Honourable senators, I rise today to draw your attention to an important event taking place tomorrow: the High-Level Roundtable on Black Community Health, “A National Vision for Black Health: Building a Healthier Future for the Next Decade.”

This initiative is led by the Interdisciplinary Centre for Black Health, or ICBH, chaired by Dr. Jude Mary Cénat, in collaboration with the Alex Trebek Forum for Dialogue and the Office of Public Policy Research and Outreach at the University of Ottawa:

As Canada’s first academic research centre entirely dedicated to the study of the biological, social, and cultural determinants of health of Black communities in Canada, the ICBH is a leading research and training space, based on excellence and interdisciplinarity, that will guide the efforts of federal, provincial, territorial, and municipal agencies to understand, reduce and eliminate racial health disparities. . . . inclusive of social justice perspectives.

I commend their leadership and commitment to advancing health equity and parity.

By continuing with the same leadership and vision, the round table will bring a broad and diverse group of stakeholders together, including senators, members of Parliament, provincial and territorial health officials, public health agencies and community leaders. We will work together to identify national health priorities for Black communities over the next 10 years.

A key moment of the event will be the official launch of the Ottawa Declaration on Black Community Health. This foundational document is the result of extensive consultations with 900 organizations and community stakeholders. It reflects a shared commitment to addressing long-standing health disparities and promoting equity in areas such as chronic and infectious disease prevention, mental health, reproductive health and research funding for Black community health.

Colleagues, throughout my career, I have worked to advance mental health for all ages, with a particular focus on children and families.

I urge you to support this important initiative, as it reflects our collective commitment to building a healthier and more equitable future for Black communities across Canada and indeed for all Canadians.

For it is when we throw off the shackles of caste and class that we can liberate our minds and experience, as Canadians, the totality of what it means to be a Canadian and what it means to truly unleash the potential and promise of this great country.

Thank you, meegwetch.