Edmonton city council takes steps to form advisory anti-racism committee

City councillors haveasked the administrationto draft a report outlining recommendations for ways to set up an advisory committee to help Edmonton better deal with racism and promote inclusion.

The city'scommunity and public servicescommitteemetWednesday to discuss a44-page report that includedsurvey results ofEdmontonians' experiences of racism, feedback from community groups, and aninventory of current efforts.

Youth advocateDuniaNurtold the committee that as a young womanof colour from a community impacted by racism andhate-motivated crimes she is"basically everything that the research [in the report] did not include."

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Nur, who worked with inmates before moving to the school system,said the research left out "everyone that basically poverty directly affects," including incarcerated individuals or residents of subsidized housing.

She said black community members have shared their trauma andoffered solutions "and yet when I read the report and the outcome, all it really spoke about is further engagement needs to take place."

Nursaidcommunity volunteers have given freely of their time and expertise, and insisted paid consultantsshould be hired fromcommunities.

The way that this research has been conducted is a prime example of racism and how racism is enacted in our community and our city.- Dunia Nur, youth advocate

"I say this in the most authentic and respectful manner that the way that this research has been conducted is a prime example of racism and how racism is enacted in our community and our city," she said.

When Coun. Scott McKeensuggested communities needed to share storiesof their everyday experiences, Nur responded:"I can confidently say that the stories have been shared."

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Nur highlighted statistics around student expulsions, thegrowth of the prison population, and subsidized housing.

'We have to prove some points'

After the presentations,councillorspassed a motion to take steps to set up an advisory committee. They acknowledgedconcerns that were raised about delays and sought to move ahead with some urgency.

Coun. Ben Henderson described the advisory committeeas a model that "makes a lot of sense" because members would be able to bridge the divide and ask the hard questions.

"I think wehave to hit some milestones, we have to prove some points here,"McKeensaid.

Later he toldCBC: "We heard from the community today that they're a bit fed up with us."

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McKeenlisted off committees that advise council on everything from transit to women's issues, sayingWednesday's presenters wanted to know why there wasn't onefor them.

"Wedidn't have a good answer as to why not, because It's a good idea," saidMcKeen, adding he hopes to see the committee in place late this year or early next year.

Mike Chow, acting director of multicultural relations, said a committee wasn't in the proposed framework but it would be "a good step forward in moving this work into action."

He also raised thepossibilityof setting aside specific positions onall boards of authority for LGBTQ and racialized Edmontonians.

'Dragging their feet'

Community activistUfuomaOdebala-FregeneInalso presented to councillors. In an interview withCBCa day earlier, shecriticized the length of time it has taken to producethe report sincecommunity groupsfirst took their concerns to the city in November 2016.

"At this point, I'm questioning their capacity to deliver," saidOdebala-Fregene. "They're dragging their feet."

Odebala-Fregenedescribed the report as"a dump of ideas" noting theimpact of racism onEdmontonianshas long been established. It'spartly why an advisory committee is needed, she said.

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Community advocate AhmedAbdulkadirsaid an advisory committee would allow the city to beguidedby a road maprather than simply in reaction to incidents.

"We're dealing with lives of people who are experiencing hate and racism continuously,"AbdulkadirtoldCBCon Tuesday. "So our communities have to be at the table if we want reconciliation on this issue."

andrea.huncar@cbc.ca
@andreahuncar