BlackNorth Initiative and Boston Consulting Group Launch Racial Equity Playbook

The Comprehensive Resource Guide Will Be Available to All Organizations Looking to Advance Racial Equity within Their Organizations

TORONTO—The BlackNorth Initiative is pleased to announce the launch of its proprietary Racial Equity Playbook – a powerful new tool created by the BlackNorth Initiative and Boston Consulting Group (BCG) to advance racial equity and assist corporate Canada in understanding how to tackle and correct systemic racism.

According to research from BCG’s Centre for Canada’s Future (CCF) Diversity and Inclusion Study (2019), only 39% of Black Canadians agree that their organization has the right mechanisms in place to ensure major promotion decisions are free of bias. This is just one example of systemic issues that affect racialized workers and plague workplaces in Canada, creating barriers for success for racialized minorities and companies left wondering what the path forward should be to improve equity for all.

“The BlackNorth Initiative is focused on the creation and delivery of meaningful programming and tools that will help companies fulfill their diversity, equity, and inclusion goals and meaningfully support Black Canadians and other demographics disadvantaged by systemic racism,” says Dahabo Ahmed-Omer, Executive Director of the BlackNorth Initiative. “The Racial Equity Playbook was developed to do just that; to take the guesswork out of the equation and provide organizations with real, tangible steps to take toward racial equity.”

The Racial Equity Playbook provides organizations with context on the situation that the Black community faces in Canada and highlights actions that employers in Canada can take to become more diverse, equitable, and inclusive in their business practices. The Playbook also contains a list of tools and tactics that organizations can use, as well as resources supplied by the BlackNorth Initiative to support their journey in becoming more equitable corporate citizens.

“BCG is extremely proud to partner with BNI in helping fulfill its mission of ending anti-Black systemic racism in Canada. We are excited about the launch of the Racial Equity Playbook, which will enable corporate Canada to take concrete actions towards racial equity and be part of the solution,” says Daniel Shadd, Managing Director & Partner, BCG Toronto.

About the Playbook

The Racial Equity Playbook’s six pillars of actions are:

  • Build and shape an inclusive pipeline and equitable hiring process across all levels and functions
  • Create equitable development opportunities for retention and promotion
  • Reduce and eradicate any like-for-like racial compensation gaps
  • Build a diverse procurement and vendor network that supports and promotes equity
  • Include minority groups with an equitable company portfolio and brand
  • Support organizations and communities advancing racial equity through communication, contributions, and action

For more information, please contact Kate Banting at Banting.Kate@bcg.com.

About BlackNorth Initiative

The BlackNorth Initiative is on a mission to end anti-Black systemic racism throughout all aspects of our lives by utilizing a business-first mindset. We are committed to the removal of anti-Black systemic barriers negatively affecting the lives of Black Canadians.

About Boston Consulting Group

Boston Consulting Group partners with leaders in business and society to tackle their most important challenges and capture their greatest opportunities. BCG was the pioneer in business strategy when it was founded in 1963. Today, we work closely with clients to embrace a transformational approach aimed at benefiting all stakeholders—empowering organizations to grow, build sustainable competitive advantage, and drive positive societal impact.
 
Our diverse, global teams bring deep industry and functional expertise and a range of perspectives that question the status quo and spark change. BCG delivers solutions through leading-edge management consulting, technology and design, and corporate and digital ventures. We work in a uniquely collaborative model across the firm and throughout all levels of the client organization, fueled by the goal of helping our clients thrive and enabling them to make the world a better place.