By Kelly Butler
In November 2020, representatives from the City of Ottawa Anti-Racism Secretariat, the Social Planning Council of Ottawa, a committee of Lowertown youth and a lawyer who works at the Canadian Human Rights Commission made presentations to residents at a virtual community forum hosted by the Lowertown Community Resource Centre, and facilitated by the African Canadian Association of Ottawa. A summary portrait of Ottawa’s Black and other racialized communities was introduced to raise awareness of significant inequities in 28 indicators, including rates of poverty, employment outcomes, unequal distribution of income and opportunities, housing, and access to amenities.
According to the Ottawa Neighbourhood Equity Index, Lowertown scores well on access to transit, rental stock, green spaces, and pedestrian/active transportation. However, much of Lowertown’s residential area struggles with high indicators of a population experiencing a great number of inequities. An intersectional anti-racist approach and solidarity with our Indigenous community were included in the discussion led by the Anti-Racism Secretariat. Counsel from the Canadian Human Rights Commission gave highlights of the Canadian Human Rights Act and explained the grounds for discrimination. The bilingual event was well attended and elicited many significant comments in the break-out sessions.
One of the outcome actions from the Lowertown Community Anti-Racism Forum held last fall was the formation of the Lowertown Anti-Racism Community Action Group by community members. The group wants to educate and raise awareness, examine the root causes of disadvantage and disparity in our community, and plan what further actions can be taken.
The Lowertown Community Resource Centre also created a youth committee with members aged 10-19 years to confront the challenges of anti-Black racism. The committee comes together to engage in empowerment workshops with guest speakers who provide participants with the tools to navigate experiences of anti-Black racism and discuss themes such as defining anti-racism, allyship and resilience. Meetings are now held twice a week with multidisciplinary guest artist, Kalkidan Assefa aka DRPN Soul, who is responsible for many vivid and brilliantly coloured murals in Ottawa. The youth are sharing their artistic talents and ideas in the creation of a new mural that will be representative of Lowertown’s diverse and rich community. There are hopes that the mural will challenge the negative narratives surrounding Black lives and encourage community resilience. The youth are taking an active role in shaping the kind of future they want to live in. This gives them the chance to grow while gaining a greater sense of personal and community identity. Check out the new mural mid-February at Loblaws on Rideau Street!
Residents are invited to join the Lowertown Anti-Racism Community Action Group or the youth committee. Please contact Alain Lutala, Community Developer at the Lowertown Community Resource Centre, at alutala@crcbv.ca.
Here are links to the organizations mentioned in this article.
Lowertown Community Resource Centre https://crcbv.ca
Ottawa Neighbourhood Equity/Racism https://neighbourhoodequity.ca/racism#data
Kalkidan Assefa, drippin soul creations http://www.kalkidan-assefa.com
Anti-Racism Secretariat https://engage.ottawa.ca/anti-racism-and-ethnocultural-relations-initiatives;
Social Planning Council https://www.spcottawa.on.ca/about-us/
Canadian Human Rights Commission https://www.chrc-ccdp.gc.ca/eng/content/about-us