So I’m trying to get this straight.

Mayor John Tory told a gathering of black community leaders Saturday that the actions of Black Lives Matter-Toronto (BLM-TO) convinced him and city officials to create a Toronto Action Plan to confront anti-black racism in the city.

That 35-page draft plan with 77 recommendations – unveiled Saturday at City Hall – was the result of 41 “community conversations” (yes, 41!) by 800 residents between January and March.

It cost taxpayers $80,000.

“This approach came from a struggle I had in determining how to respond to the advocacy of BLM-TO,” Tory said.

Denise Andrea Campbell, the city’s director of social policy analysis and research – who earned $169,664 last year – also contended that the BLM “encampment” (I’m guessing she meant BLM’s hijacking of last July’s Pride parade) gave them a “moment” to talk about “anti-black racism out in the open.”

(When the heck have we not talked about anti-black or any other form of racism? Our government officials have rammed it down our throats. And of course calling anyone “racist” who dares challenge politically-correct nonsense like this plan has become the new go-to position of the social justice warriors on the left.)

But back to the action plan.

Given all of their comments, I asked whether BLM, 1. Attended any of the 41 conversations?; and 2. Whether they provided input into the plan?

Campbell said they were invited “all the way along the process” but seemed not to be able to answer my question about whether they showed, suggesting that was a question for “BLM.”

She repeatedly refused to answer, which I took to mean, BLM did not participate.

(They certainly weren’t at Saturday’s gathering).

So I asked the mayor after the speech.

“As far as I know they were not at any of the meetings,” he said.

He contended that the conversations were led by community groups – average people “from every walk of life” invited out by 11 black organizations.

“They were just people,” he said.

That’s perfectly fine. I’m glad to hear that other members of the black community are being heard.

I’m not surprised that BLM didn’t participate. They’ve already proven they don’t play nice, thrive on disruption, are a one-issue activist organization (forget about black-on-black crime, they don’t care about that) and they like to dominate the media spotlight.

But if BLM showed no interest in an action plan to “confront anti-black racism,” after calling anyone and everyone “white supremacists” and “racists,” why the heck is Tory and council allowing BLM and their puppet, Pride executive director Olivia Nuamah, to dictate the terms of who marches and who doesn’t in the June 25 Pride parade?

Why are police forces all over Ontario being punished because our council doesn’t have the cojones to send a strong message to Pride – by cutting their grant – that this is unacceptable?

There’s a terrible disconnect here that makes no sense – and I sense this is why Campbell, and even Tory, were reluctant to concede that BLM didn’t participate in their efforts to combat anti-black racism.

I won’t comment in detail about the action plan itself except to say many of its actions will likely enhance divisiveness – that is, create a we vs. them attitude – by bending over backwards to give Toronto’s black community selective treatment.

And there’s no doubt it will be costly to engage in the plan’s actions, many of which I’ve seen in one form or another ever since the Summer of the Gun in 2005 when then mayor David Miller plunked millions of dollars into social workers and feel-good programs.

Tory already talked Saturday about creating a black caucus at City Hall, anti-racism black training of city staff and about allocating $300,000 to provide skills training to black youth (18-29) with criminal records.

It’s all well and good but bending over backwards for Toronto’s entire black community isn’t what BLM is all about.

In the end, I suspect they’re laughing at how easily they are able to manipulate government officials.

SLevy@postmedia.com

A SAMPLING OF ACTIONS FROM THE ANTI-BLACK RACISM PLAN

- Expand resources for Black queer services providers

- Outreach, recruit and appoint Black people to city agencies, boards and commissions

- Apply an anti-black racism lens to city’s complaint process

- Provide incubation space and start up supports for black businesses

- Stabilize funding and supports for black arts and culture

- Provide public education on how anti-Black racism is a trigger for mental illness for Black people

- Create safe spaces within new LGBTQ2S shelters for Black queer and trans youth

- Outreach to recruit and hire black people to increase the number of Black employees at the city of Toronto

- Engage Black experts and community members to provide Anti-Black racism training for all city staff

- Review and overhaul the professional standards for discipline at the Toronto