Black History Month is a time to reflect, learn, and work together to make the world a better place. It is also a time to celebrate the stories, achievements, and legacy of Black Canadians and their communities. 

All February long, Toronto Humane Society will be sharing stories of Black leaders and innovators, as well as educational resources and information about events and commemorating Black History Month. Join us as we celebrate Black achievements in the past, present, and future.  

February and Forever: Celebrating Black History today and every day   

Black History is Canadian history and should be recognized and celebrated all year round. It’s for this reason that Toronto Humane Society has made a long-term commitment to learn and reflect on the role we can play in addressing racial discrimination, inequities, and injustices.   

We want to help create a lasting impact.  

Our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity (DEI) journey started in 2020 with a commitment to combat systemic racism by taking action within our own organization first. It has been an eye-opening experience for all of us.  

The next step in our commitment involved a research project to determine who we are serving, and who, through gaps in our programs and services, we are not.  

Our Research Team recently completed this research and published it here. Now that we have identified gaps in our services, we can determine how we can reach more communities that are currently not receiving support. This will improve the lives of more animals beyond our normal reach.     

Black History Month is more than a celebration and reflection of the Black Community. It’s about taking action towards a more diverse and inclusive community. Toronto Humane Society hopes that by taking steps to better understand ourselves and our community, we can remove barriers for Black individuals and other racialized groups in the animal welfare community.  

This will help more animals and keep families together.