Like many Canadians, Hacklab’s membership has been watching the events that have led to the ongoing protests in the United States and the world, including here in Toronto. We acknowledge and denounce the ongoing systemic racism, white supremacy and police brutality that many Black, Indigneous and racialized communities face everyday that have led to these protests. We acknowledge that these problems exist in Toronto, including in the Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM) community. Hacklab stands in solidarity with Black Lives Matter and the fight against all forms of racism. 

As a maker collective in Toronto, Hacklab is committed to helping build a community where everyone can live with dignity and freedom from fear. While we strive to be a welcoming makerspace in Toronto, we admittedly have fallen short in many areas that have led to gaps in representation of individuals from Black, Indigenous and other racialized communities.

We acknowledge that as a maker collective we need to do more to be an inclusive community. We understand that we need to centre the voices of the many Black, Indigenous and racialized makers of Toronto and the surrounding areas. As part of our actions, we are actively working to ensure these voices are heard. Our commitments include:

• Expand our outreach to Black, Indigenous and other racialized communities (e.g., by forging closer ties with groups led by and represented by those community members);
• Identify and reduce barriers for Black, Indigenous and racialized members of the STEAM community to participate in Hacklab as guests, members, and board members; and,
• Ensure that Black, Indigenous and racialized members of the STEAM community guide Hacklab to actively improve our diversity and inclusion efforts and support ongoing decision-making that considers diverse perspectives through our new Diversity and Inclusion Committee.

We all have to take ownership and responsibility to actively oppose racism within our organizations as well as ourselves as individuals in order to break down systems of oppression and exclusion. We recognize as Hacklab that we draw strength from the diversity of ideas and perspectives. As a community space that encourages people to socialize, share knowledge and collaborate, we recognize that making our own space more inclusive will strengthen our ability to “make things, repurpose things, program things, invent things and make lights blink” for the betterment of our members and our broader community.

Hack The Planet!

– HackLab.to