Taking Action to Do Better
February is Black History Month, a time to celebrate and recognize all the contributions the Black community has made to Canada's history. It is also a time to reflect on all the progress we have made in the fight against racism and how far we still must go to achieve an inclusive society for all.
In recent years, racism that Black people face has been increasingly brought to the forefront, particularly systemic racism and discrimination in the workforce and the disadvantages faced by Black employees. All these recent events have also propelled CAPE to take an inward look to question and see what part it plays in this fight against racism. It has been a time for us to take a step back and think about whether we are serving our members from Black communities appropriately, and most importantly, whether what we say is also reflected internally in our organization.
The Association realizes that it still has some way to go to achieve our goals, however we are making the necessary efforts to get there. The National Executive Committee's created an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Subcommittee that is spearheading these efforts and CAPE is also working with National Joint Council's Joint Employment Equity Committee. Last year, we also formed a partnership with the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion. It is our hope that this partnership can help us see our own biases and shortcomings, address them properly and give us the tools and knowledge to achieve our goals. Finally, we will be reaching out soon to our membership for volunteers to sit on our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Subcommittee.
During Black History Month and throughout the year, CAPE will continue to show its support for the Black communities in Canada. We are committed to doing our part and working with Employers and equity-seeking groups to create workplaces free of racism and to celebrate the many successful contributions of many Blacks in Canada in shaping the country.
