Arnold Minors
Encyclopedia
Arnold Minors is a Bermudian-Canadian organizational consultant specializing in race relations and a public official. In the 1990s, in Toronto, he served on the Metropolitan Toronto Police Services Board
. More recently, from 2009 until 2010, he was the press secretary
to Bermudian
Premier Ewart Brown
.
As a youth, Minors served in the Bermudian army
as a non-commissioned officer
. He moved to Montreal
in 1964 to study at McGill University
where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree. and went on to earn a Masters of Business Administration from Queen's University
.
After working on labour issues and in the area of organizational development, he moved to Toronto in 1975 working as a management consultant with the municipal government from 1975 until 1980.
Minors was the first black person appointed to the Toronto Board of Health and launched the city's Black/African Canadian Employees project to help blacks find first-time jobs. He was also a founder of the African Canadian Legal Clinic.
He joined Imperial Oil
in 1980 as an organization effectiveness consultant specializing in racism and sexism and recommended measures that doubled the number of blacks working in managerial positions. In 1983, Minors went independent opening his own business consultancy firm which advised all level of government as well as public sector agencies.
Minors was appointed to the police services board in 1993 for a three year term by the Ontario New Democratic Party
government of Bob Rae
. Months later, the Metro Toronto Police Association
demanded his resignation after he was quoted in the Bermuda Times saying that white officers fear blacks.
In 1994, a new controversy emerged after Minors said in an interview, on the issue of why black witnesses are reticent to talk to police, that "there is a long, long, thousand-year history of people not speaking to occupying armies." At the time Minors was teaching anti-racism
courses for the office of the provincial attorney-general which were mandatory for crown attorney
s to attend. The police association again demanded the removal of Minors from the board after he was quoted allegedly comparing the police to an "occupying army" and at least a dozen crown attorneys complained, one of them, Michael Leshner, said of Minors that "there's no difference between his lack of unaccountable anti-racism and unaccountable racism," adding that Minors should be stripped of his government contract. After a review, the government cancelled the courses taught by Minors. Faced with pressure to fire Minors one year into his three year term, the provincial government appointed a panel to probe Minors' remarks. The panel concluded that while he had made "ill-advised comments", Minors should not be dismissed from the police services board as the intended meaning behind his remarks was legitimate.
Following the end of his term on the police services board in 1996, Minors sued the Toronto Sun
for malicious defamation because of a stories it ran claiming that Minors had said during one of his seminars for crown attorneys that the Holocaust though tragic, but not a racist act, because it was not perpetrated against non-whites but against people of a different religion. Minors denied the allegation and stated that he had always seen Nazi crimes against the Jews as a form of racism. A witness, Uriel Priwes, a senior assistant Crown attorney, testified that Minors had said the Holocaust was not racist but added under cross-examination that "I don't think he was anti-Semitic. I think he was misguided, and I don't share his views... I don't think he was prejudiced against Jews." The case was dismissed in February 1997 with the judge ruling that "the defence has proven beyond question that Minors did say that the Holocaust was not racist." The decision against Minors was upheld on appeal.
In the 2000 municipal election
, Minors was a candidate in ward 2, losing to future Mayor of Toronto Rob Ford
.
Minors returned to Bermuda in 2009 to accept a position as press secretary to the Premier of the colony, Ewart Brown.
In December 2010, Minors was awarded the William P Hubbard Award in Toronto for his “lifetime of confronting systemic racism, leadership, advocacy and innovation in establishing community based services”.
Minors now lives in Toronto where he is co-ordinating associate at Arnold Minors and Associates which he founded in 1984.
Toronto Police Services Board
The Toronto Police Services Board is the civilian oversight of the Toronto Police Service. It was called the Metropolitan Toronto Police Services Board from 1990 until 1998 and the Metropolitan Toronto Police Commission from 1955 until 1990 when the name of the body was changed as a result of...
. More recently, from 2009 until 2010, he was the press secretary
Press secretary
A press secretary or press officer is a senior advisor who provides advice on how to deal with the news media and, using news management techniques, helps their employer to maintain a positive public image and avoid negative media coverage....
to Bermudian
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
Premier Ewart Brown
Ewart Brown
Ewart Frederick Brown, Jr. was Premier of Bermuda and leader of the Progressive Labour Party from 2006 and 2010. He served as Member of Parliament for the constituency of Warwick South Central for 17 years until his retirement from politics in October 2010.Brown was elected leader of the ruling...
.
As a youth, Minors served in the Bermudian army
Bermuda Volunteer/Territorial Army Units 1895-1965
The Volunteer Army units raised in Bermuda were created as part of an Imperial military garrison that existed primarily to protect the Royal Naval base, centred about the HM Dockyard on Ireland Island....
as a non-commissioned officer
Non-commissioned officer
A non-commissioned officer , called a sub-officer in some countries, is a military officer who has not been given a commission...
. He moved to Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
in 1964 to study at McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree. and went on to earn a Masters of Business Administration from Queen's University
Queen's University
Queen's University, , is a public research university located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Founded on 16 October 1841, the university pre-dates the founding of Canada by 26 years. Queen's holds more more than of land throughout Ontario as well as Herstmonceux Castle in East Sussex, England...
.
After working on labour issues and in the area of organizational development, he moved to Toronto in 1975 working as a management consultant with the municipal government from 1975 until 1980.
Minors was the first black person appointed to the Toronto Board of Health and launched the city's Black/African Canadian Employees project to help blacks find first-time jobs. He was also a founder of the African Canadian Legal Clinic.
He joined Imperial Oil
Imperial Oil
Imperial Oil Limited is Canada's largest petroleum company. The company is engaged in the exploration, production and sale of crude oil and natural gas. It is controlled by US based ExxonMobil, which owns 69.6% of its stock...
in 1980 as an organization effectiveness consultant specializing in racism and sexism and recommended measures that doubled the number of blacks working in managerial positions. In 1983, Minors went independent opening his own business consultancy firm which advised all level of government as well as public sector agencies.
Minors was appointed to the police services board in 1993 for a three year term by the Ontario New Democratic Party
Ontario New Democratic Party
The Ontario New Democratic Party or , formally known as New Democratic Party of Ontario, is a social democratic political party in Ontario, Canada. It is a provincial section of the federal New Democratic Party. It was formed in October 1961, a few months after the federal party. The ONDP had its...
government of Bob Rae
Bob Rae
Robert Keith "Bob" Rae, PC, OC, OOnt, QC, MP is a Canadian politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Toronto Centre and interim leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
. Months later, the Metro Toronto Police Association
Toronto Police Association
The Toronto Police Association , founded in 1944, is a labour organization representing the approximately 5,500 uniformed and 2,500 civilian members of the Toronto Police Service in Toronto, Canada...
demanded his resignation after he was quoted in the Bermuda Times saying that white officers fear blacks.
In 1994, a new controversy emerged after Minors said in an interview, on the issue of why black witnesses are reticent to talk to police, that "there is a long, long, thousand-year history of people not speaking to occupying armies." At the time Minors was teaching anti-racism
Anti-racism
Anti-racism includes beliefs, actions, movements, and policies adopted or developed to oppose racism. In general, anti-racism is intended to promote an egalitarian society in which people do not face discrimination on the basis of their race, however defined...
courses for the office of the provincial attorney-general which were mandatory for crown attorney
Crown attorney
Crown Attorneys or Crown Counsel are the prosecutors in the legal system of Canada.Crown Attorneys represent the Crown and act as prosecutor in proceedings under the Criminal Code of Canada...
s to attend. The police association again demanded the removal of Minors from the board after he was quoted allegedly comparing the police to an "occupying army" and at least a dozen crown attorneys complained, one of them, Michael Leshner, said of Minors that "there's no difference between his lack of unaccountable anti-racism and unaccountable racism," adding that Minors should be stripped of his government contract. After a review, the government cancelled the courses taught by Minors. Faced with pressure to fire Minors one year into his three year term, the provincial government appointed a panel to probe Minors' remarks. The panel concluded that while he had made "ill-advised comments", Minors should not be dismissed from the police services board as the intended meaning behind his remarks was legitimate.
Following the end of his term on the police services board in 1996, Minors sued the Toronto Sun
Toronto Sun
The Toronto Sun is an English-language daily tabloid newspaper published in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is known for its daily Sunshine Girl feature and for what it sees as a populist conservative editorial stance.-History:...
for malicious defamation because of a stories it ran claiming that Minors had said during one of his seminars for crown attorneys that the Holocaust though tragic, but not a racist act, because it was not perpetrated against non-whites but against people of a different religion. Minors denied the allegation and stated that he had always seen Nazi crimes against the Jews as a form of racism. A witness, Uriel Priwes, a senior assistant Crown attorney, testified that Minors had said the Holocaust was not racist but added under cross-examination that "I don't think he was anti-Semitic. I think he was misguided, and I don't share his views... I don't think he was prejudiced against Jews." The case was dismissed in February 1997 with the judge ruling that "the defence has proven beyond question that Minors did say that the Holocaust was not racist." The decision against Minors was upheld on appeal.
In the 2000 municipal election
Toronto municipal election, 2000
The Toronto municipal election of 2000, dubbed "Toronto Vote 2000" was the municipal and school board election held in the City of Toronto, Ontario, Canada on November 13, 2000.Elections were held to elect:* the Mayor of Toronto,* councillors for each of Toronto's 44 wards,* trustees...
, Minors was a candidate in ward 2, losing to future Mayor of Toronto Rob Ford
Rob Ford
Robert Bruce "Rob" Ford is the 64th and current Mayor of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He was first elected to city council in the 2000 Toronto municipal election, and was re-elected to his council seat in 2003 and again in 2006...
.
Minors returned to Bermuda in 2009 to accept a position as press secretary to the Premier of the colony, Ewart Brown.
In December 2010, Minors was awarded the William P Hubbard Award in Toronto for his “lifetime of confronting systemic racism, leadership, advocacy and innovation in establishing community based services”.
Minors now lives in Toronto where he is co-ordinating associate at Arnold Minors and Associates which he founded in 1984.