Statement on Black History Month from John Henry, Regional Chair and Elaine Baxter-Trahair, CAO

The following statement is being issued on behalf of John Henry, Regional Chair and CEO, and Elaine Baxter-Trahair, Chief Administrative Officer:

“We are sorry.

As part of Durham Region’s Black History Month initiatives, an internal challenge activity for Durham Region staff was a mistake. It has caused harm to our Black employees and community—damaging the inclusive culture that we are trying to build. We take responsibility and we are committed to doing better.

Historically, Durham Region has celebrated Black History Month with in-person events involving speakers, food, dancing and music, representative of Durham’s Black community. Due to COVID-19, this year we attempted to engage more employees in Black History Month virtually.

We made missteps with this virtual challenge. We will ensure the remaining activities for Black History Month are both respectful and educational. We will do better.

Open dialogue and honest conversations like these will allow us to better understand one another and create an anti-racist environment moving forward. This is a priority: Our new Diversity, Equity and Inclusion division will provide a dedicated focus to this work, including establishing an anti-racism task force, and strengthening our efforts to address systemic racism and promote community development.

We will continue to learn and engage with the Black community and Black employees to broaden our knowledge and understanding as we strive to achieve a diverse and inclusive workforce. We have a long way to go.”

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