Black community, specifically as it relates to the disproportionate and troubling ways in which Black people are mistreated, scrutinized and brutalized by legal institutions and systems of power. The experiences of Black Canadians today are rooted in our country’s history of colonialism, slavery and segregation. BLAC […]
BLAC Submission to the Standing Committee on Justice Policy on Bill 68
The Black Legal Action Centre (BLAC) is a not-for-profit corporation incorporated under the laws of Ontario to combat individual and systemic anti-Black racism by providing legal services to members of Ontario’s Black communities. BLAC provides legal representation to clients with low or no income that identify as Black or African Canadian, including matters related to […]