Racism is a systemic issue built into the fabric of the country many of us call Canada.

London has seen firsthand what racist action looks like at its most extreme, and it’s beyond time serious action be taken. From institutions that have long been used to harm Black, Indigenous and people of colour, to individually held narratives rooted in discrimination and stereotype, there is a serious need for change. 

It’s time to fight for not only racial equality, but racial equity in our communities. 

Fighting Systemic Racism 

Creating an equitable city. For everyone. 

Be the change in the fight for racial equity by working through these simple steps. Take the actions, read the blogs, dig into the statistics, or attend a Vital Conversation event; each step you take will make a difference.

Use Your Voice

Speak up when faced with opinions or structures that perpetuate racism. Ask elected officials, or candidates how they’re tackling systemic racism, be it within the local school board or the halls of Parliament. Ready to write to an elected official? You can reference this template to guide your communication. 

Amplify

Follow, engage with, and share the causes and organizations that you’re passionate about on social media. Help spread their message throughout your personal networks. 

Show up

Find and attend local events, meetings, debates or marches  that allow you to show your support by standing alongside those impacted by the issues firsthand. Showing up in solidarity with those who have lived experience as an ally and a supporter can help advance real change. Make signs, tell friends, and show up. 

Share Your Resources and Time

Reach out, connect and support local organizations working towards a world where racial equality and racial equity are the reality. Donations and volunteer time are needed to help make change. Click here to see our full guide of local organizations and find one that you’d like to support. 

And stay in touch! Be the Change will be sharing additional, tangible actions that will make a difference in the lives of members of our community. Sign up for our special email list to be kept in the loop.

Know your Numbers

Over the past year hate crimes in London have risen 70% and we have seen a 58% increase in hate motivated occurrences (London Police Services Board Report). In a study conducted by the London Local Immigration Partnership it was found that six out of 10 Indigenous Peoples and four out of 10 Immigrants and visible minorities reported experiencing discrimination in the last three years in London and Middlesex (Vaswani & Esses, 2021).

Across Canada, Indigenous communities continue to face the immense impact of historical and ongoing injustice with the continuing discoveries of thousands of unmarked graves and over 4,122 verified residential school deaths (National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, 2022). Moreover, many Indigenous communities continue to lack access to clean drinking water including Oneida of the Thames, which has been under a long-term boil water advisory (Indigenous Services Canada, Oct 2022).

Want to dive deeper into the issue of systemic racism in London and Middlesex County?

Check out our London Vital Signs Data Hub for more data.

 We recognize that we have blindspots; if we’ve missed an important message or if you’re aware of a statistic that has changed, please contact us and let us know.

London Leaders

There is so much knowledge in our community. This is a city full of activists, movement leaders, changemakers and lived experience experts and there is so much more to learn from them. Many are sharing their perspective on what’s next and building on the call for each of us to Be the Change.

Explore the diverse perspectives that provoke new thinking:

You’ve Taken Action.
But Don’t Stop There.

Change happens when people come together. Encourage those around you to take action. To help, we’ve designed these downloadable graphics that you can share on your own social media.

Click on the image to download.