Social Science and Beyond

• Author: David M. Tanovich
• Pages: 73-86

[73]

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Social Science and

Beyond

the social science evidence

The Ontar io Systemic Racism Commission

In October 1992 the Ontario government established the

Commission on Systemic Racism in the Ontario Criminal Justice

System to “inquire into and make recommendations about the

extent to which criminal justice practices, procedures and policies

ref‌lect systemic rac ism.”1 The impetus for the commission was a

growing and vocal sense of frustration in the Black community

about the colour of justice and, in pa rticular, their vu lnerability

to police violence. 2 That frustration was expressed in civil distur-

bances in dow ntown Toronto in early May 1992.3 The disturbances

followed the acquittal by an all-White jury of two White police of-

f‌icers charged in the shooting death of Michael “Wade” Lawson;4

the acquittal of four White police off‌icers charged in the beating

of Rodney King;5 and the fatal police shooting of Raymond Law-

rence.6 After the dist urbances, Premier Bob Rae retained Stephen

Lewis, the former Ontario NDP leader and Canadian ambassa-