Funding helps 60 organizations build anti-racist communities

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More people will have better access to the tools and resources needed to fight racism and build more inclusive communities, as 60 organizations receive support through the BC Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Grants program.

“Discrimination and racism are real, and too many people in this province continue to experience hate,” said Niki Sharma, Attorney General. “I am encouraged and inspired to see so many organizations standing up and speaking out against racism and making British Columbia a more welcoming place.”

Nearly $300,000 will be donated to 60 community organizations for projects aimed at dismantling systemic racism, addressing hate-motivated incidents and supporting racialized communities across British Columbia

Vancouver’s Historic Joy Kogawa House Society has received funding to organize bi-weekly safe and supportive writing circles for writers who identify as queer and Asian to develop written work for publication.

“In addition to the pandemic-related trauma, Asians have had to deal with a sense of physical and emotional insecurity in their social environment. For 2SLGBTQ+ Asians, who are already doubly marginalized as outsiders in straight and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, there are multiple levels of trauma,” said Ann-Marie Metten, Executive Director, Historic Joy Kogawa House Society. “Writers who only met in a safe online space during the pandemic will now meet in person to write together and develop new creative work. We are excited to see the results.

Vanderhoof’s Nechako Healthy Community Alliance Society received funding to create videos, podcasts and writing about living as a racialized person in northern British Columbia and showing how to get involved in the fight against racism in the community.

“The ‘sleepy middle’ of our community, that is, people who are indifferent and complacent in conversations and actions against racism and hate, have a lot of potential to support anti-racism education and hate, and making real, lasting change,” said Sylvia Byron, Nechako Healthy Community Alliance Society. “Our hope is to inspire people to move from the silent, inactive and passive medium to a more active and engaged community that will get involved in supporting education against hate and racism, and will intervene to prevent racism and hate where they can.”

Mable Elmore, Parliamentary Secretary for Anti-Racism Initiatives, said: “Indigenous people, black people and people of color continue to face discrimination in all sectors of society and because of this they are often overlooked. These grants are an important way for us to help local organizations address systemic racism in ways they believe will work best for their communities, so we can build a more inclusive province for everyone.

Preference for funding is given to applications submitted by racialized and otherwise marginalized groups. Projects must have started no later than March 1, 2023 and must end no later than March 31, 2024.

Other government actions that are making British Columbia a safer and more inclusive place for everyone include:

providing funds to support several anti-racism initiatives, such as the Resilience BC Anti-Racism Network and the Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Awards; reinstate the British Columbia Human Rights Commission; implementing the K-12 Anti-Racism Action Plan to equip students, teachers, and parents with the resources to identify and respond to racism and discrimination; implementing the Anti-Racism Data Act to help government identify inequities in programs and services and pave the way for a more equitable province; and work towards the introduction of new, broader anti-racism legislation in 2024.

This year, the government will release research priorities under the Anti-Racism Data Act. Developed in partnership with Indigenous governing entities and the Anti-Racism Data Committee, these priorities will ensure that data collection is focused on the areas that matter most to those impacted by systemic racism.

Learn more:

For a complete list of BC Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Grant recipients, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/BG_Multiculturalism_Grants_2023.pdf

Learn about the Anti-Racism Data Act: https://engage.gov.bc.ca/antiracism

Learn more about the Resilience BC Anti-Racism Network: https://www.resiliencebc.ca

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