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WASHINGTON — Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced Wednesday the end of temporary protected status for roughly 330,000 nationals from Haiti by February, opening them up to deportations. In her reasoning, Noem said extending temporary protected status to Haitians would be “contrary to the national interest of the United States” and will end on Feb. […]

he emails show Epstein invited prominent figures—none of whom have been accused of any crimes associated with Epstein— including author Deepak Chopra, linguist Noam Chomsky, billionaire Tom Pritzker, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and filmmaker Bill Sieger

In 1948, a young man stood proudly at the graduation of Lucama School in Wilson County, North Carolina. Five years earlier, he had dropped out of the seventh grade. Each year he started back, and each year he dropped out. The challenges of poverty were great, but with strong support from local educators, he managed to return to graduate high school.… The post Perspective | Thankful for North Carolina’s public schools appeared first on EdNC.

When I won the 2025 Wells Fargo North Carolina Principal of the Year award, I was filled with excitement not just for myself, but for my school, my community, and my family. That moment also brought deep reflection on my career as a public school educator, on my journey as a Black man in North Carolina, and on the winding path that led me here.… The post Perspective | Letter to myself: Reflections on leadership, loss, and becoming whole appeared first on EdNC.

From Mario Kart to career paths, Fort Worth-area schools see how gaming builds skills that carry beyond the screen.

It’s funny how nobody talked about the original intent of the Recall Act when Conservative activists were using it to attack former Calgary mayor Jyoti Gondek. The post Five more UCP MLAs’ names added to Elections Alberta’s growing recall list appeared first on rabble.ca.

El póquer del francés y el caos defensivo marcan una noche de vértigo blanco.

By: <strong>Aleem Bharwani</strong>, <strong>Pamela Roach</strong> and <strong>Lorian Hardcastle</strong>. <br/><br/><!-- wp:paragraph {"align":"right"} --> <p class="has-text-align-right"><em>(Version française <a href="https://policyoptions.irpp.org/fr/magazine/nouvelle-gouvernance/">disponible ici.</a>)</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For years, Hockey Canada drew its leaders almost exclusively from a <a href="https://cdn.hockeycanada.ca/hockey-canada/Corporate/action-plan/downloads/2022-hockey-canada-governance-review-final-report-e.pdf">homogenous circle of hockey insiders</a>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As has been presented in the media and in the courts, a culture of secrecy reigned, quietly settling sexual assault allegations using player <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-hockey-canada-fund-sexual-assault-allegations/">registration fees</a>. All the while, critical voices – grassroots organizations, staff, women in sport – were kept outside the inner circle of decision-making.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The result was a systemic and chronic <a href="https://cdn.hockeycanada.ca/hockey-canada/Corporate/action-plan/downloads/2022-hockey-canada-governance-review-final-report-e.pdf">failure in governance</a>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The consequences that followed fell like dominos: without structures for dissent, critical perspectives were ignored. The organization’s credibility imploded. Sponsors fled. The CEO and board of directors all resigned.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While highly visible due to the organization’s reach and the scope of the failure, the governance crisis at Hockey Canada was not unique. &#160;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Building a resilient and effective governance structure is complex and challenging. Even if a board is diverse, it can still fall short.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After all, truly constructive dialogue requires (much) more than a representative array of voices around the table: it requires mechanisms to learn what we do not know and a culture of listening through disagreement.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Getting there is the real challenge.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Despite movements such as <a href="https://metoomvmt.org/get-to-know-us/tarana-burke-founder/">#MeToo</a> and <a href="https://blacklivesmatter.com/">#BlackLivesMatter</a>, which helped <a href="https://www.nyulawreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Gokulan-ONLINE.pdf">urge</a> the composition of boards to become more diverse, boards and institutional leaders have normalized the need for social movements to pressure institutions into change.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This has been followed by <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/liberals-distance-from-woke-label-1.6586136">anti-EDI backlash</a> which in turn generates a whole other set of pressures.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>All of it represents a failure in governance: understanding differences and tackling issues proactively.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Embedded ignorance</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>When most people think of governance, they think of org charts and boards of directors. But effective decision-making also requires a structured approach to identify and understand issues and the people and communities they affect.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>What is often called <a href="https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2014/rhdcc-hrsdc/MP43-157-1-1984-1-eng.pdf">structural discrimination,</a> I call structural ignorance: a systemic failure to know and understand each other across differences.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>When those differences collide, it is normal and expected for tensions to arise. The idea is not to avoid conflict – but to promote the exchange of perspectives without muting, erasing or canceling.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Part of what stands in the way is what often incentivizes leaders and boards who are laser-focused on short-term goals driven by annual budgets, leadership terms and election cycles. This chronic short-termism locks us into a fixed, scarce, unambitious mindset.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Boards rush to make quick decisions in the name of efficiency.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:video {"id":302458} --> <figure class="wp-block-video"><video controls poster="https://policyoptions.irpp.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/introduction_thumbnail.png" src="https://policyoptions.irpp.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Introduction—ENG.mp4" playsinline></video></figure> <!-- /wp:video --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In other words, it is the very governance models which are prevalent in most organizations that are forcing leaders to make broken choices.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Our complex world needs novel models that replace <em>conflict</em> with <em>context</em>. In doing so, we can better ensure our differences drive innovation to solve problems – rather than toxic clashes which rip apart relationships that underpin the fabric of our society.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>That’s where innovation comes into play – as we reimagine governance in this series: looking at where and how we make decisions.<strong></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Community-driven governance models</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A board made up of a dozen people simply cannot represent every sociocultural factor, consideration or viewpoint. Furthermore, recruitment practices leave many voices out, favouring “<a href="https://ndg.asc.upenn.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/McPherson-2001-ARS.pdf?">some kinds</a>” of difference over others – often shaped by <a href="https://www.nationalaffairs.com/public_interest/detail/up-and-down-with-ecologythe-issue-attention-cycle">what is popular in the moment</a>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Are Black lives more important in 2020 than in 2000 or 2050? Are Indigenous lives more important before or after the Truth and Reconciliation Commission? What about rural lives?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>By adopting a structure that includes community organizations rather than individuals, boards become access points to a society-wide web of relationships – without waiting for a social movement to force representation which was previously overlooked or dismissed.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Our new approach enshrines civil society organizations and Indigenous voices in governance – replacing what can sometimes become tokenism with a governance structure and team that brings a comprehensive understanding of the diverse communities represented.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>That still leaves two key voices missing from the table.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The planet and future generations are affected by our decisions today but have no voice to shape them. We personify the <a href="https://www.earthlawcenter.org/blog-entries/2021/4/the-magpie-riverfirst-river-granted-rights-in-canada">planet</a> and <a href="https://futuregenerations.wales/discover/about-future-generations-commissioner/future-generations-act-2015/">future generations</a> with a permanent seat at the table. This means a guardian is named, such as an Elder, to represent that perspective at the table.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Of course, more difference can also mean more conflict.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A single authority like an executive, chair or board member is limited by their own understanding of the world.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In our new model, leaders facilitate understanding and accountability across a comprehensive network of relationships rather than acting as a single absolute authority.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>That onus falls not just on individuals: organizations and entire sectors embed these capacities at scale. Such accountability metrics are co-created with participant bodies to help us learn together to better steer toward our common interests – something that has been left to erode for far too long.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">From good intentions to meaningful action</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Generally, governance models are designed to handle clearcut issues such as hiring an executive director or planning around the next fundraising campaign. But most of today’s challenges are complex, multigenerational and interconnected.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Clearcut doesn’t cut it anymore.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We can keep patching crises, or we can re-engineer the room, the table and the conversation. It starts with giving conflict a structure, building dissent into design and letting conflict sharpen decisions instead of shredding relationships.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>This article is part of a series on inclusive governance. <a href="https://policyoptions.irpp.org/series/inclusive-governance/">Read more here.</a> </em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->By: Aleem Bharwani, Pamela Roach and Lorian Hardcastle &lt;!-- wp:paragraph {&quot;align&quot;:&quot;right&quot;} --&gt; &lt;p class=&quot;has-text-align-right&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;(Version française &lt;a href=&quot;https://policyoptions.irpp.org/fr/magazine/nouvelle-gouvernance/&quot;&gt;disponible ici.&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;!-- wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;p&gt;For years, Hockey Canada drew its leaders almost exclusively from a &lt;a href=&quot;https://cdn.hockeycanada.ca/hockey-canada/Corporate/action-plan/downloads/2022-hockey-canada-governance-review-final-report-e.pdf&quot;&gt;homogenous circle of hockey insiders&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;!-- wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;p&gt;As has been presented in the media and in the courts, a culture of secrecy reigned, quietly settling sexual assault allegations using player &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-hockey-canada-fund-sexual-assault-allegations/&quot;&gt;registration fees&lt;/a&gt;. All the while, critical voices – grassroots organizations, staff, women in sport – were kept outside the inner circle of decision-making.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;!-- wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;p&gt;The result was a systemic and chronic &lt;a href=&quot;https://cdn.hockeycanada.ca/hockey-canada/Corporate/action-plan/downloads/2022-hockey-canada-governance-review-final-report-e.pdf&quot;&gt;failure in governance&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;!-- wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;p&gt;The consequences that followed fell like dominos: without structures for dissent, critical perspectives were ignored. The organization’s credibility imploded. Sponsors fled. The CEO and board of directors all resigned.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;!-- wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;p&gt;While highly visible due to the organization’s reach and the scope of the failure, the governance crisis at Hockey Canada was not unique. &amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;!-- wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;p&gt;Building a resilient and effective governance structure is complex and challenging. Even if a board is diverse, it can still fall short.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;!-- wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;p&gt;After all, truly constructive dialogue requires (much) more than a representative array of voices around the table: it requires mechanisms to learn what we do not know and a culture of listening through disagreement.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;!-- wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;p&gt;Getting there is the real challenge.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;!-- wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;p&gt;Despite movements such as &lt;a href=&quot;https://metoomvmt.org/get-to-know-us/tarana-burke-founder/&quot;&gt;#MeToo&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://blacklivesmatter.com/&quot;&gt;#BlackLivesMatter&lt;/a&gt;, which helped &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.nyulawreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Gokulan-ONLINE.pdf&quot;&gt;urge&lt;/a&gt; the composition of boards to become more diverse, boards and institutional leaders have normalized the need for social movements to pressure institutions into change.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;!-- wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;p&gt;This has been followed by &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/liberals-distance-from-woke-label-1.6586136&quot;&gt;anti-EDI backlash&lt;/a&gt; which in turn generates a whole other set of pressures.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;!-- wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;p&gt;All of it represents a failure in governance: understanding differences and tackling issues proactively.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;!-- wp:heading --&gt; &lt;h2 class=&quot;wp-block-heading&quot;&gt;Embedded ignorance&lt;/h2&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:heading --&gt; &lt;!-- wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;p&gt;When most people think of governance, they think of org charts and boards of directors. But effective decision-making also requires a structured approach to identify and understand issues and the people and communities they affect.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;!-- wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;p&gt;What is often called &lt;a href=&quot;https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2014/rhdcc-hrsdc/MP43-157-1-1984-1-eng.pdf&quot;&gt;structural discrimination,&lt;/a&gt; I call structural ignorance: a systemic failure to know and understand each other across differences.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;!-- wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;p&gt;When those differences collide, it is normal and expected for tensions to arise. The idea is not to avoid conflict – but to promote the exchange of perspectives without muting, erasing or canceling.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;!-- wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;p&gt;Part of what stands in the way is what often incentivizes leaders and boards who are laser-focused on short-term goals driven by annual budgets, leadership terms and election cycles. This chronic short-termism locks us into a fixed, scarce, unambitious mindset.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;!-- wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;p&gt;Boards rush to make quick decisions in the name of efficiency.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;!-- wp:video {&quot;id&quot;:302458} --&gt; &lt;figure class=&quot;wp-block-video&quot;&gt;&lt;video controls poster=&quot;https://policyoptions.irpp.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/introduction_thumbnail.png&quot; src=&quot;https://policyoptions.irpp.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Introduction—ENG.mp4&quot; playsinline&gt;&lt;/video&gt;&lt;/figure&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:video --&gt; &lt;!-- wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;p&gt;In other words, it is the very governance models which are prevalent in most organizations that are forcing leaders to make broken choices.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;!-- wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;p&gt;Our complex world needs novel models that replace &lt;em&gt;conflict&lt;/em&gt; with &lt;em&gt;context&lt;/em&gt;. In doing so, we can better ensure our differences drive innovation to solve problems – rather than toxic clashes which rip apart relationships that underpin the fabric of our society.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;!-- wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;p&gt;That’s where innovation comes into play – as we reimagine governance in this series: looking at where and how we make decisions.&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;!-- wp:heading --&gt; &lt;h2 class=&quot;wp-block-heading&quot;&gt;Community-driven governance models&lt;/h2&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:heading --&gt; &lt;!-- wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;p&gt;A board made up of a dozen people simply cannot represent every sociocultural factor, consideration or viewpoint. Furthermore, recruitment practices leave many voices out, favouring “&lt;a href=&quot;https://ndg.asc.upenn.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/McPherson-2001-ARS.pdf?&quot;&gt;some kinds&lt;/a&gt;” of difference over others – often shaped by &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.nationalaffairs.com/public_interest/detail/up-and-down-with-ecologythe-issue-attention-cycle&quot;&gt;what is popular in the moment&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;!-- wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;p&gt;Are Black lives more important in 2020 than in 2000 or 2050? Are Indigenous lives more important before or after the Truth and Reconciliation Commission? What about rural lives?&lt;/p&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;!-- wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;p&gt;By adopting a structure that includes community organizations rather than individuals, boards become access points to a society-wide web of relationships – without waiting for a social movement to force representation which was previously overlooked or dismissed.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;!-- wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;p&gt;Our new approach enshrines civil society organizations and Indigenous voices in governance – replacing what can sometimes become tokenism with a governance structure and team that brings a comprehensive understanding of the diverse communities represented.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;!-- wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;p&gt;That still leaves two key voices missing from the table.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;!-- wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;p&gt;The planet and future generations are affected by our decisions today but have no voice to shape them. We personify the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.earthlawcenter.org/blog-entries/2021/4/the-magpie-riverfirst-river-granted-rights-in-canada&quot;&gt;planet&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://futuregenerations.wales/discover/about-future-generations-commissioner/future-generations-act-2015/&quot;&gt;future generations&lt;/a&gt; with a permanent seat at the table. This means a guardian is named, such as an Elder, to represent that perspective at the table.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;!-- wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;p&gt;Of course, more difference can also mean more conflict.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;!-- wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;p&gt;A single authority like an executive, chair or board member is limited by their own understanding of the world.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;!-- wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;p&gt;In our new model, leaders facilitate understanding and accountability across a comprehensive network of relationships rather than acting as a single absolute authority.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;!-- wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;p&gt;That onus falls not just on individuals: organizations and entire sectors embed these capacities at scale. Such accountability metrics are co-created with participant bodies to help us learn together to better steer toward our common interests – something that has been left to erode for far too long.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;!-- wp:heading --&gt; &lt;h2 class=&quot;wp-block-heading&quot;&gt;From good intentions to meaningful action&lt;/h2&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:heading --&gt; &lt;!-- wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;p&gt;Generally, governance models are designed to handle clearcut issues such as hiring an executive director or planning around the next fundraising campaign. But most of today’s challenges are complex, multigenerational and interconnected.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;!-- wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;p&gt;Clearcut doesn’t cut it anymore.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;!-- wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;p&gt;We can keep patching crises, or we can re-engineer the room, the table and the conversation. It starts with giving conflict a structure, building dissent into design and letting conflict sharpen decisions instead of shredding relationships.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;!-- wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;This article is part of a series on inclusive governance. &lt;a href=&quot;https://policyoptions.irpp.org/series/inclusive-governance/&quot;&gt;Read more here.&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:paragraph --&gt;

The Chemical Weapons Convention and the Geneva Convention both contain exceptions for “domestic law enforcement purposes.” The post Is the use of tear gas by law enforcement officers considered a war crime? appeared first on MinnPost.

The city has launched a new continuous vacancy program in hopes of bringing more than 150 properties back into compliance. The post City launches continuous vacancy program, hopes to bring more local homes into compliance appeared first on Mirror Indy.

By: <strong>Gideon Christian</strong>. <br/><br/><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For nearly a decade, <a href="https://gideonchristian.ai/research/">my research</a> has focused on the ways that artificial intelligence (AI) perpetuates bias against Black communities and other racialized or minority groups.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The evidence is overwhelming about the harm to Black communities and people, in particular. Facial recognition systems frequently misidentify Black individuals, resulting in <a href="https://perma.cc/SH5D-8WPF">false arrests</a>. At the same time, <a href="https://naacp.org/resources/artificial-intelligence-predictive-policing-issue-brief#:~:text=Numerous%20cities%20across%20the%20United,and%20due%20process%20considerations%20occur">predictive policing algorithms</a> – trained on historically biased crime data – reinforce the overpolicing of Black neighbourhoods.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>From <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-023-02079-x">biased hiring software</a> to <a href="https://apnews.com/article/kidney-transplant-race-black-inequity-bias-d4fabf2f3a47aab2fe8e18b2a5432135">racially skewed medical tools</a>, AI’s harm to Black communities is immediate and tangible. Yet time and again, Canadian policymakers have failed to heed this or just don’t get it.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">The evidence of harm is overwhelming</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Consider <a href="https://www.parl.ca/legisinfo/en/bill/44-1/c-27">Bill C-27</a>, federal government legislation that sought to regulate AI in Canada. I watched every hearing of the House of Commons standing committee on industry and technology, hoping for a serious discussion of AI’s racial biases. It never happened.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I <a href="https://www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Committee/441/INDU/Brief/BR12950097/br-external/GideonChristian-e.pdf">then wrote</a> to the committee chair and members, urging them to engage with the issue, but to no avail. When the bill died following prorogation of the Commons for the April federal election, there was hope that the next attempt at AI legislation would do better for Black Canadians.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>That hope briefly came back to life when Prime Minister Mark Carney appointed Canada’s first <a href="https://test.hilltimes.com/minister-solomon-a-chance-to-regain-our-spot-as-a-global-ai-leader/">minister for artificial intelligence</a> – a promising signal that Ottawa might be ready to take AI governance seriously.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>But that optimism quickly faded when the new minister, Evan Solomon, made it clear he’s far more interested in AI’s economic benefits than in regulating its harms, saying Canada would stop “<a href="https://www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/article/new-ai-minister-says-canada-wont-over-index-on-ai-regulation/">over-indexing on warnings and regulation</a>.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Then in September, Solomon unveiled Ottawa’s <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/innovation-science-economic-development/news/2025/09/government-of-canada-launches-ai-strategy-task-force-and-public-engagement-on-the-development-of-the-next-ai-strategy.html">AI Strategy Task Force</a>. Not one of the 27 original members was Black. This omission was so glaring that I sent an inquiry to his office. The response: "We have not received confirmation that a member of the Task Force self identifies as Black at this time."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>How could a national AI strategy in 2025 exclude the very community most adversely impacted by AI? While many groups are affected, sector-specific research consistently shows that Black people experience the most severe and widespread harm in each area examined.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">A task force with a glaring omission</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I decided to speak out. I assembled the portraits of all 27 task force members and shared a composite photo on a <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/gideon-christian-phd-c-dir-477a889a_ai-representationmatters-aijustice-activity-7382377707013197824-5hxP?utm_source=li_share&amp;utm_content=feedcontent&amp;utm_medium=g_dt_web&amp;utm_campaign=copy">LinkedIn post</a>, highlighting the glaring absence of a single Black face. The post garnered more than 100,000 impressions, almost 1,200 reactions and hundreds of comments because it resonated with many people who felt similarly outraged.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I also worked with fellow Black academics, professionals and allies to draft an <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7384569439909834753/">open letter</a> to Carney and Solomon. Sixty of us signed it, demanding genuine representation for Black Canadians in AI policymaking.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We sent the letter on Oct. 15. What happened next was telling. The government updated the task force’s online roster to add one Black member – a university student whose background does not reflect substantive expertise in AI.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The student’s inclusion is not the issue here. Rather, the timing and nature of the appointment suggested a reactive gesture rather than a meaningful effort to address representation. It risked reducing a serious concern to a symbolic response.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:quote --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a class="" href="https://policyoptions.irpp.org/2024/12/ai-racial-bias/">Racial bias in AI should be the immediate concern</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a class="" href="https://policyoptions.irpp.org/2023/09/law-artificial-intelligence-now/">The time for a law on artificial intelligence has come</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a class="" href="https://policyoptions.irpp.org/2025/07/canadian-ai-governance/">A Canadian blueprint for trustworthy AI governance</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Regardless of the student’s experience or interest in the subject, there were better options. Black participation in national AI policy must be meaningful, qualified and transparent. There is a wealth of Black experts in Canada’s tech and AI ecosystem. None of them were appointed to this task force.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The decision to ignore an entire community of qualified voices is a profound failure of leadership. It suggests that Black perspectives were an afterthought – valued only as optics, not as a source of insight.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Why Black expertise matters in AI governance</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Our community deserves stronger representation at the table. Who better to help develop guardrails for racial bias in AI than those who have already felt its sting?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Black community understands viscerally what is at stake when algorithms decide how long you spend in jail, whether you get a job interview, a loan or suffer a false arrest. Our lived experiences and expertise would only strengthen (not weaken) Canada’s AI strategy, making it more robust and more just for everyone.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Yet, the message from those in charge has been clear: they don’t really want us to participate in developing AI strategy.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>That is why I decided to take a stand: As a Black scholar whose decade of research has identified the real harm AI poses to the Black community, and one who believes in the genuine participation of this community in addressing that harm, I could not in good conscience take any step directly or indirectly that would lend moral legitimacy to the current composition of Canada’s AI task force.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Therefore, I refrained from making any submission during its consultation process, which ended Oct. 31.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>When Black voices are meaningfully included, I and others in the Black community will be happy to contribute.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->By: Gideon Christian &lt;!-- wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;p&gt;For nearly a decade, &lt;a href=&quot;https://gideonchristian.ai/research/&quot;&gt;my research&lt;/a&gt; has focused on the ways that artificial intelligence (AI) perpetuates bias against Black communities and other racialized or minority groups.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;!-- wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;p&gt;The evidence is overwhelming about the harm to Black communities and people, in particular. Facial recognition systems frequently misidentify Black individuals, resulting in &lt;a href=&quot;https://perma.cc/SH5D-8WPF&quot;&gt;false arrests&lt;/a&gt;. At the same time, &lt;a href=&quot;https://naacp.org/resources/artificial-intelligence-predictive-policing-issue-brief#:~:text=Numerous%20cities%20across%20the%20United,and%20due%20process%20considerations%20occur&quot;&gt;predictive policing algorithms&lt;/a&gt; – trained on historically biased crime data – reinforce the overpolicing of Black neighbourhoods.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;!-- wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;p&gt;From &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-023-02079-x&quot;&gt;biased hiring software&lt;/a&gt; to &lt;a href=&quot;https://apnews.com/article/kidney-transplant-race-black-inequity-bias-d4fabf2f3a47aab2fe8e18b2a5432135&quot;&gt;racially skewed medical tools&lt;/a&gt;, AI’s harm to Black communities is immediate and tangible. Yet time and again, Canadian policymakers have failed to heed this or just don’t get it.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;!-- wp:heading --&gt; &lt;h2 class=&quot;wp-block-heading&quot;&gt;The evidence of harm is overwhelming&lt;/h2&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:heading --&gt; &lt;!-- wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;p&gt;Consider &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.parl.ca/legisinfo/en/bill/44-1/c-27&quot;&gt;Bill C-27&lt;/a&gt;, federal government legislation that sought to regulate AI in Canada. I watched every hearing of the House of Commons standing committee on industry and technology, hoping for a serious discussion of AI’s racial biases. It never happened.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;!-- wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;p&gt;I &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Committee/441/INDU/Brief/BR12950097/br-external/GideonChristian-e.pdf&quot;&gt;then wrote&lt;/a&gt; to the committee chair and members, urging them to engage with the issue, but to no avail. When the bill died following prorogation of the Commons for the April federal election, there was hope that the next attempt at AI legislation would do better for Black Canadians.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;!-- wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;p&gt;That hope briefly came back to life when Prime Minister Mark Carney appointed Canada’s first &lt;a href=&quot;https://test.hilltimes.com/minister-solomon-a-chance-to-regain-our-spot-as-a-global-ai-leader/&quot;&gt;minister for artificial intelligence&lt;/a&gt; – a promising signal that Ottawa might be ready to take AI governance seriously.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;!-- wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;p&gt;But that optimism quickly faded when the new minister, Evan Solomon, made it clear he’s far more interested in AI’s economic benefits than in regulating its harms, saying Canada would stop “&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/article/new-ai-minister-says-canada-wont-over-index-on-ai-regulation/&quot;&gt;over-indexing on warnings and regulation&lt;/a&gt;.”&lt;/p&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;!-- wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;p&gt;Then in September, Solomon unveiled Ottawa’s &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.canada.ca/en/innovation-science-economic-development/news/2025/09/government-of-canada-launches-ai-strategy-task-force-and-public-engagement-on-the-development-of-the-next-ai-strategy.html&quot;&gt;AI Strategy Task Force&lt;/a&gt;. Not one of the 27 original members was Black. This omission was so glaring that I sent an inquiry to his office. The response: &quot;We have not received confirmation that a member of the Task Force self identifies as Black at this time.&quot;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;!-- wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;p&gt;How could a national AI strategy in 2025 exclude the very community most adversely impacted by AI? While many groups are affected, sector-specific research consistently shows that Black people experience the most severe and widespread harm in each area examined.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;!-- wp:heading --&gt; &lt;h2 class=&quot;wp-block-heading&quot;&gt;A task force with a glaring omission&lt;/h2&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:heading --&gt; &lt;!-- wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;p&gt;I decided to speak out. I assembled the portraits of all 27 task force members and shared a composite photo on a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/posts/gideon-christian-phd-c-dir-477a889a_ai-representationmatters-aijustice-activity-7382377707013197824-5hxP?utm_source=li_share&amp;amp;utm_content=feedcontent&amp;amp;utm_medium=g_dt_web&amp;amp;utm_campaign=copy&quot;&gt;LinkedIn post&lt;/a&gt;, highlighting the glaring absence of a single Black face. The post garnered more than 100,000 impressions, almost 1,200 reactions and hundreds of comments because it resonated with many people who felt similarly outraged.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;!-- wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;p&gt;I also worked with fellow Black academics, professionals and allies to draft an &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7384569439909834753/&quot;&gt;open letter&lt;/a&gt; to Carney and Solomon. Sixty of us signed it, demanding genuine representation for Black Canadians in AI policymaking.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;!-- wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;p&gt;We sent the letter on Oct. 15. What happened next was telling. The government updated the task force’s online roster to add one Black member – a university student whose background does not reflect substantive expertise in AI.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;!-- wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;p&gt;The student’s inclusion is not the issue here. Rather, the timing and nature of the appointment suggested a reactive gesture rather than a meaningful effort to address representation. It risked reducing a serious concern to a symbolic response.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;!-- wp:quote --&gt; &lt;blockquote class=&quot;wp-block-quote&quot;&gt;&lt;!-- wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a class=&quot;&quot; href=&quot;https://policyoptions.irpp.org/2024/12/ai-racial-bias/&quot;&gt;Racial bias in AI should be the immediate concern&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;!-- wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a class=&quot;&quot; href=&quot;https://policyoptions.irpp.org/2023/09/law-artificial-intelligence-now/&quot;&gt;The time for a law on artificial intelligence has come&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;!-- wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a class=&quot;&quot; href=&quot;https://policyoptions.irpp.org/2025/07/canadian-ai-governance/&quot;&gt;A Canadian blueprint for trustworthy AI governance&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:paragraph --&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:quote --&gt; &lt;!-- wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;p&gt;Regardless of the student’s experience or interest in the subject, there were better options. Black participation in national AI policy must be meaningful, qualified and transparent. There is a wealth of Black experts in Canada’s tech and AI ecosystem. None of them were appointed to this task force.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;!-- wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;p&gt;The decision to ignore an entire community of qualified voices is a profound failure of leadership. It suggests that Black perspectives were an afterthought – valued only as optics, not as a source of insight.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;!-- wp:heading --&gt; &lt;h2 class=&quot;wp-block-heading&quot;&gt;Why Black expertise matters in AI governance&lt;/h2&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:heading --&gt; &lt;!-- wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;p&gt;Our community deserves stronger representation at the table. Who better to help develop guardrails for racial bias in AI than those who have already felt its sting?&lt;/p&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;!-- wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;p&gt;The Black community understands viscerally what is at stake when algorithms decide how long you spend in jail, whether you get a job interview, a loan or suffer a false arrest. Our lived experiences and expertise would only strengthen (not weaken) Canada’s AI strategy, making it more robust and more just for everyone.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;!-- wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;p&gt;Yet, the message from those in charge has been clear: they don’t really want us to participate in developing AI strategy.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;!-- wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;p&gt;That is why I decided to take a stand: As a Black scholar whose decade of research has identified the real harm AI poses to the Black community, and one who believes in the genuine participation of this community in addressing that harm, I could not in good conscience take any step directly or indirectly that would lend moral legitimacy to the current composition of Canada’s AI task force.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;!-- wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;p&gt;Therefore, I refrained from making any submission during its consultation process, which ended Oct. 31.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;!-- wp:paragraph --&gt; &lt;p&gt;When Black voices are meaningfully included, I and others in the Black community will be happy to contribute.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;!-- /wp:paragraph --&gt;

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