Black History Month
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The journey towards justice and equality continues!
Welcome to our celebration of Black History Month.
This year's theme is: 30 Years of Black History Month: Honouring Black Brilliance Across Generations — From Nation Builders to Tomorrow's Visionaries.
CLEO will be celebrating Black leaders in the law and access to justice for Black communities.
As we celebrate, we also reflect on the continued journey toward justice and equality. Justice is an ongoing effort to ensure that everyone, regardless of race, can thrive.
As an organization committed to improving access to justice, CLEO recognizes the need to address anti-Black racism and racial injustice. We do this while supporting and celebrating the work of Black-led organizations in Ontario.
Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Celebrating the Honourable Jean Augustine
In 1993, the Honourable Jean Augustine became the first Black woman elected to Canada's House of Commons.
Among her many accomplishments was her historic, unanimously passed motion marking February as Black History Month in Canada. You can watch her introduce the motion in Parliament.
Early life
Jean’s life began in St. George's, Grenada in 1937. She became a teacher and immigrated to Canada in 1960 through the Canada-Caribbean Domestic Program. Jean attended Toronto Teachers College and later got a master's degree in education. She became a principal and supervisory officer as her commitment to social justice grew.
Life in politics
Jean served in Parliament from 1993 until her retirement in 2006. Her parliamentary work included serving as Deputy Speaker of the House and introducing legislation to protect low-income people, including single mothers.
Celebrating organizations improving access to justice for Black communities
The Black Legal Action Centre
The Black Legal Action Centre is a community legal clinic that challenges anti-Black racism through research, structural transformation, and legal services for Black communities in Ontario.
Black Femme Legal
Black Femme Legal is an organization that provides legal information, services, and non-legal supports to Black 2SLGBTQI+ workers in Ontario.
Black Female Lawyers Network
The Black Female Lawyers Network is a non-profit organization that provides law students and legal practitioners with a space to connect, share, and learn from each other.
Canadian Association of Black Lawyers
The Canadian Association of Black Lawyers is an organization that supports Black excellence in the legal profession by providing opportunities for employment, mentorship, and professional development while advocating for the broader Black community.
Sistahs-in-Law program
The Sistahs-in-Law program is a collaboration between the Ontario Justice Education Network (OJEN) and the Black Female Lawyers Network that gives young Black women the opportunity to learn about careers in the law and gain practical experience.
Celebrating historical achievements in the law
Nelligan Law has created a timeline highlighting significant achievements of Black Canadians in law.
Recognizing the contributions of Black workers and leaders
The Public Service Alliance of Canada has created a resource to celebrate the profound contributions of Black workers and labour leaders to Canada's economy and labour movement.
Moments in Canadian History of Black Labour
Race, Health, and Happiness podcast
Hosted by Dr. Onye Nnorom, a Public Health Physician Specialist in Toronto, this podcast features speakers who have overcome racism to achieve professional goals and create healthy, fulfilling lives.
Recent reports
Access Denied: Understanding Structural Barriers to Justice in Black Canadian Communities
This report, from the Federation of Black Canadians, examines the systemic barriers to legal access faced by Black communities across Canada.
Grasping at the Roots: A look at Restorative and Transformative Justice for Black People in Canada
This report was prepared by Nana Yanful for the Canadian Association of Black Lawyers. It examines how Africentric approaches to justice can offer Black communities in Canada a framework for justice grounded in collectivity and community care.
Uneven Scales: An Exploration of the Distinct Legal Experiences of Black and Indigenous People in Ontario
This report was prepared by the John Howard Society of Ontario. It focuses on the unique unmet civil legal needs and collateral consequences experienced by Black and Indigenous people involved with the criminal legal system.
Over-representation of Black people in the Canadian criminal justice system: Causes and effects
This report from the Department of Justice Canada focuses on the impacts of colonialism, slavery, discrimination, and other factors on the over-representation of Black people involved with the criminal legal system in Canada.
Canada's Black Justice Strategy
In February 2025, the Government of Canada released Toward Transformative Change: an Implementation Plan for Canada's Black Justice Strategy.
This plan is in response to the recommendations made by the external Steering Group in their report A Roadmap for Transformative Change: Canada's Black Justice Strategy.
Training for community workers
The John Howard Society's Learning Hub offers online self-directed training on serving Black clients who are involved with the criminal legal system:
- History & Language
- Justice Involvement, Relationship Building, & Client Service
- Intersecting Criminal & Civil Legal Issues
BLAC Out Hate webinar series
The Black Legal Action Centre (BLAC) is hosting a webinar series to support members of Ontario's Black communities experiencing anti-Black hate. The goal is to build community capacity to identify, cope with, and overcome anti-Black hate.
Register for upcoming sessions:
- March 26 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Healing Together: Restoring Wholeness in the Face of Anti-Black Hate
CLEO resources
Human rights – legal information
- Human rights
- I was discriminated against. What are my options?
- What can I do if I'm discriminated against because of my race?
- What if I'm not hired because an employer discriminates against me?
- What can I do if a landlord discriminates against me?
- How do I make a claim to the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario?
Steps to Justice has a new tool to help people understand their options if they've experienced discrimination at work, by their landlord, or by the police: What are my options if I was discriminated against?
The Human Rights Legal Support Centre also has information and services that may help if you've experienced discrimination.
Criminal law – legal information
- Criminal law
- I'm going to a protest. What do I need to know?
- Is sentencing different if I'm Black?
- How do I make a complaint about the police?
- Police stops and searches
- Can police just approach me and ask me questions?
- Can the police stop me and ask for my ID?
- Do I have to answer police questions if I'm driving or biking?
- What are my rights if I get stopped while driving?
Webinars
- Assessing client matters for anti-Black racism
- Supporting Black and racialized families: An approach to navigating the youth justice system
- The Human Rights Tribunal process 1: Applications, evidence, and damages
- The Human Rights Tribunal process 2: Negotiations, mediation, and agreements
- The Human Rights Tribunal process 3: Case management conference calls, hearing preparation, and post-decision issues
- Femmes autochtones et femmes de minorité visible : comment s'applique la loi?
More resources
Organizations
Strategies
Learn about your rights
More information and tools
Contact us: Not seeing what you were looking for? Send us a message at info@cleoconnect.ca.