According to a survey by The Globe and Mail, only 10% of Canadian companies that have committed to the BlackNorth initiative to combat systemic racism have made significant progress over the past two years.

The BlackNorth initiative is on a mission to end systemic anti-black racism, focusing on several aspects, such as the labor market, to achieve this. The movement was launched after the murder of George Floyd by a white police officer.

In this five-year plan, companies had to take up the challenge of hiring black people and ensuring that they occupy important positions.

However, until now, only 10% of the 481 companies in the country that have joined this movement have made significant progress in terms of the number of employees, the number of black executives and administrators.

The head of diversity and inclusion at lab services company LifeLabs, Brooke Graham, said it was "disappointing" that 70% of companies surveyed by "The Globe and Mail" chose not to respond and make their data public.

"Signing the BlackNorth pledge is a step in the right direction, but it's important to the people that black people in this country can actually see companies deliver on their pledges," she said.

For his part, Carl James, professor of education at York University and holder of the Jean Augustine Research Chair in Equality and Inclusion, reminded that the problem is not limited to numbers.

"It's not just about how many black people you hire," he said. One has to ask: what practices existed in these companies over the years that might not have taken into account the diversity of the population? Are the institutions ready to welcome more blacks into the job market? Can they get down to business entirely, or do they have to conform to an existing culture?”