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Now Toledo’s Black Agenda
will be made available to local government agencies, along
with a host of private and public companies and entities in
order to gather community-wide support for the demands and
suggestions proposed in the report.
The conveners issued the
following statement regarding the purpose for the report:
In response to local and national unrest surrounding the murder of
George Floyd, and an ongoing system of unrestrained and
relenting racism toward black citizens, several community
leaders from the black community convened to develop the
Toledo Black Agenda.
The agenda is the organized and aggressive collective voice and
call to action to ensure that there is a greater
understanding and ultimate realization that “Black Lives
Matter.”
The racial inequity that exists today is the direct result of
“Structural racism,” a term that asserts that the United
Sates is steeped in policies, practices and culture that
either by purpose or by indifference, exclude and oppress
people of color. While the task force- convened by both Lisa
McDuffie of the YWCA of Northwest Ohio, and Robin Reese, of
Lucas County Children’s Services- recognizes that racism
affects all people of color, this document was created by
representatives of the Black community for the Toledo Black
community.
Across the United States, racism has been declared a public health
crisis in multiple metropolitan areas. Toledo City Council
and the Lucas County Commissioners each, unanimously, passed
the same declaration. This declaration is truly represent a
step in the right direction. However, a declaration alone
will not institute change. Concrete actions must be planned
and executed to give credibility and effect to these
well-intentioned government decrees.
Collective support from all sectors of the community have
contributed to the recommendations presented in the agenda.
The coalition has zero tolerance for inequity and believe
that will drive momentum towards true, lasting and effective
change for the Black community in Greater Toledo.
The entire report is available here.
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