Edmontonians gathered at City Hall today, February 1st, to mark the beginning of Black History Month. Chief Dale McFee joined members of the city’s Black community and local dignitaries to celebrate the contributions and achievements of Black Edmontonians.
In his speech, the Chief took a moment to recognize the department’s first Black police officers, Harold Cornish and Brenda Frederick, calling them “pioneers who blazed the trail.”
“They joined EPS at a time when being Black in Edmonton, let alone a Black police officer, was not an easy road to travel,” the Chief said. “They endured hardships and obstacles and overcame challenges of racism. In doing so, they became role models and mentors, and opened the doors for the next generation of Black police officers and civilian employees.”
Connecting and sharing
The event allowed the Chief to highlight the many partnerships the service has with the Black community and other racialized groups.
“Communication is vital to building meaningful relationships and trust, which in turn leads to productive partnerships,” he said.
Last year, the service launched the Chief’s Community Council and Black Community Communication Council to better understand the concerns of racialized individuals and focus on how EPS can address gaps in service.
“These councils have helped us connect and share information on important issues in ways we never could before,” the Chief said.
Recently, the EPS Senior Leadership Team met with South Sudanese Community Leaders to discuss partnering on mental health and addictions support, youth mentoring, training, and ongoing community engagement.
The Chief went on to say that the service’s recruit training has expanded to include “bias-awareness, cultural competency, and experiential learning, which is helping us better understand and support our communities and further address discrimination and racism.”
The Chief ended his speech by thanking the city’s Black community “for sharing your voices with us, for your continued contributions to our police service, and for helping to create a safer and more vibrant city for everyone.”
Other ways of connecting
Christie Pace with Community Relation Section who is herself part Black, said another way to celebrate Black History Month and connect with the Black community, is by supporting Black-owned businesses.
“Black businesses bring a special vibrancy to the city,” she said. “It’s a chance for everyone to experience a new culture or try different cuisines you may not have encountered before.”
Black owned restaurants in Edmonton: https://feedthesoulyeg.ca/
Black owned businesses in Edmonton: https://exploreedmonton.com/articles/support-local-black-owned-businesses-in-edmonton
Black History Month events: https://www.nbccedmonton.ca/black-history-month-events-edmonton/
