Black Screen Office releases guide for cultural sector to address anti-Black racism

TORONTO — The Black Screen Office has released policy guidelines it says can help cultural organizations establish anti-Black racism measures that move beyond lip service and temporary fixes.

The Black Screen Office describes its Anti-Black Racism Policy Framework as “a flexible guide for organizations ready to move from statements of intent to institutional change.”

The road map includes 10 key actions for organizations in the screen, music, literature and performing arts sectors.

It includes the need to commit to spotlighting Black talent and stories, build safe and inclusive workspaces and diversify decision-making.

The BSO says the guide is already being put to use through a pilot program with the National Screen Institute, Canada’s National Ballet School and the National Film Board of Canada.

The BSO’s CEO Joan Jenkinson says that while some cultural organizations have strategies or action plans, “none have actual policies.”

She said Tuesday in a release that the BSO’s framework can help keep action plans from “moving in different directions, losing coherence, or collapsing under pressure.”

The BSO said the framework was developed over two years and involved consultation with Black artists, leaders and cultural workers across the country.

The initiative was developed in partnership with Advance Music Foundation and the Cultural Pluralism in the Arts Movement Ontario.

NFB chair Suzanne Guèvremont said in a release that the organization embraces the chance to work on the pilot project.

“The NFB already benefits from best practices and sound EDI governance, and this pilot project will further anchor our culture of equity and inclusion and commitments towards anti-Black racism; it will also help set a benchmark for socially responsible governance in the cultural sector,” Guèvremont said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 9, 2025.