BAC
Black, African, Caribbean Advisory Committee
The Surrey Black, African, and Caribbean (BAC) Advisory Committee is a Black-led network composed of individuals and multi-organizational representatives of BAC descent. Rooted in community autonomy, justice, and collective leadership, the BAC Advisory Committee centers Black knowledge, voices, culture, and lived/ living experience.
The BAC Advisory Committee acts as a subject-matter expert with lived and living experience that aims to inform and influence local and provincial policies, strengthen relationships between communities and institutions, and shift power back to the community. The BAC uses a welcome-engagement and culturally informed approach to address injustices by building capacity and strengthening relationships. Focusing on food security and food justice, the Black, African, and Caribbean community seeks to further enhance the health and well-being of our community by embedding equity into local food systems.
The BAC Advisory shares the collective goal to address systemic inequities and foster inclusion within Surrey and other communities by centering BAC perspectives. Through culturally informed engagement, the BAC works to build capacity, advocate for systemic.
Why This Work Matters
The City of Surrey is home to British Columbia’s largest self-identifying Black population, with 12,870 Black residents (1). Across Canada, Black households are 3.56 times more likely to experience food insecurity compared to white households (2). In SOCS’s 2023 BAC Food Security Survey, almost 8 out of 10 BAC respondents reported experiencing household food insecurity.
This disparity reflects systemic racism, economic inequity, colonial food systems, and limited access to culturally preferable, dignified food options. The BAC Advisory Committee exists to confront these inequities through community leadership and systems-level transformation for long-term structural and systemic change.
BAC in the News
Examining access to culturally preferred foods for Surrey's Black community
This CBC national coverage highlights research led by the BAC Advisory focused on understanding food access, cultural preference, and structural barriers facing Black communities in Surrey.
Collaborating with diverse partners has been integral to the mission of the Black, African, and Caribbean (BAC) Advisory Committee. Comprising a network of dedicated organizational representatives and individuals of BAC descent in Surrey, the committee’s shared purpose revolves around amplifying underrepresented voices.
