July 27, 2023 – 5:00 pm ET In recent weeks there has been a lot of attention on KOJO Institute and our work improving organizational culture, addressing social inequities, including anti-Black racism, and improving outcomes for all in our society. Our CEO and Founder Kike Ojo-Thompson, released the following message:
Each June, Canada observes National Indigenous History Month (NIHM). For many organizations and individuals, these 30 days are, rightfully, an opportunity to reflect on the violence European colonizers enacted against Indigenous communities during the theft and conquest of the Americas. However, we must recognize that Indigenous histories do not begin with colonial contact. For centuries,…
The Black North Initiative was founded in July 2020 at the peak of Black Lives Matter Protests. Almost 500 companies signed the pledge to address systemic racism within their organizations. The Black North Initiative called on these companies to prioritize critical metrics, including Black representation on their boards and in executive roles and investing more…
Now, more than ever before, organizations are deepening their commitment to equity work. As social justice movements have put a spotlight on issues of inequity, many organizations have been public about their goals to address disparities. In many cases, this work has included issuing public statements, engaging in DEI trainings, hiring more diverse talent, and…
Today, May 25, 2022, marks two years since the tragic murder of George Floyd at the hands of former Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin. Chauvin kneeled on Floyd’s neck for nine excruciating minutes, even as Floyd cried that he couldn’t breathe. As horrified onlookers watched helplessly and Chauvin’s colleagues did nothing to stop him, Floyd…
Canada is in the midst of a reckoning. In the wake of global protests against anti-Black racism, this nation has been pushed to table the conversation about our systemic anti-Blackness. But that discussion can only go so far while Canada’s anti-Black racism myths and the history that created them continue to be ignored.
Recently on our social media, we asked the question: What is Black History Month in Canada really about? For most organizations, February is filled with celebrations of Black changemakers, culture, and achievements. Rarely—if ever—do organizations spend February examining their treatment of Black staff and service users or addressing anti-Black racism within their policies and practices.
Throughout the month of June, we recognized Indigenous History Month by reflecting on the historical and contemporary impacts of colonialism on Indigenous Peoples in Canada. Our posts included a timeline of colonialism in Canada; an overview of the ongoing effects of colonialism on Indigenous Peoples across societal systems; and an examination of the role of…
Over the last two posts in our confronting anti-Indigenous racism and colonialism in Canada, we’ve explored the historical and contemporary impacts of colonialism on Indigenous Peoples, from contact to the present day and across a number of societal systems. So far, we have examined these impacts on Indigenous communities as a whole. However, some demographic…
In the first post in our series confronting anti-Indigenous racism in Canada, we briefly explored our shared history through a timeline of colonialism from pre-contact to the 21st century. Our goal, in part, was to demonstrate that the European colonialism that began in the land now known as Canada over 400 years ago continues to…
On Friday, May 28th, 2021 the world learned that the bodies of 215 Indigenous children—some as young as three years old—were found buried on the grounds of a Residential School in Kamloops, BC. This horrific discovery shocked many in Canada and has had a devastating and re-traumatizing impact on Indigenous communities. Many non-Indigenous leaders have…
On March 17th, a white man shot six Asian women at three spas in Atlanta. The media and police have tiptoed around the realities of this heinous crime. One officer attributed the shooter’s actions to ‘having a bad day.’ The shooter himself claimed that he needed to eliminate the temptation the massage parlours caused for…
The Origins of Black History Month in Canada February 2021 marks 95 years since Carter G. Woodson, an African American historian, first suggested a period to acknowledge the history and accomplishments of Black peoples in America. ‘Negro History Week’ was first celebrated in the second week of February 1926, coinciding with the birthdays of Frederick…
We’ve created a (far from exhaustive) list of words and phrases we should aim to remove from our vocabulary and more equitable language we can use in their place.
The Origins of Remembrance Day On November 11th, 1918 at 11:00 am, World War I officially came to an end with the signing of an armistice agreement between Germany and the Allied forces. The war that had raged on for over four years had seen more than 9 million soldiers killed, including nearly 60,000 Canadians.…
We have heard a great deal about equity over the last few decades, but the results show that far too little is being done. It is easy then to assume that words do little for equitable outcomes. In the sense that empty promises and declarations do not produce change, this is true. But when it…
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