Share Newspaper - April 2024

CANADA’S LARGEST ETHNIC NEWSPAPER CANADA’S LARGEST ETHNIC NEWSPAPER www.sharenews.com

JOHN WIGGINS – then Vice President of Raptors 905, the Toronto Raptors’ National Basketball Association G League affiliate –felt that the organization could do more to champion social change. Raptors President MASAI UJIRI agreed and Wiggins was hired for a new role – Vice-President of Organizational Culture & Inclusion for the Raptors.

See story on page 3. Photo contributed.

We owe our 46th anniversary to our readers

By ARNOLD A. AUGUSTE, Publisher/Senior Editor

I

have been involved in media in our community for almost 52 years and I have seen a number of community newspapers come and go. I don’t remember the closure of any of them attracting the kind of response that the recent closure of Share attracted.

So, this week, as we mark the 46th anniversary of this newspaper, and our third month back after a six-month absence, we give you the credit, we applaud you. This is your newspaper’s anniversary.

I have also been reviewing the stories that we covered over the past few months, and I get it. Most of those stories were not covered anywhere else and if we hadn’t covered them, they would have remained untold. Or as Gray might say, “waste (their) sweetness on the desert air”.

A story that I found very interesting is that of renowned surgeon Dr. Everton Gooden who was recently named President and CEO of North York General Hospital and who, as a high school student, worked part time as a housekeeper in a hospital’s

operating room.

Another is the story of the Toronto Transit Commission’s celebration of Black History Month which mentioned the Chairman of the TTC, Jamaal Myers who, as a university student, spent three summers cleaning the TTC’s trains to help pay for his education. Now he chairs the Commission as a city councillor.

Another story that really resonated with us was the one in last month’s issue about Alex Betancourt who was hired as Brampton’s first Black female firefighter. The grit and determination of this young woman will be an inspiration for young Black girls everywhere for a very long time.

We love to tell those stories as they are inspirational and can serve as encouragement for our children. And even for the rest of us.

These are among the number of stories and features that we have since published that would not have seen the light of day had you, our readers, not insist that we get back to work So, thanks for that.

We really love the work we do and are honoured that you share our passion for this newspaper.

In this month’s issue, we are honoured to join our voices in remembering the late Roy McMurtry Jr. who passed away last month

at the age of 91.

The former attorney general and legal giant was a great friend of our community long before that was cool and at a time when we didn’t have many friends in high places.

He was a mentor and friend to many young Black lawyers encouraging and supporting them as they joined the ranks of our province’s legal community.

That was not easy back in the day. Just getting a law firm to take them on after law school was a challenge. Today, there are Black lawyers on Bay Street, some as partners in prestigious law firms and many have gone on to become judges, including senior judges.

We have come a long way, haven’t we?

In February’s Black History Month issue, I mentioned the barriers Black West Indians faced in trying to come to Canada, that one of the excuses immigration officials used to deny us was that we would not be able to stand the cold. That came as a surprise to some. One woman who was born here to Caribbean parents called to ask if that was true. She thought it might have been a joke. It might sound like a joke now, but it was not for all those who were denied the opportunity the rest of us were finally afforded.

But that didn’t come about by chance.

It was only through the dogged determination of our community leaders of the time, people such as Don Moore, Harry Gairey, Stan Grizzle, Bromley Armstrong and many others who made it their mission to impress on the government of the day the need to open up immigration to people from the Caribbean.

Were it not for them, things might have been quite different for many of us.

Then there were challenges the new immigrants faced – in employment, in the school system, with the police, with immigration and in just about every other facet of life.

Today, if you can afford it you can live just about anywhere you wish. There was a time that was not the case, especially in terms of rental accommodation. One would respond to an ad for a rental apartment or even a room and told it was available only to find that it was “just rented” when they visited the property.

Our people, together with allies in the wider community, stepped up, some at great personal risk to themselves and to their careers to pave the way for a better life for the rest of us.

We owe so much to these people on whose shoulders we stand today.

CentreofExcellence‘ablessing’forTDSBstudents

By LINCOLN DEPRADINE

The Centre of Excellence for Black Student Achievement founded four years ago has been “a blessing” for students across the Toronto District School Board (TDSB), a senior official has told Share Karen Murray, System Superintendent for Equity, Anti-racism and Anti-oppression, with responsibility for the Centre of Excellence, says she’s “very happy” with the results of the programs at the school on Lawrence Avenue East in Scarborough.

“We have touched thousands of students across the entire district,” she said,

highlighting both the academic courses offered and also the Centre of Excellence’s partnership relationship with mainstream institutions such as corporate businesses, colleges and hospitals.

“We have brought opportunities for so many Black students that they never had prior. At Sunnybrook Hospital, for example, our kids get to do programs,” Murray said in an interview at an event in which a corporate donation of technology equipment, valued at more than $30,000, was handed over for the Centre’s “Collaborative Inquiry Room”.

The school also has a summer program,

with more applicants than could be accommodated.

“We have an amazing program that runs in the summertime, where 100 Black students get to be in companies of their passion across the GTA. It’s a seven-week program,” Murray said.

“The program started with 10 students. This year, 400 students signed up to be part of the program and we only have funding for 100, so that tells you.”

The Centre of Excellence, approved by TDSB trustees in June 2020, offers a variety of programs and engagement opportunities

“focused on honouring Black students’ experiences and strengths, and ensuring their needs are met”. According to the Centre, it’s “dedicated to improving the experiences and outcomes for Black students and aims to be responsive to the voices of Black communities who continue to advocate for systemic change within educational institutions and for dismantling anti-Black racism at the TDSB”. The March 27 donation of a suite of innovative technology from Compugen to the Centre of Excellence

was combined

KAREN MURRAY From left to right are GLENN COLLINS, Umety Solutions; PETER SINGH, Executive Officer, TDSB Information Management; MATT PAVLOVIC, Intel’s Business Development Manager; JOE SIMMS, Compugen; AUDLEY SALMON, TDSB’s Associate Director, Learning Transformation; KAREN MURRAY, TDSB’s System Superintendent Equity & Centre of Excellence for Black Student Achievement; Compugen’s CEO HARRY ZAREK; MARC MONTMINY, Viewsonic; ERNIE HARDEMAN, Compugen and MIKE MCCRACKEN, Viewsonic.

Raptors using platform to champion social change

By RON FANFAIR

If you ask for something and get it, you had better be prepared to do the heavy lifting to justify the confidence shown in you.

After the George Floyd murder in May 2020, John Wiggins – who was then Vice President of Raptors 905, the Toronto Raptors’ National Basketball Association G League affiliate – suggested at a Raptors town hall meeting that the organization could do more to champion social change.

He later sent an e-mail to Raptors Vice-Chairman and President Masai Ujiri pointing out some of the things the organization could do to fight racism and that he could be the person to lead that initiative.

Ujiri obliged and Wiggins was hired for a new role – Vice President of Organizational Culture & Inclusion for the Raptors.

“The Toronto Raptors organization is in the business of winning championships which we did in 2019,” he said. “But so many people are connected and attached to what the Raptors are and we want to include those fans more in our narrative. Over the years, we have looked at what our fan demographics are, how they connect and what they would like to see the Raptors doing to represent them as members of the community.

“When we look at the Black community, specifically, we are always looking to not just advance the community’s perspective. We have been historically neglected over time and we obviously want to be put in a good position going forward.”

With a large digital reach, Wiggins said that as the only NBA franchise in Canada,

it can use its platforms to promote education, teaching and learning.

“We believe that is how we can start to invoke systemic change,” he said. “We use our platform to either speak or take a stand as we did with Black Lives Matter or when our players chose to wear shirts with ‘Every Child Matters’ to show how important the Indigenous community is

to the Toronto Raptors and should be to everyone else in the country.

Successful organizations need supportive and focused leaders.

“It starts with Masai, who is a very charismatic and pragmatic leader,” said Wiggins. “He has owned that command not just in our organization and the city,

See WHEN WE CALL Pg. 14

JOHN WIGGINS

KATHERINE ALLEN

Food program aims to reduce hunger for Black families

By LINCOLN DEPRADINE

Afri-Can FoodBasket, concerned with the increasing numbers of Black children and families unable to find sufficient healthy food, has launched a monthly food provision initiative.

The “Black Food Access Program” is in keeping with the mandate of the Afri-Can FoodBasket which is “committed to reducing hunger and increasing cultural food access,” Zakiya Tafari, the non-profit organization’s executive director, told Share

He said the Afri-Can FoodBasket intends to pack, and deliver to Black families, boxes of food comprising fruits and vegetables.

“It’s a program that’s going to provide healthy cultural food to 400 families every month,” he said.

Some deliveries will be made directly to families registered with the Afri-Can FoodBasket. Others will be collected by partnering organizations that will then distribute to clients of their community groups.

“In our box, you’ll see things like eddoes, cassava, green plantains, sweet potato, kale, oranges, apples, bananas and avocados. There are things based on the season so, in the summer, you’ll get fresh callaloo and corn. Our food boxes have at least three fruits because we know it’s

important for families, but especially for children to have access to fruits; we make sure that’s in every box.”

The Afri-Can FoodBasket was founded 28 years ago by Tafari’s parents Anan Lololi and Anyika Tafari, as a food-buying cooperative, which allowed members to purchase food at lower prices.

The co-op concept ended and the organization transitioned to urban agriculture and programs with children and youth.

The Afri-Can FoodBasket’s concerns with the impact of food insecurity in the Black and Caribbean community was heightened with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The “Black Food Access Program”, which was launched last month at the Jamaican Canadian Association Centre, is funded by the City of Toronto, Walmart Foundation and United Way.

“Essentially, this new program is building on the Black Food Toronto program which we launched during COVID. At the height of the COVID pandemic, we were packing and distributing 500 boxes of food for families in need. We’ve had an exhaustive wait list of families who are looking for support, looking for access to something like this,” Tafari said.

“Prior to COVID, food insecurity in the Black community was (experienced by) 28 per cent of Black Canadians. We’ve now seen that number increased to 38 per cent, meaning four in every 10 Black households are food insecure. Even worse, that means that 46.6 per cent of Black children are living in food insecure households. So, having access to fresh

fruits and vegetables is really important and, for us, also maintaining cultural diets is critical.”

The Canadian government has a zero-hunger initiative aimed at eliminating hunger and poverty by 2030. The Afri-Can FoodBasket wants to be part of the government’s program, Tafari said.

“We want to do our part for our community. We know what our community needs in terms of food and why cultural food is important to them. We want to be part of that solution,” said Tafari, the grandson of Irma James, the first Black woman to drive a streetcar in Toronto. She was hired by the commission in 1983.

“I’m looking at how do I add to my family’s legacy of being able to build community and give back in a way that’s really positive,” Tafari said.

“The next aspect of this program that we’re going to be launching is the food literacy part of things. We’re going to be having workshops and creating online resources for people to hear best ways of how to cook their food, and really doing it from a point of health and wellness. We’re also looking at getting a dietitian on board and tackling the issue of chronic disease prevention.”

WorkshopintroduceskidstopositiveuseofAI

Artificial Intelligence (AI) – the phenomenon in which machines and modern technology perform actions formerly the preserve and domain of humans – has been met with mixed responses including being misused for cheating and bad behaviour.

However, AI could also be a positive tool to benefit humans. It’s this use that Nigeria-born Francisca Igboa wants to impart to children by conducting a series of volunteer training sessions for children.

“It’s something I’m passionate about,” Igboa said. “I need to prepare them for what the future is – not in the category of damaging – but in a positive light to build them up.”

Igboa’s comments, in an interview with Share, were made at a children’s workshop hosted by Blackhurst Cultural Centre (BCC).

The “Digital Art with AI” workshop was for children ages eight to 14.

According to organizers, the “one-of-akind workshop” was intended for participants “to learn about the world of AI and graphic design”.

The children, among other things, were taught simple coding, and how to create diagrammatic pictures and comic books.

The AI training, for Igboa, “it’s a way of giving back to society”, she said. “I’m teaching young children where the world is going to be in the next 30 years, and preparing them for what their expectations

should look like.”

Igboa holds an executive MBA from Quantic School of Business and Technology. Her expertise includes accounting and finance, as well as in blockchain technology and cryptocurrency.

The AI workshop was an opportunity for the children “to create a portfolio of digital art and technical skills to set them apart for the future”, said Igboa. “We are bringing a broad perspective, where children can actually utilize generative AI tools and amplify them to be productive in society.

“I want to see AI used for positive solutions and not to damage the future of children. It’s a passion for me.”

DEPRADINE

Scholarship program aims to help Black tech students

Reason One, a leading full-service digital agency, has announced the commencement of its fourth annual Mentorship and

Scholarship Program for Black students across the Province of Ontario and the State of South Carolina. The Reason One Mentorship and Scholarship Program (ROMSP) aims to foster diversity in the tech industry by providing support and opportunities for marginalized communities, thereby nurturing the next generation of diverse leaders.

for those pursuing or planning to pursue careers in technology.

This year's program will provide a oneyear mentorship experience and four scholarships valued at $5,000 each to deserving candidates.

"Reason One's Mentorship and Scholarship program has supported 12 students to

date, providing $50,000 in scholarship funds to students in all phases of their journeys to careers in tech.

Applications will be accepted until June 9, 2024.

To apply or learn more, visit www. reasononeinc.com/romsp<http://www. reasononeinc.com/romsp>

Open to Black students aged 17-35 enrolled or recently accepted in digital-disciplined programs, the ROMSP endeavours to facilitate access and eliminate financial barriers

ZAKIYA TAFARI

Slavery fundamental to development of Atlantic region

By STEPHEN JOSEPH SCOTT

“Slavery is associated … with the emergence of several of the most profoundly cherished ideals and beliefs in the Western tradition.” – Orlando Patterson.

The subjugation and forced enslavement of Black bodies seized from the continent of Africa had been fundamental to the expansion and growth of the Atlantic domain since the early sixteenth century. In fact, African enslavement had been a mainstay throughout the Spanish Atlantic world for more than a generation prior to English colonization in the Americas. Seeing the Spanish not only as rivals for land, wealth and resources, the English (not having yet invented their own legalized system of slavery) could also view them as a model concurrent with their French equivalents.

thenceforth, “Barbadians [clearly] made distinctions between those who served for life and those who worked under a contract.”

Sir Hilary Beckles (well-known Barbadian historian) underscores the fact that “sug-

The subjugation and forced enslavement of Black bodies seized from the continent of Africa had been fundamental to the expansion and growth of the Atlantic domain since the early sixteenth century.’

Thus, by the seventeenth century, the English had to create and/or erect the administrative and legal arrangements necessary to manage and control what was for them a new labour institution of power and governance. This essay will engage with and examine the intricacies and nuances that undergirded the legalized and culturalized formulations of dominance, suppression and supremacy over African slave labour through the mechanisms of social control woven within European thought – race, law, class, religion and revolt – immorally and hypocritically counterbalanced by both arbitrary freedoms for the few and strict coercion for the multitudes, alluded to by the Orlando Patterson quote above.

Barbados, as esteemed Yale history professor Edward Rugemer asserts, was the codified starting point for racialized slavery in the Atlantic world. The development of racializing enslavement originated hither, but it remained incomplete. As early as 1636, the Barbados Council “excluded Europeans from the group who could be bound for life” but, as Rugemer specifies, “…they did not yet assume that all Africans or Indians who arrived would be slaves”.

However, the ancient Aristotelian concept of “the natural slave” was certainly well-known by British upper classes of the day as being anyone compelled into “forced labour for life” vs. what was then a novel British formulation of “contracted indentured servitude”.

In July 1636, Barbados’ Governor Henry Hawley and his Council initiated perpetual slavery by proclaiming that “Negroes and Indians, who came here to be sold, should serve for life…” Hence, Black Africans and Indigenous peoples were formally and authoritatively deemed “natural slaves”.

Consequently, at this initial juncture in the island’s socioeconomic development, and

ar production” combined with the legally sanctioned concept of “unfree labour” were, in reality, the two sinister and compelling forces behind Barbadian planters’ avarice and wealth accumulation. In fact, the succeeding generations of Englishmen in Barbados favoured themselves with certain freedoms per property and ownership that would embrace a racialized African enslavement, and a system of coercive order and violence that suited their rapacious needs.

History never runs in a straight-line. If we take a closer look at reputable historical texts such as (seventeenth-century English author) Richard Ligon’s A True & Exact History of the Island of Barbados (first published in 1657), we find innate elements that capture the imagination and move against a traditional narrative. From Ligon’s on-the-ground perspective, having lived on the island of Barbados (from 1647 to 1650), he believed that temporary European contracted servitude was treated worse than Negro slaves who happened to be in subjugation for life.

Ligon held that “servants were treated worse than the slaves”. As a matter of fact, he delineated their poor nourishment and insufficient lodging (in detail) and outlined the viciousness of their overseers who would, as he stated, “beat a servant with a cane about the head ’til the blood ran freely”.

In contrast to Ligon’s assessment, one cannot help but be stunned by the wanton intimidation and legalized measures of violence enacted within “An Act for the Better Ordering and Governing of Negroes” (Barbados 1661), included in the larger work of Acts Passed in the Island of Barbados (from 1643 to 1762), published in 1764 and edited by Richard Hall Esq., representative in the General Assembly for the Parish of St. Michael’s, Barbados.

These texts reveal the gruesome and dreadful particulars of the then African slave’s everyday lived experience.

The Acts mentioned provide the horrid and graphic details that challenge Ligon’s assertion stated above. Race and religion are key elements woven throughout the law that not only defined Africans as “heathenish and

brutish”, but also clearly delineated all White Europeans (owners and servants alike) as “Christians”, which endowed them with certain divinely indorsed legal privileges –unmistakably demarcating skin-colour as the dividing line of natural God-given rights, freedoms and protections.

For example, in Clause II of the Barbados Act of 1661, the elite White “men of letters” who authored the proclamation openly delineated the punishments and threats, thereof, legally sanctioned upon Negro men (and women alike) if they were to enact “violence to any Christian [including White servants] by striking or the like”. Said slave shall be “severely whipped”, his or her “nose shall be slit” and finally, he or she shall be “burned in the face”. Beyond that, they described Africans as “an uncertain dangerous pride of people … to whom we may extend the legislative power [of punishment given us by Law] for the benefit and good of this plantation”.

As they concluded, “property rights” and “ownership privileges” imbued within English law, originating from the Magna Carta of 1215, authorized an elite justification of such malicious violence toward Africans specifically. And, as Rugemer points out: “Slavery was essential, profitable to those invested in it, and fundamentally at war with

Specifically, a sanctioning by law which they had introduced per the loss of their property (said slaves) to be incurred by the public as a whole: “It is further enacted and ordained that the loss of Negroes so executed shall be borne by the public.”

They (the owner class) provided themselves with remuneratory safeguards and protections (outlined in Clause 18) – an indemnification backed by a self-serving tax strategy, which fell heavily upon the lower-class tenants of the island: “When the present Treasury is not sufficient to satisfy the loss (of said property), a public Levy [is] to be presently made upon the Inhabitants for reparation of the same.” This clearly demonstrated the power, influence, freedoms and duties possessed by a minority of English elite, propelled by a structure of primitive accumulation.

In July 1636, Barbados’ Governor Henry Hawley and his Council initiated perpetual slavery by proclaiming that “Negroes and Indians, who came here to be sold, should serve for life…”’

the humanity of the people enslaved”.

War is by no means an exaggeration. If we look at the progression of legal mechanisms enumerated in Richard Hall’s work, we find an evolution of ownership, coercion and control largely instituted by, not only the ravenous want of financial reward on behalf of the English governing class of the island, but also an innate fear of Africans as a people and the possibility or threat of their insurrection.

For further illustration, Hall affirmed that the first official law implemented proclaiming Africans as not only chattel, but also as non-persons considered objects of ownership – took place as early as 1668 in “An Act declaring the Negro slaves of this Island, to be Real Estates,” to be displaced, utilized, traded and controlled under a strict system of rule.

This stringent system of control, and the governing class fear it stimulated, led to an even more severe lock-down in “An Act for the encouragement of all Negroes and Slaves that shall discover any Conspiracy,” passed in 1692.

Used as an overt force of intimidation, this Act was implemented to discourage, supplant or suppress any notion of insurrection on behalf of all Africans and to stampout any and all risks of “Rebellion, Massacre, Assassination and Destruction.”

In response to the lingering possibility of a slave revolt on the island of Barbados in 1676, the Assembly added draconian amendments to the 1661 “Act for the Better ordering and Governing of Negroes”. In said amendments, racialized difference and abhorrent essentialist qualities were openly demarcated as a tool of division and control that clearly placed the Negro slave at the bottom of the so called “civilized social order” –even in the eyes of poor indentured Whites. The Assembly’s reasoning was justified within the preamble to the 1676 amendments, which noted that the 1661 act “hath not sufficiently proved to restrain them [African slaves] from those wicked and barbarous actions their natures are inclined to … [such as] thefts and insolencies.” Hence, as Susan Dwyer Amussen confirms, any form of larceny or assault committed by a slave was proclaimed a capital offense as outlined in the original Act. Beyond that, any enslaved individual “who remained a fugitive for more than a year” stood to be summarily executed when apprehended.

In a tactical move by the governing class, the coercive purpose behind the law was to increase the threat of punishments for slaves’ wrongdoings in the hope that deterring minor offenses would thwart greater ones such as mutiny or revolt.

Dear Editor:

The Scarberian Boxing Club proudly applauds the remarkable achievement of Nylah Henry, a determined high school student and member of our esteemed club, who recently showcased her exceptional talent at the Canadian Boxing Championships in Calgary, Alberta this past March.

Born and raised in Toronto of Jamaican and Canadian heritage, Nylah has shattered barriers by becoming the first-ever Scarborough female boxer to compete on the national stage, igniting a new era of diversity and inclusivity in the sport.

Her stellar performance culminated in the attainment of a silver medal, a testament to her dedication, skill and resilience.

Nylah's historic accomplishment not

only brings immense pride to Scarborough but also inspires aspiring female athletes across the nation.

The Scarberian Boxing Club extends its heartfelt congratulations to Nylah Henry and pledges its continued support as she continues to break barriers and make strides in her boxing career.

Coach Daron Laban

NYLAH HENRY

Scarborough, Ontario scarberianboxingclub@gmail.com

Those that write the rules control the game. Even prior to 1691, the White ruling class eminently dreaded the possibility of rebellion by African slaves thus harshly treated and controlled throughout the island. In fact, by1661, they had already doubled down on their intimidation tactics, woven within legislative dictates, by instituting martial law (that being, the replacement of civilian government by military rule). As revealed in Clause 17 of the Barbados Act of 1661, which distinctly stated, “if any Negro shall make Insurrection or rise in rebellion … proceed by Martial Law against the Actors … and punish [them] by death or other pain as their Crimes shall deserve.”

Furthermore, the legislators specified within the law not only the punishments to be meted out, for the above stated crime of insurrection, but also the benefits to be had.

Island authorities and planters relied on a similar blend of terror and coercion to force the increasing slave population into brutal compliance. Again, as alluded to by the Orlando Patterson quote at the outset of this essay, Western values authorized violence within the law that necessitated the brutal relationship between masters and slaves. Sugar, when it came to the possession and enslavement of Black bodies, was a complex and fundamental ingredient within the development of a system of perpetual slavery essential to the economic progress of the island of Barbados and beyond. A small number of planters commenced experimenting with sugar as early as the1640s, and, at the same time, London brokers who were already ensconced in transatlantic trade founded a commercial slave venture (The Royal African Company) to the island of Barbados straight from Africa. The numbers prove that English capital accumulation stood at the heart of the ruthless capture and enslavement of Black Africans.

“By 1643 there were 6,400 Africans on the island, about one-fourth of a population of at least 25,000, and by 1650 the European population had grown to about 30,000 while the number of Africans had increased to 12,800.”

Estimates reveal that sugar, by the 1660s, had elevated the population of the island of Barbados to a majority Black slave society – which is reflective, as discussed above, within a series of punitive Acts adjudicated on the island throughout the seventeenth century and the palpable numerical fears Africans instilled.

Club lauds the achievements of female boxer

Quick facts about the federal Underused Housing Tax

(NC) You may or may not have heard that there’s an Underused Housing Tax (UHT) in Canada. Is it what you think it is? Does it apply to you? Here are few quick facts you should know.

1.It’s not the vacancy tax you’ve heard about.

More research needs to be done on Black health

You may have heard of vacancy taxes in some provinces and municipalities (Toronto and Vancouver, for example), but those taxes are not the same as the UHT, which is a federal tax that took effect in January 2022. Someone who must pay a municipal vacancy tax may or may not be affected by the UHT and vice versa. If you are exempt from one tax, you may still be required to file a return and pay the other tax.

2.If you own residential property, you could be affected.

The UHT usually affects foreign nationals, meaning those who are not Canadian citizens or permanent residents, who own residential property here in Canada, or foreign corporations. But, in some situations, this tax also applies to Canadian individuals and corporations.

3.If you’re affected, you have to file – maybe multiple returns – even if you’re exempt.

If you’re an affected owner, you may be exempt from paying the tax for a year depending on things like the location of the property and the type of occupant, however, you’re still required to file a return to claim your exemption. If you own more than one residential property, you must file a separate return for each property. If you’re one of several affected owners of a property, each owner must file a separate return.

4.It’s due at the same time as income taxes but it’s not the same return.

The Canada Revenue Agency must receive 2022 and 2023 UHT returns and any payments owed by April 30, 2024, to avoid penalties and interest. Note that even though this is the same date the income tax and benefit return is due for most people, the UHT is a separate return.

To find out if you’re affected for the 2022 tax year, you can use the CRA’s online self-assessment tool at canada.ca/cra-uht.

The 2023 tax year rules may be different. www.newscanada.com.

By PATRICK HUNTER

Many years ago, before the Internet became a thing, I considered doing a newsletter about Black people’s health. I considered calling it: Not the Same under the Skin”, or something like that.

My concern for doing something like this was not because I am a healthcare professional, which I am not. The concern was largely inspired by the knowledge that sickle cell disease affects persons of African descent and very little appeared to be done about it. Soon, more information started to emerge about other diseases, such as diabetes and high blood pressure, conditions which showed up more often and more seriously among Black people.

The newsletter would have also encouraged increased consideration for research in these and other areas that proportionally affect the Black population.

Where I grew up in Jamaica, although there was a nurse in the area, the nearest doctor was miles away. Many illnesses and many other non-urgent medical cases were treated through word-of-mouth suggestions, based on previous experiences of a neighbour, and with locally collected “bush” that it was believed had curative applications. In those days, as a young boy, I didn’t know anything about sickle cell, high blood pressure, diabetes or many other maladies that are prevalent among the Black population.

Thankfully, we are now seeing more attention being paid to the differences in the treatment of White health matters and Black health matters. There is more research apparently being done, largely in the United States, for sickle cell, for example. But there is still a long way to go to find a cure.

Recently, the Toronto Star published a story of an African American woman who, through her own research, discovered that she was left off a kidney transplant list for four years due to a “biased test” which “kept thousands of Black people from getting a kidney transplant”. There have now been restorative procedures put in place to reassess potential candidates for transplant.

“Between March 2023 and mid-March (2024), more than 14,300 Black kidney transplant candidates have had their wait times modified by an average of two years…” the Star’s article quotes the United Network for Organ Sharing.

There have been other articles which tell of Black mothers who did not survive childbirth. The story of Serena Williams’ near-death experience at the birth of her first child certainly brought attention to some of the problems

faced in the U.S. by new mothers.

A couple of years ago I did a column on my experience with prostrate cancer. That awakened me to how prevalent this type of cancer is in Black men. The Walnut Foundation, founded in 2007, has made it their mission to bring the message home to Black men especially to get tested early. The Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test is a blood test used to detect the level of PSA protein.

Here, in Canada, we don’t often get this kind of information. Part of the reason, of course, is the reluctance, or resistance, to collect race-based statistics. Treatment has been, and probably still is, based on research that has not been conducted within a diverse population. The prevailing opinion seems to be that the results based on research within the majority population should be good enough for all. Occasionally, the information ekes out that Black people are more susceptible than White people in a number of health issues.

The Star also recently reported on an online course which sets out to bring to the attention of medical professionals some of the systemic biases they may bring to their practise. The Black Health Education Collaborative is based at the University of Toronto and Dalhousie University.

It is easy to assume that if one goes to a Black or other racialized doctor, that one would get the kind of attention to details that are missed by a White doctor. It is possible, but unless you undertake to do your own research, one cannot be sure.

It has increasingly been reported that there is a shortage of family or general practitioners. When my mother’s family physician died, the search was on for a replacement. As I was hoping to find a Black physician, I went to the TAIBU Community Health Centre. The wait-time for attention was formidable. It never happened.

Through Health Care Connect, a government agency, we were able to engage with a family practitioner. We were told that, at the time, there were no Black practitioners listed in their database accepting new patients. There is a historical connection to our health condition of today. The conditions under which our ancestors lived and the influences they may have had on our DNA may be an explanation of the differences – why our maladies may be different from those of the White population. But there is also the fact that the differences in the physiology of Black people may have been, at least, underrated, at worse, ignored. Until that gap is closed, we will need to continue to be more vocal in presenting our case for better, more focused attention..

Email: patrick.hunter11@gmail.com / X: @pghntr.

We need to continue recording our evolving history

On the cover of our February issue, we published the photos of some members of our community who have done us proud over the years. They were a small number of the many to whom we owe so much. These are some of the people who stepped up to fight for and defend our community over the years. We need to remember and to honour them.

When we think of Black history, we usually refer to what took place – and the people involved – hundreds of years ago. But we have had a very interesting story

taking place right here over the past 75 years or so. Do you remember – and do our young people know of – the many demonstrations that were staged through the streets of this city back in the day as members of our community protested unfair conditions and refused to take no for an answer? The demonstrations against unfair treatment by the police? The vigils that were held outside the school board’s offices in the cold and rain? They were responsible for changing policies and even attitudes towards us that laid the groundwork for the kind of society

we enjoy today.

It has been said that power is never given, it has to be taken. The same can be said for equity and inclusion. The benefits we enjoy today, the freedom to live, work and to make progress in this society weren’t handed to us; our people worked for them, they fought for them and they earned them honestly so that we and our children can have a brighter future.

The job is not done, of course. We have come a long way but there is still a way to go. And it is up to us to remember that. Until we no longer need policies in place to ensure

fairness and equity we need to be vigilant. It is easy to forget the struggles in times when things are going relatively well. But it is important to remember from where we came – and how – so that we can understand our path to the future.

It has been said that journalism is the first draft of history. Having been part of this community for the past 46 years means that Share has been a part of this history, and the recording of this history. Thanks for reminding us of this and for reminding us of our need – no, our duty – to continue to record and to share our evolving history.

TMU committee will confront anti-Black racism

By RON FANFAIR

Five per cent of the just over 900 Toronto Metropolitan University’s (TMU) faculty are Black. In order to improve that number, the university launched the Black Scholarship Institute (BSI) last year as part of its commitment to combat anti-Black racism as recommended in the 2020 Anti-Black Racism Climate Report where Black students, faculty and staff shared their stories of how

anti-Black racism manifested across the university, creating an unwelcoming and hostile environment.

In response to the report, TMU’s President Mohamed Lachemi set up the Presidential Implementation Committee to Confront Anti-Back Racism with three working groups – faculty, students and staff. They were tasked with developing action plans to implement the report’s recommendations.

Dr. Grace-Camille Munroe, a project manager for the Committee, is the BSI’s interim director responsible for planning and developing the Institute which is housed in the Faculty of Community Services.

The evidence-based practitioner said the role offers an opportunity to give back to her community and work intentionally to dismantle and uproot systemic forms of anti-Black racism at the university.

“For

is about changing the narrative wherein our Blackness is not seen as a pathology anymore, but is proactively embraced, celebrated and valued as an essential part of academia,” Munroe said. “Black flourishing, for us, is primarily about increasing visibility and representation of Black faculty. The data we have so far suggests that out of 911 tenured faculty at our university, just five per cent identify as Black. The disparity is ridiculous. If we

are committed to equity and addressing anti-Black racism, we must be strategic about it.”

Also emanating from the Faculty Working Group was the need to enhance the Black faculty application pool by building capacities in postdoctoral programs. As a result, a Postdoctoral Fellowship for Black students was unveiled to help address the under-representation of Black scholars

AirlinecrewhelpsdeliverbabyduringflighttoTO

Airline crew are trained to be ready for the unexpected.

Cruising over the Western Atlantic Ocean and midway into the nearly sixhour flight from St. Lucia to Toronto, Captain Damar Walker declared a ‘PanPan’ after a passenger went into labour on Air Canada Flight 1879 on March 6. The radiotelephony message is an international standard alert that there is an urgent situation that is

not life-threatening.

Just as the first officer opened the cockpit door to go to the washroom, Walker heard the lead flight attendant ask for ‘any medical personnel on board to identify themselves’.

“Right away, I knew there was a medical emergency,” he said. “We were in a space where the options were to continue towards our final destination or return to the closest airport. I did not know then the

nature of the emergency, but I started to think about where I should go.”

A few minutes later, Walker learned that a young woman’s water had broken and she was going into labour.

“Now I know what it is, but I did not know if there was a doctor on board,” he said.

After analyzing the flight plan, Walker and his first officer decided to divert the plane to Bermuda.

“We were at 36,000 feet and about 440 nautical

miles away which is about one hour,” he said. “We asked for a re-route to go to Bermuda which is a longer flight path going up north. They gave us a descent to 31,000 feet which kept us away from conflicting traffic as we crossed over airways. We also got a new clearance from where we were direct to the airport (L.F. Wade International).”

While going through this process, the Captain contacted MedLink which

allows Air Canada’s in-flight crews to consult with certified emergency physicians during a flight.

“Based on their expertise, we rely on them,” said Walker. “They agreed we should go to Bermuda where the closest airport was.”

Through a phone patch, the flight deck crew was in contact with dispatch on the ground in Toronto, updating their checklist for diversion.

me, a successful Black Scholarship Institute

Dr. GRACE-CAMILLE MUNROE

Captain DAMAR WALKER

UWI to honour community stalwart Pamela Appelt

By RON FANFAIR

Some people waste time worrying about wasting time. Pamela Appelt, Canada’s first Black female Citizenship Court Judge, does not have that problem. While ensconced in the Sciences, she made use of her downtime.

“There were periods when I was setting up an experiment and you have some breaks in between,” said Appelt who was a biochemist at Queen Elizabeth Hospital and a researcher in Medical Biochemistry at McGill University in Montreal. “I don’t like to waste time, so I joined an organization.”

The Christian Women’s Club (CWC) members were all White then.

“I wanted to get an insight about how people from other communities and racial groups function,” said Appelt. “This was an older group of women from Westmount, but I didn’t mind. They embraced me and made me their social convenor.”

That was right up her alley as she enjoys

talking, listening and socializing.

It was also the beginning of her community service that has spanned close to five decades.

In that time, Appelt has delivered countless hours of volunteer service and given thousands of dollars to scholarships and community initiatives without expecting anything in return.

At an event in Toronto in 1987 to celebrate Jamaica’s 25th independence anniversary, then Prime Minister Edward Seaga challenged nationals in Canada to increase support for their birth country, particularly in the field of education.

That part of the speech resonated with Kittitian-born historian Dr. Sheldon Taylor who was in the audience and pursuing graduate studies.

At home a few hours later, he wrote a letter on his Underwood Typewriter and mailed it to the late Dr. Mavis Burke.

“When education was mentioned, she

was the first person I thought of,” recalled Taylor. “In the letter, I told her what I heard and she responded by calling a meeting.”

Out of that get-together emerged Women for PACE (Project for the Advancement

of Childhood Education) that later became PACE Canada which has adopted nearly 400 Basic Schools in Jamaica in the last 37 years.

Nearly six weeks after PACE was registered, Appelt and her late husband David Appelt hosted a dinner at their home in November 1990.

“While trying to figure out what I was going to do to help the organization get off the ground, David reminded me they are going to need money,” the former Clarke Institute of Psychiatry volunteer recalled. “He inquired if I was going to write a cheque or let us do something. He invited some of his people who worked in the corporate sector, we had a gathering of about 25 in our home and we raised ‘big money’.”

From its inception 16 years ago, Appelt has been an honorary patron of the Viola Desmond Awards which celebrate outstanding Black women who are role models and advocates. It is part of the Toronto

MasterTlooksbackatalifetimeinentertainment

In his early teens and an exceptional soccer player in England where he was born and raised by Jamaican parents who were part of the Windrush Generation in the early 1960s, Tony ‘Master T’ Young was on a high after receiving an invitation to try out with English Premier League team Leeds United juniors.

Imagine the reaction when mom decided she was bringing the 13-year-old and older brother, Basil Young, to Canada to start a new life.

Packing their suitcases with expectations that they would be welcomed with open arms in England turned out to be a pipe dream for Caribbean people flocking to the ‘mother country’ in the 1950s and 60s.

Greeted with signs on buildings reading ‘No Blacks, No Irish, No Dogs’, the racism combined with the cold and dreary weather made life a living hell for most of them.

Tired of the bigotry and the struggle to find adequate housing, she and her two sons migrated 50 years ago to Kitchener

where family members resided.

“I was vex, very upset and angry,” Young recalled. “I was playing soccer at a high level; the opportunity came up for me to try out with a top English club which was a very big deal back then and then my mom says, ‘we are going to Canada’.

It is not surprising that he was rebellious in the early days in his new environment.

“I was very frustrated, and I challenged everything,” Young said. “I didn’t want to stand up when the Canadian anthem was played in school. I just didn’t want to be here.”

To make matters worse, there were not too many people looking like him in the southeastern Ontario city.

“I really didn’t see myself being reflected there,” said Young. “I made friends with one Black guy who is now deceased and we kind of connected. But that took a minute because he was still caught up with the fact that he was Canadian, and he knew all the White folks which I didn’t.”

Children are full of potential and sometimes it takes a teacher to help them extract that valuable and precious gift. For Young, his English teacher was the difference maker.

“Mr. Armstrong recognized I was go-

ing through a challenging time in getting used to the country and everything,” he recounted.

Encouraged to do a jingle for a pupil running for student president, Young hit it out of the park.

“I did it in front of an audience at the school and everyone broke into laughter and loved it,” he said. “That made me feel nice and I felt I was on to something. My English teacher put me in school plays and skits, and I felt very natural and comfortable on stage.”

After completing post-secondary studies at Mohawk College, Young joined MTV – the multicultural independent station – as a videotape operator in 1981.

Things did not go well in his first media job.

“I had this Friday shift that ran from 5.30 p.m. to 5 a.m.,” Young said. “It was a ridiculous shift, and I was terrible. I was constantly late, and I messed up like crazy.

PAMELA APPELT

TONY ‘MASTER T’ YOUNG

Dance company marks 15th anniversary with new show

By LINCOLN DEPRADINE

Kevin A. Ormsby remembers the early days of KasheDance when the performing company was under-resourced. Members persevered, however, and KasheDance is now celebrating its 15th anniversary.

“It means a lot to me as artistic director,” Ormsby said in an interview with Share in which he also discussed KasheDance’s upcoming presentation of “Retrospek”.

Ormsby said he’s “very excited” about “Retrospek”, KasheDance’s 15th anniversary show, which opens Thursday, April 18, at Toronto’s Citadel + Compagnie, 304 Parliament Street.

It brings together seasoned performers from the company’s history that are returning to join current artistes in the KasheDance celebration.

“Retrospek” is described as “a journey of choreographies rich in rhythmic traditions, culture, social and human rights activism”, and also as a presentation that “examines the past, celebrates the present and signals the creative possibilities of Black dance in Canada”.

The selected dances in “Retrospek” are “all pieces we’ve done over the past 15 years”, Ormsby told Share. They include “Recalcitrare”, “FACING Home: Love and Redemption”, “In SEARCH of OURselves”, “Baraka” and Re:member”.

“It has been sheer joy looking at choreographies created over the span of 15 years and ‘re:membering’ all the dancers that have contributed to this milestone,” Ormsby said. “Many have gone on to create their own dances and form their own companies. I am truly humbled that they distilled the chaos of creative desires into choreographic clarity.”

“Re:membering” is the title of the newest dance piece in the anniversary production KasheDance, whose members recently visited Winnipeg to perform with another Black dance company.

According to Ormsby, “re:membering” is a post-COVID piece “looking at carnival culture from the Caribbean”.

“The work explores Caribbean rhythms, cultural practices and the influence they have had on the Canadian

cultural landscape,” Ormsby said.

“We’ve been rehearsing for people to respond in our performances; to hoot and holler and cheer and be dancing and moving with us, and be inspired by Black and Caribbean movement and music and vocabulary and language.”

Ormsby believes “Retrospek” is a fitting commemoration of KasheDance.

“It’s 15 years. It takes a lot of work to build a company over 15 years,” he said. “Now, we’re getting national funding and provincial funding and city funding to do the work and to pay the artistes to do the work.”

After its opening night on April 18, KasheDance will return to the stage at 8 p.m. on April 20 and a final showing at 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 21. Each performance is approximately 145 minutes in length. “Retrospek” will also be livestreamed at https://www. citadelcie.com/event/kashedance.

For more information, call 416-8999448 or 416-538-0988; or email info@ kashedance.com.

Womentaketimeofftouplifteachother

By RON FANFAIR

On a beautiful Sunday summer day, Rushen Reid could have been anywhere outdoors soaking up the rays. Instead, she was inside Angus Glen Golf Club for a few hours last summer at an event aiming to empower women to live more sustainably and consciously.

Chesand Gregory created the ‘Conscious Me: Live Better’ awareness platform.

“More than just supporting a friend and being away from my kids for a couple of hours, we need a break sometimes to focus on ourselves and our well-being,” Reid said. “I wanted to be part of this meaningful initiative that empowers women and offers an opportunity to network. Also, taking time for ourselves to talk about self-care is so important. You cannot pour from an empty cup. When we fill our cups, we in turn can fill the lives of our loved ones.”

Despite undergoing surgery two weeks prior to the event, Dorji Lham attended with five girlfriends.

“Chesie has been doing amazing things to uplift women,” said the owner of Go Above & Beyond Aviation that is an air cargo consultation brokerage and sales firm. “She is an inspiration. Though I am busy working, it is imperative I find time to network and be in an environment where the conversations are about things like holistic wellness and personal growth.”

Giving women opportunities to reach their full potential, said communications strategist Arlene Amitirigala, is critical.

“Everything we can achieve as individuals starts with self-belief, mindset, consciousness and being aware of who we are, what we want to do and why we want to do it,” she said. “(That’s why) Chesand conceptualized this event, expanding on what she does in schools and bringing together women and a smattering of men to talk about wellness, community and empowerment – the things that can make us great to help us to lift our families.”

The Jamaica Tourist Board was one of

the lead sponsors.

“Chesand epitomizes women in the workforce who are giving back to their community,” said JTB Regional Director for Canada Angella Bennett. “We have to be conscious of the life we live as we pour out so much. This forum allows us to pour a little bit onto us. It is about living well, loving ourselves and empowering ourselves.

To be in this amazing room with all these women is a treat.”

To make attendees feel special, Gregory provided a loving ambience that included fresh plants and a violinist.

“It is important for me to bring out the finer things in life for women to enjoy,” said the married mother of two young boys who is an author and creator of the JChessBoobie line breastfeeding covers.

trying to juggle family life, raise children and engage in business activities,” said the 2012 Manchester Parish Queen runner-up who migrated to Canada two years later to join her husband, Omar Gregory, who is a scientist. “I aim to give confidence and a sense of self-worth through fun and parenting strategies. I was raised by a mother who didn’t have a lot of money, yet she gave me all the support she could.”

This year’s conference takes place on June 23 and the theme is ‘Dare to Dream Big: Wealth Beyond Riches’.

A teacher in Jamaica before migrating to Canada, Gregory said she wants women to be the best version of themselves.

“Mothers, particularly ‘mompreneurs’ as I call them, are constantly under pressure,

KEVIN A. ORMSBY

CHESAND GREGORY

Lord Kitchener the ‘Grandmaster’ of calypso music

By MURPHY BROWNE (Abena Agbetu)

“I can’t stand the cold in winter I want to buy an incubator.”

From the calypso “The Cold In Winter” by Aldwyn Roberts, Lord Kitchener.

Aldwyn Roberts, Lord Kitchener, was born on April 18, 1922, in Arima, Trinidad & Tobago. Better known as Lord Kitchener or “Kitch”, Roberts is regarded as the “Grandmaster” of calypso music.

Calypso originated on the plantations of Trinidad in the 17th century at a time when social interaction of enslaved Africans was banned. Calypso became an important means of communication to share news and to protest. Enslaved Africans sang about their desire for freedom and to warn other enslaved Africans of impending danger. They covertly and overtly protested their enslavement.

Calypsonians, with their evocative and witty singing style, and sometimes satirical, scathing and provocative lyrics, have educated and entertained for centuries. Music was an avenue for enslaved Africans to express their feelings.

The calypso was used even after slavery was abolished, to voice grievances against colonial overlords and even government after independence. Calypsoes were also used to criticize and mock those in political

power.

Calypsonians risked much to speak out for working class citizens as they criticized the powerful. African Trinidadian historian Errol Gaston Hill thought that the “calypso originated in West African griots and developed alongside other traditional Caribbean songs to incorporate ‘elements of digging songs changed by people at work; belair and calinda songs when they play; shango and Shouter Baptist revival songs when they worship and insurrectionary songs such as were sung by slaves in revolt’.”

As Hill pointed out: “The one great leveller was the calypsonian. He sang with courage and wit, debunking and defending the small.”

Music has sustained Africans dealing with myriad oppressions. Enslaved Africans used various means, including music, to protest and resist their enslavement. They sang songs to arrange secret meetings and songs which encouraged escape and sabotage. Oral history passed from generation to generation was always part of sustaining culture which included storytelling and songs. From this history of storytelling, music and dance as a way to sustain the African culture, came various forms of music including calypso. Calypso is one of several musical genres with roots on the African continent. Calypso is a popular Caribbean genre of music that was created by Africans enslaved in the Caribbean. Calypso is resistance music. African Caribbean scholars have opined that “The calypso, which has attained its highest form of expression in Trinidad, is recognized

as a re-interpretation of a traditional African topical song”.

On June 21, 1948, the 26-year-old calypsonian Aldwyn Roberts/Lord Kitchener introduced calypso to the British Isles when he arrived at Tilbury Docks on HMT Empire Windrush. Kitch was featured on the documentary of the arrival of the ship Empire Windrush. He introduced himself to British audiences by singing “London is the Place for Me”, a calypso that expressed the hopes and dreams that many of the excited Windrush passengers likely felt as they landed in the UK.

During the 14 years that Kitch lived in the UK, his original hopefulness/optimism faded. From “London is the Place for Me” in 1948, he was soon singing:

“If You Brown,

It’s a shame it’s unfair but what can you do

The colour of your skin makes it hard for you…

If you brown they say you can stick around If you white well everything’s all right

If your skin is dark, no use, you try You got to suffer until you die.”

Kitch also entertained his fans with his adventures in London. The calypso ‘Underground Train’ is about his adventure on the London Underground in the 1950s:

“A ha my first misery, is when I embark at Piccadilly, I went down below, I stand up in the crowd don’t know where to go.

I decided to follow a young lady, well I nearly met with my destiny,

That night was bad luck for Kitchener, I fall down on the escalator.”

Perhaps by 1957 Kitch had embraced Pan-Africanism after living in London for almost a decade in a racist culture. He released “Africa, my home” in 1957, acknowledging/ embracing his African ancestry. (https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LXKWYrKYcA.)

In 1957 when Ghana became an independent nation Kitch sang:

“The national flag is a lovely scene, with beautiful colours red, gold and green, And a black star in the centre, representing the freedom of Africa.

Ghana, Ghana is the name Ghana we wish to proclaim,

We will be jolly, merry and gay, The sixth day of March, Independence Day.”

In 1962, Lord Kitchener returned to independent Trinidad & Tobago. Kitch lived the rest of his life in Trinidad & Tobago, where he was very influential in the world of calypso. He transitioned to the ancestral realm on February 11, 2000.

The Lord Kitchener of calypso has been honoured in the UK and in Trinidad & Tobago. He has been honoured with two statues in his home country: one in Arima and another in Port of Spain. His former home, Rainorama Palace, is a museum, an auditorium is named after him in the National Academy for Performing Arts in Trinidad and a street in Arima is named Lord Kitchener Avenue.

In 2023 he was honoured in the UK with a plaque placed at his former UK home site.

Tools‘canignitepassionforITamongBlackstudents’

with a ribbon-cutting ceremony for what the school called a celebration of the “grand opening of a technological creative space”.

Among those representing the technology company were CEO of Compugen, Harry Zarek, and Joe Simms, senior sales director.

“The opportunity to explore technology at a young age was transformative for me. It’s thrilling to think that the students at the Centre will have similar opportunities to discover their passions and potentially shape the future of technology,” said Zarek.

The technology tools “can ignite a passion for IT among Black students”, Simms added. “Our goal is to help amplify the Centre’s efforts in shaping the future of education and encouraging students to become not just consumers of technology but also its creators.”

The Centre of Excellence is “fortune” to receive the Compugen donation of equipment that includes various pods and tools for design and virtual creation, Murray said.

“This room has the most recent state-ofthe-art technology equipment that students and community and staff will be able to

utilize.

“Access to cutting-edge technology is pivotal in leveling the playing field for Black students. This donation from Compugen not only enhances their learning experience, but also opens up a world of possibilities in various tech-related fields.

“We’re really excited for the donation and how it’s going to support Black students and their families in the district.”

The Centre of Excellence has been sending teachers to other schools to share the use of the technology available at its “Collaborative Inquiry Room”, said Murray.

The Centre has also been bringing to the room students from other schools and plans on a technological outreach to the community by year-end or early next year, she said.

“We bus students in from across the district for programs. The area that we’re next focusing on is the community. We’re looking to see how we can open the space for community,” Murray added.

“The hope is that the community, the families – and not just the students – get an opportunity now to access a space where they can engage in creating things as well.”

Baby was born in the hands of flight attendant

“We put information in our computer that we are diverting and that updates all Air Canada systems, including the signs at the airport,” said Walker. “While we are doing this and 15 minutes after learning that the passenger’s water had broken, a flight attendant came into the cabin, asking for the medical key for the emergency medical kit locker.”

She also told the flight deck crew that the baby was born in the hands of the lead flight attendant and there were two obstetricians/ gynecologists on the flight.

“Having doctors on board is common,

but having not just one, but two specialists in the reproductive organs care and pregnancy is not,” Walker said. “We were blessed.”

About 25 minutes before landing in Bermuda, he learned the baby was stabilized and in good condition and the mother was doing well.

“When I got to the gate around 7 p.m., Air Canada staff, summoned to report for duty because it was outside their work hours, and medical personnel were waiting for us,” he said. “The lady was at the back of the plane for privacy and the care she needed, so I was able to keep the other

passengers seated until medical staff assessed both mom and baby to ensure they were in good health before taking them off the plane.”

Before disembarking, Walker congratulated the mother who was travelling with two young children.

The Airbus A319, which seats 136 passengers, was two-thirds full.

The crew and passengers spent the night in Bermuda before flying to Toronto the next day without the newborn and her mother.

“We had to get a new medical kit and what had taken place on the flight was trau-

matizing for some crew members,” said the Western University Commercial Aviation Management graduate. “Our crew did a great job and the situation ended well.”

Leaving Jamaica with his family in 1988, Walker spent 12 years with the Canadian Armed Forces and, as a Combat Ready First Officer, flew throughout Canada and the United States and to several Caribbean, South American, African and European countries.

Retiring from the military in June 2017, Walker was with WestJet for nine months before joining Air Canada in March 2018. FANFAIR

MURPHY BROWNE

The late Roy McMurtry Jr. was ‘a champion of just causes’

By RON FANFAIR

When Roland Roy McMurtry Sr. and B.J. Spencer Pitt walked into Ottawa’s Chateau Laurier hotel lobby in the 1940s to book rooms before appearing before the Supreme Court, the front desk refused to register Ontario’s fifth Black lawyer.

In no uncertain terms, McMurtry, who did a lot of pro bono work and fiercely opposed any form of racial and religious discrimination, told the clerk his colleague was going to get a room – which he did.

Roland Roy McMurtry Jr., who followed in his father’s footsteps in becoming a legal luminary, human rights champion and passionate advocate for the disenfranchised, died on March 18 just days after suffering a stroke.

He was 91.

“Roy was a champion of just causes and he got that from his dad,” said longtime friend Dr. Sheldon Taylor. “He was privileged and one of the boys, but he never behaved like them. He was not afraid to tell them when they were wrong and scold them. He was a leader and a man of his time.”

McMurtry mentored many young Black lawyers, including Michael Tulloch who, in December 2022, became Ontario’s first Black Chief Justice and President of the province’s Court of Appeal.

They met when Tulloch was in law school.

“When many of us were coming up in the profession, Roy invited us individually to his office to talk and then go for lunch,” he said. “That was something with which he was consistent. We always got the best possible advice. As I got to know him more, he treated me like a son. My generation of Black lawyers owes a lot to him.”

“I know this because, as a very young lawyer, I experienced it firsthand. Before words like sponsorship and champion became popular, he lived that role for many young Black lawyers. He was always supportive and kind, behind the scenes pushing us forward or pulling us up.

“Many of us felt it would be presumptuous to claim him as our friend. He recognized our reluctance and was always gracious enough to encourage us to do so. We all felt honoured by the invitation, but few of us took him up on it. In truth, we never felt the need because his actions were always those of a true friend and supporter. He will be tremendously missed and never forgotten.”

Patricia DeGuire, who co-founded CABL with Sandy Thomas and Roger Rowe, said McMurtry took steps to advance inclusion and belonging long before it was the flavour of the day.

“I was a beneficiary of that,” said the Ontario Human Rights Commission’s Chief Commissioner.

“At a function 17 years ago, he and then Chief Justice Patrick LeSage inquired whether I had applied for the judiciary. When I told LeSage of my reluctance to respond, he said,

McHugh-Thomas who is a clinical psychologist. “I left his office with the understanding that even at the highest heights, the simplest gestures can translate into making a huge difference, and the true motive for stepping out and standing up for change and justice for all cannot be deterred by opposition no matter what mask or colour it wears.”

He was privileged and one of the boys, but he never behaved like them. He was not afraid to tell them when they were wrong and scold them. He was a leader and a man of his time.’

‘I think it is time’ and McMurtry said, ‘I agree’. Both simultaneously said they would be references and they followed up on whether I did.

McMurtry encouraged Tulloch to become a Judge.

“I was not thinking of that at the time because I was doing well in private practice, specializing in criminal law,” he said. “When I got the call, I spoke to him and Sheldon Levy. I waited for about six months before I put my application in, and Roy supported it. He was also in my corner when I got to the Court of Appeal.”

When the Canadian Association of Black Lawyers (CABL) emerged in 1996, McMurtry legitimized the organization by giving his full support.

CABL honoured him at their 10th awards gala in October 2006.

“I experienced real sadness when I heard of his passing,” said former CABL President Frank Walwyn who is a Partner at WeirFoulds. “He was a true friend to the Black community at large and to the Black legal community in particular.

“Roy McMurtry is a legend and many laud his intellect and consensus-building prowess.

“What I will always remember is his ability to go out of his way to meet and acknowledge the person many would view as the least important in a room. He would speak to you and make you feel welcome. He connected and listened, and you knew that you were being heard. More times than not, that person was racialized.

“It is not that I ever lacked confidence. However given my perpetual experiences of race and gender discrimination in the legal profession, it was a strong affirmation that I am good enough. Whenever I met Roy, he was never too busy to pause and say hello and introduce me to whoever was with him.”

McMurtry was in attendance when Rowe was presented the Law Society of Ontario’s Lincoln Alexander Award in 2007.

“With all of his judicial power and substantial political background, he always maintained his humility,” said the sole practitioner. “We had many lunches together and discussed every topic under the sun. While heading the Ontario Court of Appeal, he consulted me regularly on some of the challenges facing the Jane & Finch community, including policing issues, systemic racism and what could be done to address them. He had a genuine regard for helping humanity and helping to better the human condition.”

Over the years, McMurtry mentored hundreds of Black students, including Sabrina McHugh-Thomas who attended a community celebration 17 years ago to mark his retirement as the province’s Chief Justice.

She and several of her Shiloh Christian Institute classmates spent an hour with McMurtry in his office two months earlier in April 2007.

“I found him to be humble and down-to-earth and he answered every question with detail,” recalled

Called to the Bar in 1958, McMurtry practiced law and served as Trial Counsel for 17 years before being elected to the Ontario Legislature in 1975.

Appointed Attorney General in the Bill Davis Progressive Conservative government, he helped broker the deal that patriated the Canadian Constitution in 1982 and the creation of the Canadian Charter of Rights & Freedoms.

McMurtry also passed more than 50 law reform statutes he introduced, including the first major family law reform legislation in Canada and the establishment of a bilingual court system. He was also instrumental in legalizing same-sex marriage.

While informing photographer Al Peabody he was going to make a political run, McMurtry asked for his support.

ate Chief Justice and Chief Justice of the Superior Court before being appointed to the Court of Appeal as Chief Justice of Ontario.

“Roy was a remarkable person,” said Blaney McMurtry Managing Partner Shawn Wolfson. “His varied and extensive career in law and politics along with his dedication to public service is an inspiration to all of us. His commitment to social justice was unwavering.

“Roy was an avid amateur artist and one of his paintings of Brigus South in Newfoundland, hangs in our offices today and will always remind us of him.”

McMurtry’s vast legal expertise was often sought by Canadian prime ministers, premiers and mayors.

He chaired then-Mayor David Miller’s Community Advisory Panel that included Ryan Teschner who is Ontario’s first Inspector General of Policing.

to help stem youth violence in the province.

He and former Ontario House Speaker Alvin Curling authored ‘The Roots of Violence’ report ordered by then Premier Dalton McGuinty following the May 2007 shooting of 15-year-old Jordan Manners in his northwest Toronto school.

“Roy was very conscious of the challenges that young people from marginalized communities face,” said Curling, a former provincial Cabinet minister and Canadian Ambassador to the Dominican Republic. “He allowed me to take the lead and gave sound legal advice.”

Curling said McMurtry worked behind the scenes to ensure that Black trailblazers were recognized.

“I was at a meeting with Roy who was concerned that Black folks from the province were not getting appointments to the Order of Ontario,” he said. “I put forward two names and they were subsequently appointed. That was because of Roy.”

Never one to judge people, McMurtry was the Founding Patron of the Second Chance Scholarship Foundation (SCSF) that provides scholarships for young people who have been in conflict with the law or who are from challenged neighbourhoods and are pursuing post-secondary education.

Rick Gosling said his friend, who was the Founding President of the Osgoode Society in 1979, had a special place in his heart for young people.

“I and Sheldon (Taylor) took kids to Osgoode Hall Law School and Roy made them feel special,” the SCSF co-founder said. “Roy walked them through the building, explaining the history. He just made the young people, mainly from our Breakfast Clubs and marginalized communities, feel valued and respected.

Before words like sponsorship and champion became popular, he lived that role for many young Black lawyers. He was always supportive and kind, behind the scenes pushing us forward or pulling us up.’

“He knew I was well connected in the city’s Black community, and he wanted me to be part of his campaign team,” said Peabody who met McMurtry through the late Howard Matthews who was one of four partners in Toronto’s first soul food restaurant, the Underground Railroad. “The first election, he ran against Margaret Campbell which he lost. I put up posters and distributed flyers. He later won in the Eglinton riding, and I was there with him…I also took copies of ‘Share’ and the since defunct ‘Contrast’ newspapers to his office at his request because he wanted to know what was happening in the Black community which he cared about.”

After a failed leadership run, McMurtry retired from politics in 1985 and was Canada’s High Commissioner to England for three years. On his return home, he practiced law as a Partner at Blaney McMurtry until his 1991 appointment to the Bench where he served as Associ-

“I could not believe it when, over and over, as discussions about gun and gang violence, prevention initiatives and community safety were taking place around that table, Roy would turn to me and ask for my perspectives,” said the former Toronto Police Service Board’s executive director and Chief of Staff. “His interest in hearing from me was genuine, even shaping his views and our Panel’s actions.

“When he asked to read a paper I wrote about the youth justice system, he gave it back to me with a beautiful note and comments in the margins; I thought I was dreaming. I will never forget the many lunches we shared and the bottle of Tabasco sauce that was always beside anything he ate. He was a legend, an inspiration and a ‘mensch’.”

In addition to chairing that panel, McMurtry headed an independent review of the ‘secret law’ that gave police excessive powers during the G20 summit in June 2010 and was summoned to use his experience

“He was very kind and empathetic.”

After failing to get a meeting with McMurtry in 1977, former Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard David Duke left a letter at his Queen’s Park office, accusing the Attorney General of ‘anti-White’ policies. The threatening missive did not move McMurtry who was a Canadian Football League Chair for a year.

“Whenever you visited Roy’s office, you saw the letter that was placed for everyone to see,” said Gosling. “He was proud that he stood up to Duke.”

Before being appointed Justice of the Peace in 1978, Arthur Downes was interviewed by McMurtry who was active in the anti-apartheid movement.

“Roy was very pleasant, and the interview was straightforward,” said 96-year-old Downes who received McMurtry’s support when he contested the Oakwood riding for the ‘Red Tory’ party in the 1977 elections. “When he brought up the question Branch Rickey asked Jackie Robinson which is, ‘Could I handle the aggravation because they are going to be coming at you?’, I assured him I could as I have done that all my life.”

When he retired as Ontario’s top jurist in May 2007, Taylor and late

See McMURTRY Pg. 14

ROLAND ROY McMURTRY Jr.

Leaders reach out to Appelt for advice, support

Metropolitan University Black History Awareness series.

Shortly after becoming a Citizenship Court Judge in 1987, she was invited to speak at an event in Nova Scotia.

The title of the presentation was ‘Citizenship, Culture and the Black Community’ which the Nova Scotia Black Cultural Centre published as a booklet a year later and sold for $20.

At the event, the late Carrie Best told Appelt she had a responsibility to tell new Canadians about Desmond.

“At the time, I just knew a little about her,” she said. “The next year, Carrie invited me to her birthday and inquired how I was doing in my quest to spread the word about Desmond. When the awards committee asked me to be their Patron, I smiled widely because, by that time, I knew everything I needed to know about Viola.”

raise that sum.”

Appelt mastered the art of cooking after meeting her husband.

“His parents invited me over to their home several times for dinner, so I decided I was going to cook something when they came over to our place,” she said. “The only thing I could remember was how to cook steak with onions which I did when I was with my parents. David told me the steak was wet and had too much stuff

“I am not someone who cries easily, but one year I was brought to tears when I heard a young student articulate how much the UWI scholarship meant to her.”’

on it.”

Always up to a challenge, Appelt vowed to do better.

In supporting her birth country, Appelt is an advisor to Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange and a director of the Institute of Jamaica.

At an early age, it was evident she was going to be a leader and changemaker. To celebrate L.L. Simmonds who was Jamaica’s third Minister of Education and the first from the island’s northeast, the parish schools organized a reception in 1951.

Appelt, who was eight at the time, spoke on behalf of the students.

“I did the presentation without notes and, in the end, the minister lifted me,” the longtime Community Foundation of Oakville member recounted. “I cried because I thought it was not right.”

Appelt has a passion for young people and making lives better.

International Center for Human Rights and Democratic Development and the Harmony Movement of Canada. “After meeting David who thought the world of me, that plan was aborted.”

Their marriage produced two children.

Switching to law and becoming a tax expert, David Appelt succumbed to cancer in August 1992.

He was a friend of Donald Moore who visited the home during his illness.

“Uncle Don got someone to drive him over here and they would have a drink of Mount Gay rum, which he knew David liked, and talk,” said Appelt who was a member of the Greater Toronto United Way Board of Trustees and a John Brooks Scholarship Foundation Patron.

Appelt, who has supported the University of the West Indies Toronto Gala Awards from the beginning in 2009, will be honoured with a Vice-Chancellor Award at this year’s fundraising event on April 20.

“Though I have never seen myself as the beneficiary of a UWI Award, I am grateful and humbled,” she said. “I am not someone who cries easily, but one year I was brought to tears when I heard a young student articulate how much the UWI scholarship meant to her. I am not impulsive, but I wrote a cheque right away. I admire very much what the organization is doing.”

The UWI Toronto event has raised over $3 million and funded nearly 700 scholarships.

As co-executor of the late Louise Bennett-Coverley (Miss Lou) estate, Appelt was instrumental in McMaster University acquiring the Jamaican cultural icon’s archive that included audiovisual performances, correspondences, awards and other material.

The handing-over ceremony took place in February 2011.

Since acquiring the Miss Lou Archive, the Library has digitized significant portions of the collection, providing scholars with online access to these materials. As well, the Library has developed a rich partnership with the National Library of Jamaica, working to jointly support and promote Miss Lou’s historical record.

“They are getting to know Jamaica and they have reached out to Jamaica because of that connection,” said Appelt who received an honorary doctorate from McMaster in 2012. “It is a solid one and they are building community.”

Introduced to the Jamaican Canadian Association (JCA) by Rupert James who was President from 1981 to 1984, she contributed to the organization’s building fund.

“I also love attending events there where they honour people who are making a difference in the community,” said Appelt who coordinated Jamaica’s 21st birthday celebration for the Jamaican Consulate in Toronto.

A former chair and director of Harbourfront Corporation, Appelt once turned her Oakville backyard into a mini Harbourfront Centre and raised over $20,000.

“When you are on the Board, you write a cheque,” she said. “Some members wrote huge ones which I could not at the time. I am an excellent cook and my neighbours love my food. They came and paid almost $350 each and that is how I was able to

Long before Gordon Ramsay showed off his exceptional culinary skills on television, Graham Kerr’s Emmy Award-nominated ‘The Galloping Gourmet’ show in the late 1960s and early 1970s was a hit in Canada, the United States and Europe. He also ran a private cooking school.

Appelt made the two-hour drive from McGill University’s McIntyre Medical Science Building to the school in Ottawa to enhance her culinary skills.

“Like the top chefs, there are certain dishes I can prepare like the Duck a L’Orange and flambe dishes,” she said. “If I have to write a speech, I cook. If I am feeling sick, I cook and I feel better. Cooking is my therapy.”

Appelt owned a catering service for nine years up to 1987 and was Excellence magazine’s food editor for a year in the mid-1980s.

Highly respected and revered, leaders in Canada and the Caribbean reach out to her for suggestions, advice and support.

Before speaking at the Harry Jerome Awards 36 years ago, late Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, through his Chief of Staff, contacted her to inquire what message he should deliver.

“I told the Chief of Staff I was very happy that he had accepted the invitation,” the Black Business & Professional Association co-founder recounted. “I also told him that the PM had to appoint someone from the Black community to a major position in Canada and he had to address the anti-apartheid system in South Africa and Nelson Mandela’s incarceration. While engaged in some small talk, he suggested I write Mulroney’s speech which I did.”

At the Harry Jerome Awards in March 1988, Mulroney announced that Gilbert Scott would be the first visible minority Public Service Commissioner. Migrating with his family from Jamaica in 1968, he was a meteorologist with Environment Canada and a liaison officer with the Secretary of State with responsibility for Caribbean & African Affairs before the historic appointment.

When Scott expressed an interest in returning to Jamaica to serve in the public service, Appelt played a leading role in facilitating the transition.

“When Gil told me he was ready to go back home, I told him to send me his resume which he did,” the past Harry Jerome Scholarship Fund board member said. “Within a week, he was in Jamaica for an interview and he has not looked back.”

“That comes from my grandmother,” the former Ontario Custody Review Board and the Child & Family Services Review board member said. “I was one of two grandchildren, but she always looked out for others. If children didn’t have lunch money, she would provide their parents with funds. I grew up with that around me. Children are our future and they need support and guidance.”

In 1986, Hurricane Gilbert ravaged the small community of Preston in the parish of St. Mary where Appelt was born and raised. A large chunk of the community was displaced following landslides that destroyed farmlands.

The late Lloyd Garvey, who grew up close to Appelt and completed his Ph.D. at McGill University before becoming an associate professor of Pharmacology at Howard University, sparked her interest

During her time in Montreal, the octogenarian developed an interest in painting. While watching a professor on television talking about decoupage, which is the art of decorating an object by gluing paper cutouts onto it in combination with special effects, gold leaf and other decorative pieces, she became hooked.

“You had to use forceps and tweezers that I was already using in the lab, so I thought I could do that,” said Appelt who served on the Yee Hong Centre for Geriatric Care Board of Governors from 1996 to 1999. “I invited this woman professor to come to Montreal to speak to the CWC members which she did.”

She enrolled in art school and received extra lessons from someone who lived close to her and excelled in decoupage.

“I resided in a Jewish community then and they saw my work and liked it,” the B’nai Brith Canada Black-Jewish Dialogue founding member and former Spelling Bee of Canada volunteer said. “I started to sell my pieces and was invited to exhibitions in Canada and the United States.”

“I am still humbled that I was chosen by Canada to welcome citizens from other countries (as a Citizenship judge). What a joy and gift that was.”’

in the Sciences.

“Lloyd attended Excelsior Community College and was very bright,” she recalled. “When he returned to our community for the holidays, every conversation with him revolved around Science. That impacted me and all I wanted to do was something in that field.”

At West Indian Training College which morphed into Northern Caribbean University (NCU), Appelt pursued Chemistry and left with an Associate degree.

“Diabetes runs in my family and I foresaw a time when I would become a top scientist and discover a cure,” she said. “I liked being in the lab and playing with test tubes.”

In the early 1960s, Appelt went to England to further her education and join her parents who were part of the Windrush Generation.

While pursuing post-graduate studies, a professor encouraged her to consider attending McGill University.

He figured Appelt would benefit from training under the late Professor Terry Wood who had done advanced work in diabetes. Arriving in Canada in 1965, she fell in love with David Appelt who was in her class.

On learning that the emerging artist was Jamaican-born, Appelt was invited to her birth country to present an exhibition. A total of 38 of her 40 pieces were sold on opening night.

Her work has also been displayed at Ottawa’s City Hall, the American Museum of Natural History and the Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Centre in New York and the House of Fine Art in Miami.

In 1981, T. Eaton Company Ltd. commissioned Appelt to prepare a replica of the first Eaton Store in 1869.

While speaking at a Black History Month event at a Malton church in February, five members approached Appelt, saying she was the Judge who swore them in when they became Canadian citizens.

Hearing that after stepping down from the Bench 26 years ago meant a lot to her.

“I am still humbled that I was the one chosen by Canada to welcome citizens from other countries,” she said. “What a joy and gift that was. That is something I did not take lightly.”

Being privileged to give to many organizations and initiatives is also something Appelt does not take for granted.

Scott, 83, was a Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of National Security.

“The plan was to come here, do my studies and return to England,” said Appelt who serves on the Board for the

“There were people who worked tirelessly for organizations to be where they are today,” added the 1987 NCU honorary doctorate recipient. “I spent many late nights attending meetings and trying to get some on sound footing. Whatever happens in a Black organization does not affect that entity alone. It affects all of us. We must ensure that what we do is above board all the time.”

Irish ‘sent to Barbados as political prisoners’

The data above, extracted from The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database, corroborate a direct association between the increased importation of forced African slave labour and the export of the island’s most profitable crop, as made evident by David Eltis’ “New Estimates of Exports from Barbados…1665-1701.” The figures show a 154 per cent increase of disembarked Africans from 1688 to 1701, which directly corresponds to a 166 per cent upsurge in the estimated values of total sugar products exported from Barbados in the same period. From early on, the menace of punish-

ment, coercion and revolt were always present on the island of Barbados, but as Jennifer Morgan outlines, with the development of sugar manufacture and the increase in the African population, things got worse.

Stemming from Oliver Cromwell’s re-conquest of Ireland in 1641, thousands of Irish were sent to Barbados as political prisoners and servants to labour alongside African slaves. The harsh treatments condoned within the Acts mentioned earlier in this essay, underpinned by the severity of early sugar production, led to a forceful pushback “against violent overseers”, from both Black and White servitude alike.

French voyager Beauchamp Plantagenet, visiting the island in 1648, observed a world where he described, “rich men [as] having sugar mills” and many hundreds Rebell Negro slaves [absconded] in the woods”.

Based on the stringent laws passed by an assembly of rich men, as early as 1652, Ligon reported, large numbers of indentured White servants conspired to “cut the throats of their masters” and ran away to “make themselves not only ‘freemen’ but Masters of the Island”, and many of the servants involved in that conspiracy were swiftly executed. Ligon continued, with a more sympathetic tone of validation, stating

Importantthat‘scholarsworkimpactthecommunity’

CONTINUED FROM Pg. 7

and advance the development and dissemination of Black scholarship.

Through TMU’s Yeates School of Graduate Studies, an adjudication committee comprising individuals and TMU faculty members identified 51 scholars for the first cohort.

“Because this is a TMU initiative amplifying the work of Black scholars, it was important that we embed that function within the university’s already established function that is the Yeates School,” Munroe said.

What were the guidelines for selecting the scholars who will receive up to $70,000 annually for up to two years?

“While we wanted them to advance their careers and pursuits, it is important that their work impact the community,” she said.

New media artist and creative technologist Ashley Jane Lewis is among four Black scholars in the inaugural cohort. Last October, she joined the Creativity Everything Lab to pursue her groundbreaking research for two years. The funding allows her to explore what human communities can learn from non-human organisms.

Lewis’s work, which focuses on interactive installations, bio-art, social justice and speculative design, may offer a model to be adopted by Black communities to deepen relationships to mutual aid, networked information and resource distribution.

Listed in the summer of 2016 among ‘The Top 100 Black Women to Watch in Canada’, she graduated last year from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts with a master’s in interactive telecommunications.

“While doing my graduate degree at NYU, during my practice as a person who centres Afrofuturistic and Afro-centric knowledge and in my undergrad degree here at TMU, it was clear to me that there needs to be an amplification of Black studies and arts in these fields,” said Lewis, whose father is Jamaican.

“There is demand for more Black coders to create algorithms to enrich the lives of Black people. I am excited about this opportunity because it is a chance to get cemented into my work. It will also help to reclaim some of my experiences here that have been peppered with racism. This is an opportunity for me to practice my work here as a way of creating some opening for me to heal and un-opening for Black students at the Creative School who are here in part because they want to see examples of themselves in positions of support and access.”

She draws inspiration from living organisms like slime mold, mycelium and other organic cultures to explore pathways to a more equitable future.

“There is a lot for me to experience around the exploration of work,” said Lewis who, during her undergraduate studies at TMU, designed The Obama Board, a key-

board that swaps the sound of the note with a word from Barack Obama’s inauguration speech in 2009.

“I am also excited about the idea that this might lead to deepening the field of bio-art. There are many incredible artists across North America who are trying to explore the world of some kind of species and marginalized identity. It is a small field that is burgeoning, and I want to contribute to that in a meaningful way. There is a lot that can be gained in reclaiming Black philosophy through this aspect of technology.”

One of two Black students in high school in Aurora, Lewis’ research will lead to academic publications, exhibited artworks and community events.

“There were times in my life that I thought about having classical musical or advocacy careers,” she said. “I think this particular field of arts lets me utilize my mathematics brain by being able to do electronics and coding, but also the advocacy part of my passion by being able to focus on my identity and building community with other people who are Black. I have always been artistic, so a lot of this work leads to exhibitions which I am very excited about.”

The other Fellows are Teshager Kefale, Esa Kerme and Joseph Adu.

Kefale is a biochemist specializing in cancer research, biochemistry and synthetic biology. With a specific focus on breast cancer cells of African ancestry, the Fellowship enables him to access the necessary support to contribute life-saving research.

Kerme is a mechanical engineer with experience in thermal energy systems and computational heat transfer and fluid dynamics.

Through the Fellowship, he will expand research in the areas of renewable energies and thermal energy system optimization, exploring pathways to more progressive and sustainable futures in the process.

A public health expert with research interest in Black mental health, stigma and maternal health care, Adu holds an undergraduate degree, two Master’s, a PhD and a Diploma.

The Fellowship will allow him to respond to social and health disparities experienced by African, Caribbean and Black communities in Canada with a particular focus on mental illness and the specific intergenerational, socio-economic and cultural barriers that work together to create poorer mental health outcomes for Black Canadians and Black people in the Global South.

TMU’s offices of the President and the Provost are providing funding for the Fellowship program.

With universities introducing austerity measures to cut costs, Munroe plans to engage the community to bridge the gap.

“I am looking for funding for the next five to 10 years,” she said. “This is an investment in education.”

For the next cohort, the university has offered funding for a Fellow.

“I want to match that with another four,” Munroe said. “We are also establishing a community brain trust that will consist of affluent and influential Black folks. They can either write a cheque or suggest people in their network who could assist. In essence, they will be the BSI champions.”

In the short term, the Institute will fundraise for student bursaries and scholarships.

“We have already established some relationships with the Toronto District School Board and other Boards to get a better feel of what are students’ needs in terms of coming to TMU,” she said. “Can we proactively meet them where they are at and give them some insight as to what are some of the offerings? We want TMU to be in the consciousness of the lives of young people before they start thinking about where they want to go to pursue university studies.”

In outlining her vision for the BSI, Munroe acknowledged Dr. Denise O’Neil Green who was the university’s first Vice-President for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and Dr. Akua Benjamin who was TMU’s School of Social Work’s first Black director from 2003 to 2008.

The retired educator/activist played a key role in shaping the school’s anti-oppressive, social justice and social transformation orientation.

“The Climate Report was done during O’Neil Green’s tenure, and it was linked to work that Akua did,” said Munroe. “Where we are today is not because of things that happened overnight. Years of struggle have brought us to this point, and we should never forget that.”

Born in Canada, Munroe spent 14 years in Jamaica where she graduated from St. Hilda’s High School before returning to the Greater Toronto Area. She completed an undergraduate degree in Anthropology and Latin American & Caribbean Studies at York University and went back to Jamaica to teach for a year at her alma mater where she was Head Girl.

“Because of my experience at St. Hilda’s that focused on the involvement of parents in their children’s education, I came back to Canada to do my master’s and PhD,” she said.

After finishing her doctorate in Adult Education & Community Development with a focus on Transformative Learning at the University of Toronto’s Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, Munroe headed back to Jamaica and, for a decade, served in various leadership roles, including technical assistant to two ministers of education.

“In that time, I learned how to be resilient and gained a better understanding of the importance of community,” said the former Lifelong Learning Institute Manager for Research, Projects & Operations.

that, “the root cause [of insurrection] grew from their sufferings” and the inability of some “to endure such slavery”. As a result, “several Irish servants and Negroes [were] out in rebellion.”

Indentured servants, as Hilary Beckles affirms, like their African counterparts, were “treated as chattel”, and both groups steadfastly struggled against those conditions.

Barbados was the birthplace of the concept of race in a class-gripped Atlantic world. Ultimately, as a response to the dangers invoked by all amalgamation of labour both Black and White, assemblies and their strategically “racialized edicts of division”, beginning in seventeenth century Barbados, spread throughout the Caribbean and beyond, including the early formed North American colonies, later planted firmly in South Carolina. In fact, by 1664, the newly established governor of the island of Jamaica, Sir Thomas Modyford (an acolyte of Oliver Cromwell himself), together with other “land hungry” Barbadian elite, passed scarcely modified forms of both the Servant Act and the Slave Act of Barbados, maintaining a race-based “declaration of war” on what they defined as “outlying Spanish Negroes”.

As Rugemer makes clear, Modyford, as “an agent for the newly formed … Royal African Company in 1663”, motivated by self-interest and profit, “brought with him to the new colony [of Jamaica] an intimate understanding of the effort to establish racial slavery”.

As an example, by the time of Jamaica’s Servant Act of 1681, the assembly introduced, codified and adopted a somewhat new word, White, in place of the longtime signifier of “Christian” – a change that elucidates the sustained efforts by the elite English of the Caribbean to clearly racialize, demarcate and justify the enslavement of Black bodies in a class-tiered system of domination.

In conclusion, the rules put in place by the ruling class of Barbados and Jamaica unmistakably delineated their powers over a mass of human beings, in perpetual vassalage, defined as slaves. As argued, the foundations of racialized slavery that developed throughout the latter part of the seventeenth century, in Barbados and Jamaica, mutually and codependently, progressed toward a self-authorized legal system that was grounded in the “protection of property” and the privileges of the planter-elite well into and throughout the eighteenth century. This essay’s objective was to reveal the fact that constructs of race based on formulations of superiority were sown and birthed in the ruthless Atlantic Slave Trade and its dynamic Sugar Revolution. The elements of law, class, race, religion and revolt, mentioned within this study, work cumulatively to expose why racialized enslavement occurred and who most benefited from it.

In regard to matters of universal rights of humanity, including all creeds and races, when it comes to the relationship between possessors and the possessed, rulers and the ruled, the history of slavery teaches us that, “all human phenomena virtually require that oppression breed resistance, that exploitation be met by fight-back that compels the oppressor to acknowledge the humanity of the oppressed.”

In the end, fighting fire with fire was the last and only resort left for the enslaved peoples of a darker hue in and throughout the Atlantic world and the saga of that struggle endures to this very day.

STEPHENJOSEPHSCOTT is an essayist associated with The University of Edinburgh, School of History; a singer/songwriter, humanist/activist – a self-taught musician and performer. As a musician, he uses American Roots Music to illustrate the current American social and political landscape.

This article was previously published in the Socialist Project’s The Bullet, an online publishing venue for the socialist Left in Canada and around the world.

Five things every senior can do to help improve wellness

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Older adults can do these five things to create an ultimate at-home wellness practice:

1.Find creative outlets. Book clubs, knitting groups or dance lessons are a great way to get out of the house, meet new people and get those creative juices flowing.

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4.Start a gratitude

journal. Embracing your age and all of the experiences that got you this far can shape a more positive outlook on life and improve mental health. It’ll also make a treasured memory for loved ones one day.

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ers are in bloom, hike a tree-lined trail or go birdwatching – whatever it takes to go outside and enjoy some fresh air. This can help reduce stress and cortisol levels, which can contribute to a number of health issues. So many things get better with age. Unfortunately,

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‘Whenwecallpeoplepickupthephone’

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but in our country. When you have him at the helm saying that this work is a priority for us, it echoes through our players whose voices are also heard by many people.”

For Black History Month last February, the Raptors hosted two screenings of

Bob Marley’s ‘One Love’ movie.

“When I saw the trailer for this film, I thought that many people are really not aware of what Marley did from an activism and peace building standpoint,” said Wiggins. “He is known for his music. If you really take

a deep dive into that, there is a message which I feel is getting lost. This is an opportune time to learn more about what Marley was trying to say through his songs.”

Katherine Allen is the Raptors Social Impact Manager.

“I did my best to influence

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trade unionist and activist Bromley Armstrong organized a community celebration.

“Roy stood with our community in times when no one else chose to take that stand,” said Taylor. “He was someone that I and many others could call, and he would get back to us in five or 10 minutes if he didn’t answer the phone right away. He often told me to bring Brom (Bromley Armstrong conceived the idea for the tribute) and let’s have a sandwich. In what other country would someone with such high responsibility as far as jurisprudence is concerned have that common touch?”

In his last official public speech as Ontario’s Chief Justice a month earlier, McMurtry called on Canadians to guard against racism and oppression.

“In my view, it requires that each responsible citizen continues to commit himself and herself to strengthening the relatively

fragile fabric of our pluralistic society,” he said in the keynote address at the Urban Alliance on Race Relations awards dinner. “This is particularly important in times when there continues to be economic uncertainty for many of us who are citizens despite our general economic prosperity. We must recognize that all the laws in the world and all the human rights codes count for little if individual citizens are not prepared to make a personal commitment to tolerance, understanding and, above all, to fighting intolerance and bigotry at every opportunity.

“My many years as a lawyer, Attorney General and Chief Justice have taught me this palpable truth and that is the law alone is not enough to protect those who are a different colour and those who prefer a different religion. The law will never be enough because there is simply no legislation in the world capable of legislating

change in the marketing roles I was in and in the community,” she said. “But once I saw this job opening, I felt this was an opportunity for me to have a bigger impact. I knew the weight of the Raptors brand coming into this because I have been a lifelong fan of the team. However, I can see the influence we can have and am grateful to have that responsibility.

“When we call, people pick up the phone and when we show up, they do. The potential for impact we can have is truly vast just because of our brand.”

McMurtry urged Canadians to guard against racism

ultimate principles.”

A legal counsel to the Toronto Metropolitan Police, representing police chiefs and other senior officers in public inquiries and civil and criminal trials, McMurtry was also an early proponent of police reform and community policing.

After leaving the Bench, he returned to law practice at Gowling LaFleur Hen -

derson until 2014 and then Hull & Hull.

Appointed to the Order of Ontario in 2007 and the Order of Canada two years later, McMurtry, who served as York University’s 12th Chancellor, is survived by six children. His wife of 66 years – Ria – passed away last October. Her parents migrated from Trinidad & Tobago.

‘Some people had issues calling me Master’

The guy who was my supervisor and the head of operations there at the time had so much patience with me. He should have fired me at least 10 times.”

While at MTV, he became familiar with ‘Black World’ hosted by Dominican-born Daniel Caudeiron who was part of the Share FM team, that included Arnold Auguste, Robert Wood and NewCap Broadcasting that was seeking a radio station license.

Excited to see a Black show on Canadian television, Young reached out to the former ‘Share’ community newspaper entertainment writer.

honour at the Reel Black Awards show in September 2001.

“He had so much insight on the media landscape way before a lot of other people. He also knew talent when he saw it. He recognized things in me that I didn’t

“I walked around with a ghetto blaster talking about MuchMusic,” said Young who was a stunt double in ‘Police Academy 3: Back in Training’. “We pulled together a few musicians and captured everything that was MuchMusic.”’

“I phoned to let him know I wanted to help and contribute any way I can because that was the only Black TV show we had at the time,” he said. “I kept calling and calling without getting him. When I did, he asked why I kept calling.”

Reiterating he just wanted to pitch in and assist, Caudeiron acquiesced to Young’s request.

“He told me to go out and interview upand-coming Black folks,” he said. “I told him I wanted to be behind the scenes, but Daniel insisted I go out and get stories. I did that for a few years and loved it.”

Young interviewed several young Black athletes and artistes, including 1984 Harry Jerome Award winner Kevin Pugh who was a principal dancer with the National Ballet of Canada and Atlee Mahorn who won a gold medal in the 200-metre event at the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh.

Through his older brother who was an editor at CityTV, he learned that a new station was on the horizon.

Using CityTV facilities, MuchMusic launched as a pay-tv channel on the last day of August 1984 with co-founder Moses Znaimer as president and executive producer.

Though he submitted an application, Young was hesitant about joining the new station as a video operator.

“My brother was there doing his thing and I didn’t want it to look as if I was following his footsteps,” he said. “I like to be independent.”

From a monetary point of view, the offer, however, was too good to refuse as his annual pay increased by $5,000 to $17,500.

To promote the new station, Young and fellow camera operator Gord McWatters created several station IDs, in-house commercials and a ‘Spy’ character played by Young who pitched Znaimer the idea of doing a short video to mark the station’s move from 99 Queen St. E. to 299 Queen St. W.

Znaimer liked it and provided a budget.

“I walked around with a ghetto blaster talking about MuchMusic,” said Young who was a stunt double in ‘Police Academy 3: Back in Training’. “We pulled together a few musicians and captured everything that was MuchMusic. My wife Paula (she was his girlfriend at the time) helped write the lyrics. Moses loved the production and it was put in rotation. He just liked the fact that you could work there and have multiple jobs.”

Shot mainly after hours in the spring and summer of 1987, ‘The MuchMusic Groove’ was one of Canada’s first hip hop music videos.

Young holds Znaimer in high esteem and rightly so.

Receptive to new ideas and with an open-door policy, the independent broadcasting pioneer provided opportunities for young people in the television and entertainment industry to develop and thrive.

“To this day, Moses will always be one of my mentors,” said Young who presented him with the Advancement of Minorities in the Entertainment Industry Achievement

know exist.

“He wanted me to be an on-air personality because he thought I would be able to connect with the community. He was right. I avoided it because I knew I would not be comfortable in that space. I wanted to be a producer.

“Moses gave me creative license and was always encouraging me to do things, saying ‘Just go out there, shake your locks’.”

While doing the first video for ‘The MuchMusic Groove’, Young acquired the moniker ‘Master T’.

“When I went to the people doing the graphics, they asked me my name,” he recalled. “I had never thought about that. I said what about MuchMaster T and they said that was too long. I said Master T and they liked it. I think some people had issues calling me Master, but that was it. I went to Baton Rouge to interview Master P and Snoop Dogg who made light of the fact that here is Master T from Canada interviewing Master P.”

With his wife’s support, Young created ‘X-Tendamix’ in 1990 that transitioned three years later into ‘Da Mix’ that aired on MuchMusic for 11 years and was one of the network’s highest rated shows.

“Michael Williams’ ‘Soul in the City’ was already airing on Saturday afternoon, but we also had this three-hour block on that day,” he said. “I put together a pilot before approaching Paula. We came up with the name. The idea was to hang these Black conscious T-shirts behind me, get a keyboard sampler and let Paula be this voice of Roxy.

“Creatively, I don’t know where all of this came from because I didn’t see anyone do it. All I knew was that I wanted this show to smell like me. I didn’t want to have a co-host and I did not want to work with anyone else. That was my interactive way of having someone to work with which was this keyboard sampler.

“Eventually, we recorded my wife’s voice as Roxy and submitted it into the keyboard sampler. We created and shot the pilot and Moses went for it.

“A few months later, the director of programming gave me the green light to have this show that was a hit right out of the box. Two weeks after it started, the head of sales approached me, and I didn’t know who he was. After identifying himself, he told me I would be receiving a sponsor. I said that is exciting and when I inquired who it was, he said Mars Bars.

“At the time, I did not quite understand what this deal meant. When I dug deeper, I found it was about $250,000. At that point, I realized that gave me some leverage as I was making the company big money. When I made it clear I just wanted to do X-Tendamix and not the camera, they said ‘sure’.

After nearly two decades producing and hosting quality music programs and covering the Conservative Party convention

in Ottawa 31 years ago, Young – who the ‘Ottawa Citizen’ daily newspaper described as ‘The Koolest of kool kats’ in the headline of a story in its Arts & Entertainment section on July 5, 1993 – left MuchMusic in September 2001.

“They wanted to go for this younger demographic,” said Young who, with his older brother, travelled the world as cameraman/ interviewer for MuchMusic. “I didn’t think my work was done, but in a way I felt it was coming to an end. I had interviewed Mary J. Blige, Lauryn Hill and Diddy about three or four times and had done all the big shows. I felt I needed a change.

“They were getting digital channels and I thought I was going to take over MuchVibe. That, however, was not really in the making since it was programmed as a video channel. They took what I did with ‘Da Mix’ and ‘Soul in the City’ to get the license and that was like a slap in my face. At around the same time, my wife told me I should prepare to move on as I was pushing myself too much. She was right. I was burnt out and I didn’t recognize it.”

Of all the celebrity interviews Young did, he considers the one he did with Hill shortly after the release of her solo debut album, ‘The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill’ in 1998, among his favourites.

“We had a real connection,” he said. “She understood me and I understood what she was going through. I brought a bunch of different magazines to the interview with her on some of the covers. As I am showing them to her, I looked at her and said ‘Lauryn’ before pausing and then adding ‘you are damn sexy’. She broke down laughing at me and then said, ‘I thought you were going to say I am in control of what I am doing. I let her know we already knew that. We had a level of comfort.”

Hill, who in 1999 was the first rapper to grace ‘Time’ magazine cover, performed at

they were students at Kitchener Collegiate Institute.

“We were in the same Math class that I failed because I was just goofing around,” he said. “I came in, did the test and left after five minutes. She thought I was very smart. After my first year in college, I went back to Kitchener, and we connected. She tried to brush me off, but I assured her I had matured, and we eventually started to date.”

The couple produced and directed Sean Paul’s first documentary-style DVD released worldwide in 2004.

“She was not just a super fan,” Young said. “I consider her an extremely highly creative person. I don’t have the patience and creative knowledge for editing as she has.”

With 50 years of Hip-Hop music celebrated in Canada in 2023, Young shared some his thoughts on how the culture has evolved.

“I think the recognition is great,” he said. “I have always said you can’t shut down what the masses want. They continue to jump all over hip-hop. Yes, it came from the streets, but a lot of the guys managed to maneuver and become huge business moguls while understanding the game they were left out of.

“They have managed to control their own narrative and bring up others surrounding it.

“The 50 years is a celebration to also give the people that didn’t understand the music and the culture an understanding of what it really is.”

When it comes to Canadian women in hip-hop, Young bemoans the fact they have not received their fair dues.

“Young interviewed Tupac days before his death in 1996 and Quincy Jones while the Grammy Legend Award winner was in Toronto in October 2001 to sign copies of his autobiography.”’

Young’s farewell show two years later.

He also interviewed Tupac days before his death in 1996 and Quincy Jones while the Grammy Legend Award winner was in Toronto in October 2001 to sign copies of his autobiography.

“Quincy was very relaxed and cool,” Young said. “My dad gave me a very high level of appreciation for jazz so interviewing someone like him was so iconic.”

It was the second time he had interviewed the music icon. The first was on October 3, 1995.

“I remember that date because it was the day that O.J. Simpson’s not-guilty verdict came down,” he said. “One of the questions I had was about the trial and the verdict and then the publisher came to me and said ‘Quincy is ready, but no questions about O.J.’ I was like ‘Oh, damn’.”

Married for 34 years, Young and his wife met in 1981 at a basement party while

“It is such a male-dominated industry,” he said. “It is incredible that we have a lot of female artistes who have managed to get their voices out, but it has been a struggle. It has taken so much for them to understand the game and their role. In cases where they have not been able to collaborate with male counterparts, they have done it by themselves. A lot of it has to do with the business world of hip-hop opening doors for these very talented women rappers.” Young and his wife have two children. Kalif Young is a professional basketball player in Poland while younger brother Kyral is enrolled in Toronto Metropolitan University’s Creative Industries program. He also has a clothing line ‘Keepinit Young’.

“Kyral has managed to show his level of comfort being in front of a camera much more than pops at times,” said Young. “We are working with him to develop a show while continuing to maintain our connection to the Black community which I and my wife never take for granted.”

When Angela Young’s life was an emotional roller coaster after a divorce (Karl Young died in 1997), her youngest son found a way to lift her spirits.

“She was dealing with so much at the time,” he recalled. “I just wanted to cheer her up and make her laugh.”

With mom, who recorded most of his shows on VHS, watching as he left home for school, Young did Groucho Marx (considered one of America’s best comedians) and other comedic impressionisms. Little did he know at the time he was preparing for a career in entertainment.

FANFAIR