Newmarket recruiting for Dismantling Anti-Black Racism Advisory Committee until Oct. 27

Members will be appointed for a two-year term from 2024 to 2026 and will be expected to attend quarterly meetings

Yorkregion.com
Oct. 17, 2023
Lisa Queen

From now until Oct. 27, the town is recruiting Black residents with a range of perspectives and experiences to sit on the Dismantling Anti-Black Racism Advisory Committee.

The external body holding the town accountable for its commitments to dismantle anti-Black racism in Newmarket will be comprised of seven to 11 residents representing different genders, ages (including youth), cultural and ethnic backgrounds, languages, country origins, socioeconomic status, abilities, disabilities and education.

“We felt it was important for a body advocating for inclusion to be diverse. By having diverse perspectives within the Black community on the advisory committee, we can more resourcefully address the concerns within the community,” selection committee chair Gavin Gunter said.

“Service on the advisory committee is an excellent way to give back to the community while gaining valuable experience in how municipalities operate. It will be a rewarding experience.”

Serving on the committee is an opportunity for members to:

Help strengthen the town’s connection to Black communities

Provide input and support to the town on addressing anti-Black racism

Facilitate communication and engagement with Black communities

Help provide progress reports to council

Build leadership skills and create connections

Members will be appointed for a two-year term from 2024 to 2026 and are expected to attend quarterly meetings, in person or virtually, at 7 p.m. Members will receive an honorarium of $100 per attended meeting.

For information, visit newmarket.ca/committeesandboards.

The community’s participation in this committee is a crucial part of the town’s two-year implementation plan to dismantle anti-Black racism in Newmarket.

This is the road map to make meaningful changes, which were first envisioned by the Newmarket Dismantling Anti-Black Racism Task Force, a group of volunteers who came together to provide recommendations to council in 2021 related to dismantling barriers and addressing inequalities and systemic racism in Newmarket and York Region.

“As a community, it is beneficial to ensure that our policies and practices are inclusive. By removing barriers to inclusion, we can enhance the contributions of Black community members and better promote the prosperity and well-being of all,” Gunter said.

Mayor John Taylor agreed.

“Creating a diverse, welcoming, and inclusive community is one of council's top priorities. I believe the work we are beginning to do across the organization to specifically focus on creating opportunities, pathways and spaces to profile Newmarket’s Black community is what we need to do to ensure that Newmarket is a community where everyone feels they belong,” he said.

“I want to recognize the tremendous heavy, critical and thoughtful work our original Dismantling Anti-Black Racism Task Force did. These volunteers came together at a time when we all needed to do better and, through their efforts, helped establish a path for us as a council and town staff to take on continuous work to improve the experience for the Black community in Newmarket.”

The advisory committee is an opportunity to effect change and keep the town accountable to its commitments, Taylor said.

“The implementation plan spans the next two years to keep us on a fast track with momentum. But I can assure you the work will not stop there,” he said.

“The goal is to entrench new ways of thinking, new frameworks and processes into our day-to-day so it becomes a critical part of how we do our work at the Town of Newmarket.”