Photo Credits: Markus Winkler from Unsplash
Welcome to our blog, friend! This week’s guide is on the BIPOC community, breaking down the acronym and stating their unrecognized impact in Canada.
What Does it Stand for?
BIPOC is an umbrella term that stands for Black, Indigenous, People of Colour and is used to help shift away from the negative and improper terms often used in its place like marginalized or minorities. While the term is useful, you should always try to be specific to be accurate and to not diminish the struggles of any race.
Pinpointing the Population
Curious about how BIPOC communities make up Canada’s population? According to a Statistics Canada Census in 2016…
22.3% of Canadians were people of colour (almost 7.7 million)
This does not include Aboriginals, who accounted for 4.9% (almost 1.7 million – Statistics Canada)
BIPOC Breakdown in Canada, 2016
*n.i.e = not included elsewhere
9.4 million BIPOC Canadians doesn’t seem like a lot compared to the 36 million total population, but it makes them a cornerstone of our country. They are not only an integral part of our community, but also our economy, and deserve the same opportunities and respect as a white person.
“B” for BIPOC Business
Small businesses, identified by an employee total between 1-99 people, totaled 97.9% of Canadian businesses (1.2 million businesses), with roughly 13.6% having a BIPOC member as the majority owner [Statistics Canada]
These numbers demonstrate the lack of diversity across Canadian small businesses despite BIPOC members accounting for over 1/5th of our population. Many of these businesses get beaten by competition or have to close their doors due to a lack of government support (especially now in the pandemic) compared to white-owned businesses, so how can we help to elevate these businesses?
How Does Jelly Social Fit in?
As BIPOC business owners ourselves, Jelly Social was built to help break the barriers that diverse entrepreneurs face. Not only do we host events to educate and network, but our website fosters listings for various BIPOC businesses across the GTA!
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