The actions of formalized associations focused on the uplift and protection of Black people show once again the ever present need to stay collectively organized.
A number of such organizations were involved in providing food, water and eventually temporary shelter to more than 200 asylum seekers living for weeks on the sidewalk in front of Toronto’s homeless service centre on Peter Street.
The 100 Strong Foundation, the Rwandan Canadian Centre for Healing, the African Centre for Refugees in Ontario, the Black Community Housing Advisory Table and Beautiful Foundation all pulled together to provide temporary shelter inside Revivaltime Tabernacle.
In addition, the response from the community joining hands to volunteer their support has been heartening.
The message is clear that if elected officials do not do their duty to address even the most basic requirements for public health and safety then community activists and organizations will do so voluntarily.
But this should not have to be the final desperate answer to a situation that is neither new nor sudden.
Canada has held itself up as a nation that is accommodating to those who are looking for a better, indeed safer existence.
Nevertheless, the history of that open door message is that there has always been, and seemingly continues to be, a less open space to allow in refugees and asylum seekers from African nations.
We may be mistaken but there does not appear to have been a single refugee from the Russian war against Ukraine camped out on the sidewalk on Peter Street.
As a political crisis continues in Sudan, there has been no overt message from the political leaders of this country to make a point of safe haven here for those fleeing the ongoing threat to life there, no photo opportunity of the prime minister at Pearson Airport.
This disgraceful event shows that all levels of government have dropped the ball on the need for adequate and safe shelter and the funding and infrastructure to ensure protection and dignity of people who have no other option but to get to safety.
Responding in a crisis that has shown government inaction with so-called one-time funding injections is yet another half-measure.
Federal and provincial governments are offering up hope that there will be shelter for all by the year 2030. Does anyone really believe that a crisis that has been building for decades will be resolved within seven years?
What’s worse, although condominium construction continues apace, affordability for those most in need remains an unanswered question. Yet, scores of buildings in the downtown area could be converted from commercial interests to housing.
How long is it going to take before reassignment of these buildings to housing takes place? We hope it will not be decades of bureaucratic hemming and hawing to get to this obvious solution.
Politicians whose lives are comfortable and secure need to be urged effectively to get on with it.
Furthermore, it is necessary for the sake of protecting the vitality of the Canadian economy that the doors remain open and people with all levels of skill and creativity are welcomed in. For, those same people seeking refuge here will eventually be the ones who benefit this economy and society through their contributions.
But without staying ahead of adequate facilities to allow for those coming in, we will continue to grapple with tent communities and the political game-playing that uses the lives especially of Black people for political points.
We must not allow this to continue. Again, this is why participating in and supporting organizations that advocate on behalf of all the Black communities is absolutely essential.
