5 Concluding Thoughts

The effects of anti-Black racism, discrimination and segregation in Canada have been traumatic and intergenerational since the 1600s. The practice of slavery and the subsequent treatment of Black people in contexts such as Africville were based on the presumption of Black people as lesser humans. These attitudes continue to exist unexamined in many ways, some subtle and some overt. Anti-Black racism and unconscious bias by the majority population continue to create and perpetuate socio-economic marginalization, which has led to exclusionary impacts on Black communities, families and individuals, including children. Employment, education, housing, child protection services, and mental health services have all been designed for the benefit of the majority and so are inadequate for marginalized peoples, including Black people. The social determinants of justice for Black people compare negatively with those of other racial groups, especially with White Canadians. Black communities and individuals continue to experience relative poverty and lack of equal opportunity.

Black people are not more naturally inclined to commit crimes than any other racial group, including White people. Canadian society, through long-standing discriminatory policies and practices, has engendered an environment wherein the criminal justice system as part of society has been empowered to treat Black people unfairly. The cumulative effects of anti-Black racism and discrimination in Canadian society and many of its institutions has led to the overrepresentation of Black people in the criminal justice system. While there have been recent initiatives ideally leading to improvements in the system, much remains to be done. This includes efforts to ensure the availability of race-based and disaggregated data to accurately measure the extent of and address the overrepresentation of Black people at each stage of the criminal justice process.

The 2017 report of the United Nations Working Group cited earlier in this report is worth noting again. The Working Group highlighted the continuing challenges for Black people due to the historical entrenchment of anti-Black racism in Canadian institutions and policies, so that it is “functionally normalized or rendered invisible, especially to the dominant group.”Footnote 114

We must all take responsibility for understanding our varied lives and for ensuring a fair and equal life for all people in Canada, regardless of colour. Hopefully, this report will help.