1. THE
COLOUR OF POVERTY –
COLOUR OF
CHANGE
NETWORK
- WORKING TO
ADDRESS
AND REDRESS
THE GROWING
RACIALIZATION OF POVERTY
IN ONTARIO
For more information - www.colourofpoverty.ca

2. Colour of Poverty – Colour of Change
about the Colour of Poverty – Colour of Change
Working to build community based capacity to address racialization, the growing racialization of
poverty and the resulting increased levels of social exclusion and marginalization of racialized
communities in Ontario
As is well documented the gap between rich and poor in Ontario ( and Canada ) is widening generally,
but what is much less well understood is that the impact of this growing gulf is being much more
profoundly felt by racialized group members. The increasing “racialization” of all the major social and
economic indicators can be gleaned not only from the statistics on income and wealth, but also from any
one of a number of different measures – such as the increasing rate of incidence and ethno-racial
differentials with respect to targeted policing, inequalities with respect to health status as well as learning
outcomes (eg. higher drop out rates among racialized learners), and the re-emergence of racialized
residential enclaves. All of these are products of the growing social and economic exclusion of racialized
groups from the so-called mainstream of society.
The historic and growing exclusion of racialized group members in Ontario in particular has in fact led to
what some social scientists have described as the racialization of poverty. In the words of Prof. Grace-
Edward Galabuzi of Ryerson University, we’re creating an “economic apartheid” in Canada, and the
trend will continue until and unless action is taken to address and redress the underlying structural and
systemic inequity.
The Colour of Poverty – Colour of Change is working to build concrete strategies, tools, initiatives and
community-based capacity through which individuals and NGO’s ( especially those reflective of the
affected racialized communities ) can begin to develop coherent shared action plans, including creating
effective coordinated strategies for collaborating with mainstream policy analysts and institutions, anti-
poverty advocacy groups, governments, funders and the media so as to best work together to address
and redress this disturbing and growing structural or systemic ethno-racial inequality.
The Colour of Poverty – Colour of Change Steering Committee membership currently includes Access
Alliance Multicultural Health & Community Services, the African Canadian Legal Clinic, the Canadian
Arab Federation, the Chinese Canadian National Council - Toronto Chapter, the Council of Agencies
Serving South Asians, the Hispanic Development Council, Karuna Community Services, the Metro
Toronto Chinese & South East Asian Legal Clinic, Midaynta Community Services, the Ontario Council of
Agencies Serving Immigrants ( OCASI ), Sistering, the South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario, the
Thorncliffe Neighbourhood Office - together with academic and research partners – Prof. Grace-Edward
Galabuzi - Ryerson University in Toronto and Uzma Shakir – Economic Justice Fellow of the Atkinson
Foundation.
For more information, contact:
Colour of Poverty – Colour of Change
# 1701 – 180 Dundas St. W., Toronto M5G 1Z8
Phone - 416-971-9676
E-mail - kerr.michael@gmail.com Web-site - www.colourofpoverty.ca
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For more information and to get involved - www.colourofpoverty.ca

3. Colour of Poverty – Colour of Change
what do we mean by racialized poverty ?
More & more people in Ontario come from racialized groups (ie. Aboriginal groups and communities of
colour). These persons face a much higher risk of being poor & being affected by factors linked to
poverty - like unstable/unsafe work conditions and poor health. While poverty can be a concern for
anyone - its causes, forms and lived consequences aren't the same for all. Racialized group members
face particular challenges - made still worse when combined with any additional basis of exclusion – ie.
gender, disability, sexuality or class.
Racialized groups and communities experience ongoing, disproportionate levels of poverty. In other
words, people from Aboriginal and ethno-racial minority groups (ie. communities of colour) are more
likely to fall below the Low Income Cut-Off ( LICO ) measure and to have related problems like poor
health, lower education, and fewer job opportunities, than those from Caucasian or European
backgrounds. While it is possible for anyone to experience low income and reduced opportunities,
individual and systemic racism plays a large role in creating such problems. Prejudice and discrimination
mean that Aboriginal and people of colour are less likely to get jobs when equally qualified and are likely
to make less income than their white peers. It means they are more likely to live and work in poor
conditions, to have less access to healthcare and related supports, and to be victims of police violence.
In societies dominated by people of white, Caucasian or European backgrounds, Aboriginal and different
ethno-racial groups have long been targets of discrimination and social exclusion. Such groups are said
to be racialized or marked, by the dominant group, as inferior. Racism doesn't just refer to individual
beliefs and attitudes toward specific Aboriginal or ethno-racial groups in society, it also includes systemic
and built-in features of society, the way that institutions like education, health, social services and the
justice system function – day in & day out.
Racism has existed in many different forms throughout history. In Canada and other "western" countries,
for example, white people have discriminated against racialized groups through the practice of
colonization, slavery, the deliberate destruction of communities, racial segregation of schools and
neighbourhoods, selective and punitive immigration policies, exploitation of certain groups' labour, over-
policing in both Aboriginal as well as communities of colour, racial slurs, hate crimes and on and on.
Assorted behaviours and policies change over time, but the facts of racialized inequality and unequal
treatment have not gone away.
While some use terms such as "visible minorities" or "people of colour" we prefer the term "non-
Aboriginal racialized groups" as the former could be seen or understood to be too static - relating
primarily to number and colour, while the latter recognizes the dynamic and complex process by which
racial categories are socially produced by dominant groups – in ways that entrench social inequalities
and marginalization.
NOTE - We are aware of Aboriginal realities and lived experience and stand in solidarity with
advocacy efforts to redress their racialized exclusion. We very much believe there are many links
between such struggles and those of other racialized groups in Ontario and Canada. However, we
also acknowledge and respect that Aboriginal claims to justice are distinct and require a different
set of strategies and policy responses due to First Peoples unique and specific historical
relationship with Canada.
Page 3 of 4
For more information and to get involved - www.colourofpoverty.ca

4. Colour of Poverty – Colour of Change
phase one of the colour of poverty campaign
In order to develop the necessary shared sense of awareness and understanding that is needed to
tackle the issues, a series of educational fact sheets have been developed to cover the following priority
topics - a backgrounder and overview on the non-Aboriginal racialization of poverty, health & well-being,
income security, employment, food (in)security, immigration & newcomer settlement, justice & policing,
housing & homelessness, and education & learning. In addition, a complementary short film was
commissioned to document several stories of individuals - people of colour experiencing various barriers
related to individual and systemic discrimination - and how these barriers have affected - and in different
ways impoverished - their day-to-day lived realities. The video is available for use as a DVD.
Using these and other resources to help build local and province-wide community-based partnerships –
Colour of Poverty – Colour of Change members have travelled to communities around the
province such as Hamilton, London, Mississauga, Ottawa, Toronto, Oshawa, Kingston, Peterborough,
Brampton and Windsor - to work with local community partners to help them make best use of the tools
available. In this way we are working to galvanize these local communities into taking positive and
constructive action for needed change. A web-site, an e-list and other related advocacy and e-action
tools are being developed – stay tuned - which will provide the means for the more effective sharing and
dissemination of information, knowledge, strategies, approaches as well as coordinated advocacy
opportunities between and across affected communities as well as the broader public.
In order to develop a Shared Framework for Action a Roundtable is being set in motion for discussions
among the affected non-Aboriginal racialized communities - to provide all affected communities the
opportunity to continue discussing among themselves the actions and strategies needed to reduce
and/or eliminate racialized poverty and the social exclusion experienced by communities of colour. The
initial focus of the Roundtable process - which began at the Colour of Poverty Provincial Forum on April
28-29, 2008 - will be the to jointly finalize the Shared Framework for Action - through which
communities, individuals, groups and organizations will be able to collectively work to address racialized
social exclusion and marginalization - on a coordinated, coherent and consistent province-wide basis.
Then in order to "make change happen" - and to move forward on implementing the Shared Framework
for Action - we are working to create a multi-sectoral dialogue that includes representatives from key
mainstream service providers, social policy institutes and think-tanks, foundations and other funders,
media related organizations as well as government representatives - to provide feedback and support for
the evolving Shared Framework for Action - as drafted by affected communities. Out of this initial
dialogue an ongoing Multi-Sectoral Work Group will be set in motion made up of affected racialized
community representation, as well as representatives of some of the key governmental and other
constituencies as named above. The Work Groups focus will be to develop and monitor an effective
implementation plan for the Shared Framework for Action - best ensuring that the growing racialization
of poverty in Ontario becomes a key if not central focus of all relevant institutional and governmental
policy, program and service discussions and agendas - working towards the long term goal of the
elimination of racialized inequity, exclusion and marginalization in this province.
We both need as well as look forward to your active participation and support !!
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For more information and to get involved - www.colourofpoverty.ca