Race Disaggregated Data
It was a huge honour to work with Amal Rana, Shila Avissa and Cllr Swanson on a motion asking the province to collect disaggregated race-based and socio-demographic data, informed by Black, Indigenous and Racialized communities who have been calling it for years. And to see the motion pass unanimously.
The full motion (A Call for Race-Based and Socio-Demographic Data in B.C.) is here: https://council.vancouver.ca/20200623/documents/b4.pdf
I hope this motion amplifies the incredible work community orgs have been doing on this issue, and want to highlight some of that work below:
Tulayan – Bridging the Filipino Diaspora have been highlighting this need locally. “These vulnerabilities emerge from the racialized, classed & gendered ways that shape the place of Filipino Canadians, as migrant subjects of colour, in Canadian society. 1
Hogan’s Alley Society have been incredible vocal leaders: “I think there’s a political and intentional colour-blindness because we don’t want to accept that some people are being mistreated.” – Dr June Francis
Black in BC: Mutual Aid for COVID-19 have been articulating this need so clearly: “In order to effectively provide targeted relief, we need disaggregated race-based data to put a spotlight on where help is most needed.” Their public call is here.
Yellowhead Institute has been highlighting the “remarkable absence of clear, public data on how this pandemic is affecting Indigenous peoples” and the need for an Indigenous-led strategy.
The City’s Racial Equity Advisory Committee, including Kevonnie Whyte & Ignatius But have been raising the issue.
Federal, provincial & territorial human rights commissions have advocated for a change. “‘Colour-blind’ approaches to health only serve to worsen health outcomes for Black, Indigenous and racialized people because we can’t address what we can’t see.”
Federation of Black Canadians, the BC Community Alliance and many more have been vocal about the importance of race-disaggregated data AND the importance of community involvement & accountability in how data is collected, used and housed.
Today John Horgan and the BC NDP announced that they are working towards collecting race-based data, and are gathering input to ensure it is done with the right systems and precautions in place.
Black, Indigenous and Racialized communities have been heavily impacted by #COVID19.
As Kevonnie Whyte said: “Collecting this data will be the start of showing what really exists and beginning to come to terms with the reality of our structural racism.”
#vanpoli #bcpoli #healthequity #antiracism OneCity Vancouver
Photo credit: http://dw.com/