Canadian Black Policy Network

ANNOUNCEMENT🚨We are excited to welcome Frank Ọnụh to the CBPN Board of Directors. Frank is the Founder and Executive Director of AIRI Foundation, where he advances AI literacy, research, & innovative solutions supporting organizations & communities in Canada.

International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination| 60th Anniversary There are moments in history we revisit not because they're distant but because their impact is still unfolding around us. From Sharpeville to today, the call is the same: turn commitment into action

CBPN Community Focus | Policy Watch A new report from the Black Women's Institute for Health highlights systemic barriers Black women face in Canada’s healthcare system. Nearly 2,000 participants were surveyed. #HealthEquity #BlackHealth #CBPN Full report👉🏾bwhealthinstitute.com/voices-unheard/

On this #InternationalWomensDay, #CBPN celebrates the leadership and impact of women everywhere. When we invest in women’s success, we build stronger communities, stronger institutions, and a more equitable future. Happy #IWD2026 #GiveToGain #GenderEquality

#BlackMentalHealthWeek began in Toronto in 2021 to address #mentalhealth impacts of anti-black racism. This year’s theme, The Power of Connection: Ancestral Wisdom in a Digital Age reminds us that true connection is rooted in intergenerational knowledge 👉🏾bit.ly/4ctLNaF

🙋🏾‍♀️Woman of the Moment: Dr. #JeanAugustine She immigrated under the Domestic Scheme and became Canada’s first Black woman in Parliament. In 1995, she helped make #BlackHistoryMonth official. Her legacy lives on through education, advocacy, &empowering young women.#BlackLegacy

@DaniellaGilles Right??!! 😆

@bpncan So true!!

#BlackHistoryMusings: Community Humour😆 Why does every Black household have one chair nobody can sit in, a cabinet of butter tubs holding rice, an elder whose look restores order, and a mother seasoning by spirit alone? No measurements. Just instincts. Honestly?That’s heritage!

Canada’s #BlackHistory Finds: Community & Historical Settlement Canada’s Black history is rooted in resilient communities from Birchtown in the 1780s, the largest free Black settlement in North America, to Africville, which thrived for over 120 years and was recognized by UNESCO.

Canada’s Black History Finds: Pioneers & Trailblazers From Mary Ann Shadd Cary to Viola Desmond, Lincoln Alexander, Elijah McCoy, Willie O’Ree, and Michaëlle Jean, Black Canadians have shaped media, politics, medicine, sports, and the arts.✊🏿 #BlackHistoryMonth #BHM30

CBPN Community Focus | Policy Watch New Government Programs Expands Support for Black Public Servants Leadership development, mental health support, & career growth initiatives are expanding to help Black talent thrive Read full statement👉🏽bit.ly/4tWZdls

Canada’s Black History Finds From Chloe Cooley's brave resistance in 1793 helping spark the first legislation restricting slavery in the British Empire to about 50,000 freedom seekers who arrived via the Underground Railroad, Canada became a destination for those seeking liberty.

Thirty years is not a finish line As February comes to a close, so does Black History Month. But the responsibility that gives this month its meaning does not end with it. Recognition without continuation risks becoming ritual. #Happy30thBlackHistoryMonth 🎶Song by: Slick Stomp

Happening Tomorrow! Join us tomorrow at 12 pm ET for an insightful session on governance and black futures at the #BlackFutureCapacityStrengtheningSeries led by Derek Lett, Board Chair at the Canadian Black Policy Network Join with this link 👉🏾us06web.zoom.us/j/84220332550 💵Cost: Free

Canada’s Black history includes both free & enslaved early arrivals. Olivier Le Jeune, brought to New France in 1628, is recorded as the first enslaved African in Canada. Between 1629 &1834, over 4,000 people of African descent were enslaved.Slavery was abolished August 1, 1834

From Commemoration to Continuity✊🏿 ✊🏿When conversations extend beyond February, ✊🏿when investments align with stated commitments, ✊🏿when representation meaningfully shifts decision-making tables, ✊🏿when equity is measured and enforced, History moves from reflection to direction.

CBPN Community Focus | Investment Watch🔎 $3M in federal funding announced to strengthen Alberta’s Black entrepreneurship ecosystem through the BEP Ecosystem Fund Support will expand ACCEC’s ANZA program and BBVA’s innovation-focused coaching Full report👉🏽bit.ly/4cpwCPN

#WorldSocialJusticeDay⚖️𓍝 “Renewed Commitment to Social Development & Social Justice” Poverty, exclusion & unemployment are policy outcomes. Social Justice requires structural reform: • Capital access • Labour equity • Institutional accountability • Strong social protections

As Canada marks 30 years of officially recognizing #BlackHistoryMonth , the pressing question is what happens after February. Our new op-ed published in Policy Options examines the responsibility to advance equity conversations beyond the recognition month policyoptions.irpp.org/2026/02/black-…

Join Us for a Conversation on Governance and Black Futures Derek Lett, Board Chair at the Canadian Black Policy Network, will speak as part of the Black Future Capacity Strengthening Series. 🗓 : Feb 25, 2026 🕒: 12 p.m. EST 📍: Virtual 💵: Free 👉🏾 bit.ly/3ZGeVDP