YCDSB Announces Anti-Black Racism Consultant
May 12, 2021 | Alwin Squire |
The York Catholic District School Board is pleased to announce it has selected Turner Consulting Group to develop its Dismantling Anti-Black Racism Strategy.
Tana Turner, principal consultant, is a researcher, consultant, and advocate for social justice and systems change. In the early 1990s, Tana worked within the provincial government to develop employment equity legislation and to implement employment equity within the Ontario Public Service.
Since 2002, she has worked as a consultant to support organizations in the non-profit and public sectors to understand and respond to the increased diversity of the labour market, employee population, and population served. She has supported a number of school boards on their equity journey, including York Region District School Board, Durham Catholic District School Board, District School Board of Niagara, Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board, among others. Turner recently worked with the York Region District School Board to develop their Dismantling Anti-Black Racism Strategy, which was launched in March 2021.
“We look forward to working with Tana to develop a strategy that makes systemic change and supports the well-being of Black students,” said Interim Director Mary Battista. “In conjunction with our Anti-Black Racism Pillar committee, Tana will be consulting with the community to better understand the experiences of our Black students, parents and community. We look forward to working with her to engage and involve the community through the development of an Advisory Committee and a series of focus groups, among other initiatives.”
Turner also brings a wealth of knowledge on anti-Black racism. She has worked on a number of seminal projects to help organizations understand how anti-Black racism manifests itself and to work for systemic change. These projects include:
- Towards Race Equity in Education: The Schooling of Black Students in the Greater Toronto Area
- One Vision One Voice: Changing the Child Welfare System to Better Serve African Canadians — Research Report; Race Equity Practices
- Adapting the SNAP Program for use in the African Canadian Community — Research Report; Companion Guide
- Fighting an Uphill Battle: Consultations into the Well-being of Black Youth in Peel Region
- Voices of Ontario Black Educators: An Experiential Report
- Race & Well-being: The Lives, Hopes and Activism of African Canadians
SOURCE YCDSB
