Racial Profiling in Canada: Challenging the Myth of 'a Few Bad Apples.'
In October 2002, the Toronto Star ran a series of feature articles on racial profiling in which it was indicated that Toronto police routinely target young Black men when making traffic stops. The articles drew strong reactions from the community, and considerable protest from the media, politicians, law enforcement officials, and other public authorities. Although the articles were supported by substantial documentation and statistical evidence, the Toronto Police Association sued the Star, claiming that no such evidence existed. The lawsuit was ultimately rejected in court. As a result, however, the issue of racial profiling - a practice in which certain criminal activities are attributed to individuals or groups on the basis of race or ethno-racial background - was thrust into the national spotlight.
Francis Henry is one of Canada’s leading scholars in the academic study of race, racism, and anti-racism. She is a professor emerita in the Department of Anthropology at York University.
Other publications from this author include: