Black Canadians have faced, and continue to face, social and economic inequities in Canada. As the Government of Canada seeks to address racism and other forms of discrimination, it has launched programs to enable greater social inclusion of Black Canadians. One such program is the Supporting Black Canadian Communities Initiative, or SBCCI.

Over the course of three meetings, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities (the committee) conducted a study on the SBCCI. The committee received testimony and written briefs from Black-led intermediary organizations that administered one of the SCCBI’s funding streams, recipients of funding from the SBCCI’s capacity building stream, and representatives of other Black-led organizations. The committee also heard from representatives from Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), the federal department responsible for the SBCCI. This report outlines the findings of the committee’s study.

The committee heard about the systemic discrimination faced by Black communities in Canada, and about barriers Black-led organizations encounter when seeking funding. In their testimony and written submissions, witnesses described the important role that the SBCCI can play in filling this gap. They described the design and implementation of the SBCCI, giving particular attention to the funding stream under which a group of Black-led intermediary organizations awards grants to Black-led non-profits. The committee also heard testimony about how the implementation and impact of the SBCCI could be improved. The committee recognizes the goals of the SBCCI and appreciates its potential to address inequalities facing Black Canadians. Accordingly, the committee has made three recommendations that would see the government continue its support of Black-led organizations, measure the impacts of the SBCCI, and see the government build upon the successes and lessons learned from the SBCCI as it continues to work toward greater social inclusion for Black communities.