TALKING TO TORY
Andray Domise leads delegation of community leaders — minus Black Lives Matter — to meet mayor,
Community leader insists group will have role at future public forum on race equality
Black Lives Matter members will not be part of Mayor John Tory’s private gathering Saturday to discuss racial equity, but he says the group is welcome at a future public forum.
Tory repeated Thursday that Black Lives Matter leaders have rejected his past offers of a private meeting, while he rejected their calls for a public airing of issues around “antiblack racism in policing.”
He has invited about 15 other black community representatives for an initial private summit that will set the stage for at least one public forum.
One of the black community leaders who will meet Tory and police Chief Mark Saunders for two hours on Saturday morning says attending is not, in any way, a repudiation of the often-confrontational group.
“We will arrive in full support of Black Lives Matter and to facilitate a public meeting and get them a seat at the table and ensure issues they’re raising are addressed at the policy level,” said Andray Domise, a Rexdale activist.
“We need to get some détente and agreements and some commitments to work together. If we stay on the current trajectory the (black) communities will have no trust in the mayor or the police chief.”
Tory’s office said Wednesday that Toronto is “a proudly diverse city” that “struggles” with racial equality, discrimination and trust and singled out Black Lives Matter as one voice “calling out” the problems.
The mayor said Saturday’s gathering will set the agenda for future public meetings, which can include representation from Black Lives Matters.
However, he warned, “I don’t think it will accomplish very much to have something that degenerates into a circus. This is not going to advance the interests of eradicating discrimination.”
Domise, who helped Tory’s office organize the meeting, said the mayor has “mishandled” issues, including the police carding of young black men.
“We need to find a way forward to get good things accomplished on issues like income equality and institutional racism instead of fighting for the next two-and-a-half years” of Tory’s term, he added.
Sandy Hudson, a Black Lives Matter Toronto co-founder, said Friday the group plans to attend the public forum but wants to see details, including the agenda and the length of the meeting.
Tory seems to want to address housing, poverty and other issues in one forum, she said, while her group is demanding detailed, frank and lengthy discussions on racism and policing.