By Adonis Huggins
with contribution from Samir Abdella
(Samir and Adonis are journalists with the Focus Media Arts Centre)

On August 4, 2021, Member of Parliament for Toronto Centre Marci Ien, and Minister of Families, Children, and Social Development, Ahmed Hussen, held a press conference just outside the Daniels Spectrum Arts Centre in Regent Park, to announce a 96 million dollar grant to support Black Canadian community organizations.

According to Marci Ien, “Covid 19 has highlighted the inequities linked to anti-black racism not only in Toronto but right across the country.  What this has meant is that many Black Canadian communities are increasingly vulnerable to economic hardships and this represents an opportunity for government, organizations and individuals to change the status quo. This is what our government is focusing its efforts on – to support Black communities right across the country.”

In his remarks, Minister Ahmed Hussen reminded attendees that he was once a resident of Regent Park and that the community is close to his heart. The minister also reminded us that the numbers surrounding systemic inequities related to incarceration rate, employment rates, access to affordable housing show a pattern of systemic racism and discrimination.

‘Its time that we address the issues that matter to Black Canadians. Over the past six years our government has worked hard to ensure that each and every Canadian has the same opportunities for success and this includes tackling systemic racism. It includes tackling the challenges faced by Black Canadians every single day….the covid-19 pandemic has only exacerbated, and only made worse those existing challenges, by disproportionally impacting racialized Canadians.“

According to Minster Ahmed Hussen, the Supporting Black Canadian Initiative fund prioritizes Black community organizations that are at the heart of the community that do so much with so little.  The fund will support approximately 1300 projects to approve black led organizations, workplaces and community spaces over the next two year. The fund will also allocate financial resources to intermediaries to build the capacity of grassroots Black organizations from coast to coast.  The 96 million in immediate funding, according to Hussen, is the largest federal investment in Black Canadian community organizations in history.

Among the recipients of the Supporting Black Canadian Communities Initiative was Yasin Osman, founder of Shoot for Peace, a photography program for youth in Regent Park. Yasin was on hand to speak on how the funding will affect his and other community organizations.

 “It (Shooting for Peace) wasn't just about photography, it was about brotherhood, a sisterhood. It was about community.  It was about feeling seen and feeling safe.  Creating safe spaces are so important that what organizations like Shoot for Peace and many many organizations across the city are doing for Black youth and it’s so important to support these organizations.”