The Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) has a civic duty to specifically address anti-Black racism within Ontario’s education system.

We Need a Comprehensive Inquiry into Anti-Black Racism in Ontario's Education System!

Parents of Black Children (PoBC), alongside partnering community organizations and advocates such as ANCHOR Canada, Policing-Free Schools, Halton Parents for Change, Parents Against Racism Simcoe, and many more, we have tirelessly fought for the wellbeing and equitability of Black students in Ontario. 

The very organization that should champion human rights and equity has chosen to disregard our pleas. Furthermore, Chief Commissioner Patricia DeGuire and the OHRC have actively attempted to prevent Parents of Black Children and affiliated organizations from engaging in the consultative process the OHRC claims to be leading.

OHRC's refusal to conduct a fulsome inquiry:

The OHRC's approach has consistently disregarded the importance of further studies on the experiences of Black children and youth. This stance is unsettling, particularly considering that the OHRC has initiated inquiries in cases involving the right to read and discrimination against Black individuals by the Toronto Police Service. 

If inquiries were deemed necessary to address previous issues, why not apply the same standard to the violence faced by Black children and youth?

Intentional lack of engagement with Black community stakeholders:

Instead of understanding the crucial importance of conducting a comprehensive inquiry, the OHRC has dismissed our call to action by lackadaisically siting the recommendations us Black community advocates submitted to them after our last meeting, including the Parents of Black Children & Policing-Free Schools demands. They then proceeded to release a "What We Heard Report" that summarizes their previous roundtable discussion, which excluded the voices of Black advocates in Ontario. This exclusion is a direct affront to justice and undermines the very principles the OHRC claims to uphold.

This deliberate exclusion undermines the principles the OHRC claims to uphold and reflects a lack of genuine concern for the experiences of Black children. It perpetuates a historical pattern of sidelining our voices, erasing our activism, and prolonging systemic injustice.

Half-measured approach and report:

 The OHRC's approach to addressing anti-Black racism within education involved compiling a list of 83 existing reports, none of which provided a comprehensive inquiry into the educational experience of Black children and youth. 

As an organization entrusted with safeguarding human rights and promoting equity, the OHRC should serve as the moral compass of the province. However, their actions and disregard for the Black community reveal a clear lack of commitment to tackling anti-Black racism in Ontario's education system. 

Duplication of work and waste of resources:

Adding insult to injury, the OHRC has now called for written submissions, duplicating the work we have already provided them. 

We painstakingly outlined our demands and shared victim impact statements, only to have our voices disregarded once again. This redundancy highlights the OHRC's unwillingness to acknowledge the crisis faced by Black children in our education system.

As a collective of organizations, we stand resolute and demand unwavering accountability from the Ontario Human Rights Commission. We call upon the OHRC to reclaim its role as the conscience of this province by demonstrating the courage to speak the truth and act decisively and honestly.