Racism casts long shadow over Canada’s past, present | The Chronicle Herald

Former Senator Don Oliver, on the persistence of racism in Canada:

But even today, studies continue to show that if you’re a black Canadian, you are more likely than any other ethnic group not to get a job or a promotion. You are also more likely to get pulled over —“driving while black” — or to be discriminated against in the courts. What is more, there are very few blacks occupying the corner offices of Canadian companies or key political roles. That’s because racism still exists — in an undercurrent of apathy and ignorance that continues to impede people’s advancement.

Consider these statistics from Ryerson’s Diversity Leads. In the Greater Toronto Area, Canada’s most diverse region, the representation of blacks and other visible minorities in senior leadership roles inched up from 11.6 per cent in 2009 to 12.8 per cent in 2014, yet visible minorities account for 53.7 per cent of the population studied.

It’s not better in Greater Montreal, where only 5.9 per cent of senior leaders are visible minorities when they account for 22.5 per cent of the population. On corporate boards, the numbers are particularly dismal. The 2014 report of the Canadian Board Diversity Council reveals that visible minorities hold only two per cent of board seats when they make up 19.1 per cent of the population.

To change the future of black history in Canada, we urgently need more eminent black role models like Lincoln Alexander, Michaelle Jean, Julius Isaac and others to be appointed to senior government and corporate positions. We need all Canadians to embrace our country’s diversity. Once and for all, we need Canadians to demand an end to racism.

Racism casts long shadow over Canada’s past, present | The Chronicle Herald.