Anti-Racism goes beyond a black box on your timeline. As an organization working in the space of diversity and inclusion, we recognize we need to do more to support job seekers and partners within our program. At Career Edge, our mission is to help individuals break barriers to employment, and for many of our job seekers, these barriers go beyond simply whether they have just graduated, have a disability or are new to Canada. For these individuals, they face daily injustices simply due to the color of their skin or the name they have been given. Systemic racism is prevalent, not only within America but all over the world. It is our responsibility to stop the cycle and to make sure we are doing our part to ensure fair and equal opportunity for not only people of color, but especially for Black people.
It is our responsibility, fundamentally as human beings, to show up, take a stand, and do better. As an organization, it is our corporate social responsibility to continue advocating and work towards anti-racism while supporting Black people within our communities. Here at Career Edge, we have donated to Black Lives Matter Toronto , whose mission is to “forge critical connections and to work in solidarity with black communities, black-centric networks, solidarity movements, and allies in order to dismantle all forms of state-sanctioned oppression, violence, and brutality committed against African, Caribbean, and Black cis, queer, trans, and disabled populations in Toronto.” We have also donated to The Loveland Foundation where there is a “continual effort made to bring opportunity and healing to communities of color, and especially to Black women and girls.” We hope that the organizations we work with continue to display a willingness to listen, learn and recognize that the only way change can occur is through action. We implore you as an individual to see what you can do to ensure Black, Indigenous, and People of Color are heard within your department, organization, and communities.
We have also compiled resources that we have found to be educational, transformative and a great place to start. You will also find links to comprehensive lists of organizations and causes you can donate to, petitions you can sign, as well as Black owned businesses and entrepreneurs you can support.
All in all, this is a journey of continuous learning, and now more than ever, there is no solidarity in silence. We will continue to support, listen, and learn, and we urge you to do the same.