Through a partnership with the City of Moncton, New Brunswick’s Commissioner on Systemic Racism will look at several city services to help develop an understanding of the nature and impact of systemic racism in the community.
Dr. Manju Varma, an immigrant who grew up in Moncton, told Moncton City Council on Monday evening that she has heard of instances of racism in Moncton.
During a review, Varma intends to speak with Monctonians and identify whether systemic racism is present in the city’s park and recreation facilities, transportation, public safety, communications and other departments.
Varma will return to council with a report later this year that is expected to cover findings and action items.
Residents or stakeholders are encouraged to send their written testimony to the Commissioner by mail or email, which can be found here.
Systemic racism differs from racism as the former means there are practices in place that don’t represent everyone, Varma said.
Varma described the growth of hate groups in New Brunswick as explosive and said the province is now one of the fastest-growing accelerator groups for hate.
In September, the province appointed Varma to head the role, which examines different government departments and identifies where systemic racism is present. However, the scope of this review will not put municipalities under the same microscope.
