Premier Danielle Smith and Minister of Immigration and Multiculturalism Muhammad Yaseen have launched an advisory council to tackle racism and systemic barriers for Alberta’s Black community.
Alberta’s government is committed to ensuring that the province is the best place to live, work and raise a family. This includes working to build a province where all Black Albertans have opportunities to prosper and contribute to Alberta’s culture and economy.
Establishing the new Alberta Black Advisory Council fulfils a promise by the Premier to Black Albertans. The council will provide advice to government to help address anti-Black racism and systemic barriers faced by Black Albertans, along with initiatives that improve their socioeconomic well-being and promote cross-cultural exchange and understanding.
Led by two co-chairs, Nketti Johnston-Taylor and Yusuf Mohammed, the 11-member council will guide the Alberta government in efforts to build stronger relationships with diverse communities represented in the province. In addition, by creating cross-cultural awareness, understanding and appreciation, all Albertans will be better able to build new and stronger relationships.
“The birth of Alberta’s Black Advisory Council is timely and underscores the importance of representation. I thank the Alberta government for making good on their promise. I am very fortunate to have the opportunity to serve on the first Black advisory board. I look forward to working with the other board members and Alberta’s Black communities to provide feedback and advice on programs and services related to the anti-Black systemic racism, understand and communicate the needs, issues and concerns of Black Albertans and work towards enhancing the relationship between the Alberta government and Black Albertans.”
Nketti Johnston-Taylor, co-chair, Alberta Black Advisory Council
The Alberta Black Advisory Council will complement the work of the Alberta Anti-Racism Advisory Council and the Premier’s Council on Multiculturalism, specific to Black communities. The new council has been established for seven years, after which it will be reviewed.
2021 census data indicates that 4.2 per cent of the Canadian population (1,547,870) and 4.2 per cent of Albertans (177,940) reported they are Black visible minority. According to a Canadian Centre for Justice and Community Safety Statistics publication titled Experiences of discrimination among the Black and Indigenous populations in Canada, 2019, almost half (46 per cent) of Black people aged 15 and older reported experiencing at least one form of discrimination in the past five years.
Council members
- Nketti Johnston-Taylor, co-chair
- Yusuf Mohammed, co-chair
- Farah Ali
- Deborah Dobbins
- Samuel Juru
- Brian Morrissey
- Philomina Okeke-Ihejirika
- Dr. Akinseinde Osakuade
- Brittany Stahl
- Robert Tyndale
- Faith-Michael Uzoka
