Since racism against the black community has reentered media spotlight, Shelburne council has struck up an anti-racism task force in response.
The idea began after worldwide outrage over a black man killed by a white Minneapolis police officer and Shelburne mayor Wade Mills pledged to engage with racialized residents in his community for input and perspectives on how to dismantle systemic racism locally.
Mills says through his conversations with residents of colour he’s learned how racism isn’t always overt.
Mills says the task force’s mandate is to gather more community input and concerns and then make policy recommendations to council.
Given that racialized people experience a disproportionate rate of police brutality, much of media dialogue as of late is revolving around restructuring law enforcement.
Mills believes in many cases, enforcement should be used as a last resort.
Mills says reducing police budgets and instead, investing into social services aimed at mitigating community issues and crimes, is a policy debate he believes will happen soon at the provincial level.
The task force is chaired by Alethia O’Hara Stephenson and is also comprised by other residents, Mills, deputy mayor Steve Anderson and Shelburne police chief, Kent Moore.
