Improving anti-racism accountability systems in public engagement

Implements policy and legislative safeguards for PADs

Recommendation 73: There is the need for an Anti-racism legislation that provides sustainable redress mechanisms for candidates of African Descent, at all levels of politics in BC, facing racism in the form of sabotaged campaigns through inequitable party funding allocations, exploitative tokenism practices, and lack of contextualized supports, including mental health support. To improve equity of such mechanisms, In developing these mechanisms, inputs from current and former candidates of African Descent themselves should be sought to best address exploitative practices of PAD candidates in terms of the constitution of their support team, messaging, media appearances etc.

Improving anti-racism accountability systems in media and arts

Implement policy and legislative safeguards for PADs

Recommendation 82: The Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport, the Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Division at the Ministry of Attorney General, and subject matter experts from the People of African Descent community, including the Canadian Association of Black Journalists, should collaborate to ensure that the anti-racism legislation imposes regulatory and authoritative oversight to seek greater accountability from the Fourth Estate, film, communications, and advertising consortiums by requiring targeted cultural sensitization outreach and structured engagements to encourage best practices in hiring, professional advancement, and minority representation in messaging content.

Improving anti-racism accountability systems in media and arts

Reform and promote accurate representation of PADs

Recommendation 84: The Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport should promote the positive contributions that People of African Descent have made, and continue to make, to the advancement of BC. It’s strongly recommended that Black Canadian histories and identities be promoted in schools and across the media through collaborative enhancements of classroom and extracurricular content to promote a reflective, positive immersion into, and familiarization with, People of African Descent histories and cultures. The recent exhibit on BC’s pioneers of African Descent organized by the Black History Awareness Society with support from Digital Museums Canada or the commemorative naming of the Henry Houston Scott Park in Cloverdale, Surrey could serve as models.

Deepening PAD art presence and media representation

Increase the recruitment of PADs

Recommendation 85: The Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport should collaboratively develop nuanced guidance to media, arts, and cultural program agencies to promote diverse content, multi-racial decision-making teams, and reliable career paths to liberate the glut of underemployed talent residing within the People of African Descent community.

Deepening PAD art presence and media representation

Support PAD-led models and community collaboration

Recommendation 86: The Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport and the Gaming Commission should consult with the Canadian Association of Black Journalists alongside other bona-fide actors in this context, to design and provide incentives, targeted grants, and dedicated strategic support, including merit-based grants to Black journalists, content creators and media entrepreneurs to support their critical work of accurately telling People of African Descent stories and creatively highlighting Black issues.

Improving promotion and support of PAD art, craft and media

Reform and promote accurate representation of PADs

Recommendation 87: The Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Division at the Ministry of Attorney General should undertake a collaborative study on the status of Black community representation in mainstream/traditional media within BC to enable evidence-based home-grown solutions.

Improving promotion and support of PAD art, craft and media

Support PAD-led models and community collaboration

Recommendation 89: The Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport must support and the Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Division at the Ministry of Attorney General should fund the establishment of major People of African Descent community cultural centres at suitable locations across the province. This strategic support should enhance ongoing community efforts toward establishment of vital cultural spaces through grants, material support, donation of available physical facilities. These physical gathering spaces are critical to serve as hubs for cultural education, migrant settlement services, targeted training, mentorship and mental health support, intra-community dialogue, cathartic social gathering as well as multi-cultural socialization. The Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia, opened in September 1983 could serve as a model. The African Descent Society in BC is seeking funds towards an African heritage centre in BC.