By Canadian Press

Ottawa sets up secretariat to root out racism in federal institutions, programs

Jun 25, 2019 | 10:01 AM

OTTAWA — The federal government is setting up a secretariat to root out systemic racism and discrimination within federal institutions, programs and services.

The secretariat is part of a $45-million federal anti-racism effort, which also includes funding for programs run by community groups on things like job-skills training, youth mentorships, legal services and protections against hate speech.

The effort will also include a national public awareness and education campaign.

Canadian Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez says every day in this country, people still face racism, including Islamophobia, anti-Semitism and anti-black racism.

He says deeply embedded inequalities are often subtle, reflected in who gets called for a job interview or who is encouraged to attend university or who gets carded by police on their way home from school.

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The Canadian Press