CANADA’S LARGEST ETHNIC NEWSPAPER CANADA’S LARGEST ETHNIC NEWSPAPER
TANYA MULLINGS, the 11-time Canadian Reggae Music Award winner and fivetime Juno Award nominee, recognized recently at the 100 Accomplished Black Canadian Women gala, says her focus is on helping young artistes find their feet in the music industry. See story on page 9. Photo by Ron Fanfair
Ja opposition leader calling on PM Holness to quit
By LINCOLN DEPRADINE
The leader of Jamaica’s parliamentary opposition, Mark Golding, believes that Andrew Holness should resign as the country’s prime minister.
Allegations of “illicit enrichment” levelled at Holness have put him “under a cloud” and “disqualifies him from being prime minister”, Golding, head of the People’s National Party (PNP), told a meeting at the Jamaican Canadian Association (JCA) centre in North York.
“If you have a problem and you can’t resolve it as a leader, you have to step back; somebody else has to take over.”
Holness, leader of the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and prime minister since March 2016, has been under investigation by the country’s Integrity Commission (IC) after concerns were raised about his assets being disproportionate to his lawful earnings.
The investigation was highlighted in a 2023 report of the IC. While no charges have been laid against the prime minister – due to insufficient evidence – there remain unresolved questions about his finances, especially relating to the accusation of illicit enrichment.
Golding, in a wide-ranging address at the JCA townhall, explained that illicit enrichment is a “corruption offense under Jamaican law”.
“If the people have a perception that their leaders are really not about building the country, and helping them to move forward
in life, but have their own agenda – which is a personal agenda of enriching themselves and their friends – the country can’t go nowhere,” said Golding, an attorney and former minister of Justice.
The meeting, organized by “Friends of Jamaica Committee Canada”, was part of a series of engagements undertaken in Toronto by Golding, who said that the PNP sees “the need to increase our engagement with our Jamaican family outside of Jamaica”.
He fielded questions from audience members – many clad in PNP T-shirts – on issues such as education and the Jamaica school system; Jamaicans visiting Canada on the seasonal farm workers’ program; the possibility of overseas voting; and on the PNP, which Golding has been leading since his election as party president in November 2020.
The PNP, he said, has amended its constitution “to recognize Jamaicans outside of Jamaica as a region”.
With the change, any Jamaican – including someone living overseas – can be a party member with voting rights, including the right to choose the leader of the PNP, Golding said.
The PNP is interested in “making full use and getting the full benefit of what the Jamaican family around the world can do for the development of Jamaica,” he said. “After all, our economy is very, very dependent on the Diaspora.”
Golding expressed the PNP’s willingness to collaborate with the JLP to expand the Lower House of Parliament to include “Diaspora representation on the Senate”, which allows for meetings by audio-visual attendance.
“It can be done but it’s going to require the JLP and the PNP agreeing to do it, because it can’t happen otherwise,” said Golding.
Golding said public opinion polls indicate that the PNP has a nine per cent lead over the JLP ahead of general elections, which are scheduled to be held by next September.
Governance is “one of the real issues that is going to be confronting the electorate” when the population votes, said Golding.
“The country needs leaders who earn the trust and confidence of the people who put them there,” he said.
AEBSlaudedforrecognizing,encouragingBlackstudents
By RON FANFAIR
War and famine have taken a toll on millions of Ethiopians. Many have fled to other countries, seeking better opportunities not only for themselves, but for their children and future generations.
That was Theodros Girma’s plan when he arrived in Canada in 1992 at the height of the civil war in his country.
To watch the younger of his two sons, Noam Girma, receive a scholarship at the Alliance of Educators for Black Students’ (AEBS) annual achievement awards ceremony was very fulfilling.
“I am so proud that he is seizing those opportunities that I didn’t get,” said the father whose wife was unable to attend the ceremony because of work commitments. “We paved the way for him and his brother to succeed. Noam has been a good student his entire life. We are blessed.”
The Bill Hogarth Secondary School graduate was the recipient of a scholarship from Revolution Now which is a social movement that aims to provide visibility, opportunity and a community for racialized and marginalized people.
In addition to awarding scholarships, they provide employment opportunities for youths with a strong interest in graphic arts.
Appreciative of the award, the teenager reflected on his high school experience.
“It was fun and very positive,” he said. “There was a strong and vibrant Black community at our school that helped me get through the four years. I made a lot of new friends and will always cherish the experience.”
Girma is pursuing Commerce studies at Queen’s University Smith School of Business which is among the best in the world. This year, the Financial Times ranked it the number one Business School in Canada.
“I have always had an interest in Finance and Business and Queen’s has a reputation,” he said. “My goal is to have a financial firm.”
Struggling in Grade 11 and failing courses, Keira Salawu was desperate for help.
“My teachers were not supportive at the time,” the Pierre Elliott High School graduate recalled. “When I was having issues with homework, they told me I had to figure it out on my own rather than
trying to help me.”
Enrolment in the Student Success Program which provides student advocacy and mentorship to support young people facing challenges was a game-changer.
“The Child & Youth worker helped me a lot,” said Salawu. “She encouraged me to start a Black Students Association at the school which I did and was the treasurer before becoming co-president in my final year.”
Salawu was the recipient of the Black Foundation of Community Networks (BFCN) scholarship that recognizes students excelling in the arts.
Founded in 2011, the BFCN offers advocacy and resources to Black communities across the province.
Salawu is a first-year student in the University of Waterloo’s Social Development Studies program which offers students the opportunity to develop skills in critical thinking, problem-solving, interpersonal relations, leadership, civic engagement and global citizenship.
Her goal is to become a social worker or psychotherapist.
“My parents, who are from Nigeria and the United Kingdom, wanted me to be a doctor or lawyer,” Salawu said. “I am not good in Math or Science because I didn’t get the help I needed in those classes. I thought that being a lawyer would be boring. I want to help people and I can do that in the fields I am looking at.”
Jamaica's Opposition Leader MARK GOLDING
KEIRA SALAWU
NOAM GIRMA (left) and his dad THEODROS GIRMA Photos by Ron Fanfair
See
Black men urged to test early for prostate cancer
By LINCOLN DEPRADINE
Prostate cancer, which severely impacts people of African descent, is curable and Black men must get themselves tested early for the possible presence of the disease, according to medical doctors Aisha Lofters and Neil Fleshner.
“Please get your loved ones tested,” Fleshner, a veteran uro-oncologist in the Division of Urology at the University Health Network, told participants at a conference hosted by The Walnut Foundation (TWF).
Dr. Lofters, in her conference address, described prostate cancer as “highly curable”, adding that available treatments are greatly effective.
Dr. Fleshner, in concurring, said many men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer receive treatment “and are cured, and I think that’s a great first message. It’s very treatable”.
Prostate cancer, he added, “is one where if you detect it early, in many cases, you can either – if not cure the man – you can certainly extend his life quite considerably, and I think that’s an important message”.
Fleshner and Lofters, a scientist at Women’s College Hospital and an associate professor at the University of Toronto, were among an expert panel of speakers at the annual conference of TWF, a health group with a mission to “advancing men’s health and wellness within the Black community, with a focus on prostate health”.
The conference, which examined why Black men are “disproportionately affected by prostate cancer”, was sponsored by Movember Canada, which supports and funds men’s health projects – including mental health and suicide prevention, prostate cancer and testicular cancer – “to help men live happier, healthier, longer lives”.
Research indicates that men of African background – those born on the continent and also males living in Diaspora communities, including Canada and the Caribbean –are at least “two times more likely to die from prostate cancer than other populations”.
Altogether, it’s said that “one in six Black men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer”.
Jamaican Dr. Belinda Morrison, who addressed the conference via an audio-video
link from her homeland, said not only has prostate cancer been the “leading cancer” in Jamaica for the last 50 years, but it’s also claiming the most cancer-related deaths in the Caribbean, which has “one of the highest mortality rates of cancer in the world”.
“For the most part, for most islands, prostate cancer is number one,” said Dr. Morrison, a urologist and researcher, who did part of her medical training in Toronto.
“Persons who identify as being Black,
generally, have a more aggressive form of prostate cancer and they appear to present at a younger age. This disease, in our population, is affecting younger and middle-aged men.”
Morrison, a senior lecturer at the University of the West Indies and also program director of the residency training program in urology at UWI, said males in the Caribbean often only undergo medical screening when
BLACK MEN Pg. 5
SymposiumurgesinclusionofBlackhistoryincurriculum
Calls continue for amendment to schools’ curriculum, including at the university level, to better reflect the history and contribution to Canada of people of African descent.
“We desire a curriculum that is more factual and inclusionary,” said Dr. June Francis, co-director of the Institute for Black and African Diaspora Research and Engagement at British Columbia’s Simon Fraser University, where she’s a professor.
Francis joined several other speakers in a series of panel discussions held as part of a symposium—presented by TD Bank and Heritage Canada—that examined the theme, “Building a Black History Education Curriculum”.
The event formed part of the 2024 celebration of “100 Accomplished Black Canadian Women”.
Among the panels was one comprising Peel District School Board’s Dr. Camille Logan, chief executive officer of York Region Children’s Aid Society, Ginelle Skerritt and educator and artistic director, Amah Harris. Their topic of discussion was: “Trailblazers and Trendsetters: Stories of Black Canadians (pre-1985)”.
Francis and York University assistant professor Dr. Natasha Henry-Dixon, educator and trade union activist Lisa Skeete and renowned musical performer Tiki Mercury-Clarke, examined the topic: “Sheroes & Heroes Among Us: Tales of Communities,
See CHANGES Pg. 14
Dr. AISHA LOFTERS
Dr. BELINDA MORRISON
Dr. NEIL FLESHNER
GINELLE SKERRITT (left) and Dr. CAMILLE LOGAN
Photo by Lincoln DePredine
Dr. JUNE FRANCIS
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Seven-year-old aspires to be a professional chess player
By LINCOLN DEPRADINE
At age seven, most kids are hardly likely to have decided what they’ll like to do in their professional adult life. For those who have decided, a reasonable assumption is that they’d like to be a doctor, lawyer or professional athlete.
This, however, is not the case with Jayden Hylton, who turns eight in February, and who was involved in soccer a few years ago. He now wants to be a professional chess player.
Canadian-born of Jamaican parents, Natoya Anderson and Andrew Hylton, Jayden already is participating in tournaments, representing Jamaica. He recently returned with his parents from a competition in Virginia in the United States.
“He did very well. It was a good experience for him,” Anderson told Share in reporting on her son’s participation in the Virginia contest.
“He got second place in his rated category, and he also got a medal for top international player. He also played in a blitz competition, where you’re playing fast games, with older guys, who are rated like two or three times his ratings.
“He learned a lot from those games.”
Jayden started playing chess in February, after watching and learning from games played online on YouTube.
He turned to chess after his parents withdrew him from playing soccer.
“He was born pre-term and spent a lot of time in the hospital. In playing soccer, he was having pain in his chest,” Anderson said. “So, eventually, that sport was not working as well for him. Even though he loved soccer, it was causing too much pain. Chess tends to work in his best interest.”
Anderson has learned some of the skills of chess-playing from her son. It enables her, she said, to assist him and to “know whether or not he’s following the principles of chess”.
Jayden has several food allergies and is homeschooled by his mom, an immigration consultant.
“It gives me the opportunity to better monitor and manage his condition. It’s way better,” said Anderson.
“You take more care of your child as it’s one-to-one, and not someone else in another setting.”
Jayden takes lessons with the Canadian Chess Insti tute in Toronto. He’s in an elite class of players, who are taught by Chess Grandmasters.
Anderson said that unlike in Jamaica, not too many Black people participate in chess in Canada. He’s often the only Black kid at Canadian competitions. “He some times feels a bit out,” Anderson said.
Chess is governed by FIDE—the International Chess Federation. FIDE has five levels of ranking players; the
highest is Grandmaster.
Maurice Ashley, who was born in Jamaica and migrated to the United States as a youngster, was the first Black Grandmaster.
Jaden, who is at the first level of a FIDE titleholder, Arena Candidate Member, aspires to be a Grandmaster. His first international tournament was in July in Orlando, where he won two gold medals and a silver. He also has successfully competed in El Salvador.
Last week, Jayden took part in a competition in Jamaica and came second in the under-eight age group category.
On November 13, he’s headed to Italy for an international tournament, the World Cadet Championships. FIDE is paying for accommodation and meals for Jayden and the more than 600 other participants.
With this tournament in Italy, like with other travel by Jayden, addetional expenses are paid for by his parents.
“It would be good if we can find a Black business to support the cause,” said Anderson.
Combining agriculture and tourism in Grenada
By RON FANFAIR
When not in court representing a client in a family or immigration matter, Tricia Simon is on a Grenadian farm, tilling the land and guiding guests on tours of Mount Parnassus Plantation & Cocoa Pod Botanicals.
Called to the Bar in Ontario and Grenada, she and her father – Cosmos Williams – came up with the name for the 100acre farm in Radix, an urban village in St. George’s northeast.
“Mount Parnassus is a mixed plantation of predominantly cocoa, nutmeg, herbs, spices and fruits,” Simon says. “You have a little bit of everything in it.”
Seeing the need to unite agriculture and tourism, she helped establish the Grenada
Agro Tourism Co-operative (GATC) which held its second annual exposition last September.
“We have come up with a strategy to combine agriculture and tourism so that visitors can have a different experience on the island other than our beaches which are fantastic,” the organization’s president said. “It also helps to build the economy.”
GATC Vice-President Bevon Chadel Charles works closely with Simon to provide visitors with new experiences.
“Instead of going to hotels or to see a waterfall, we want them to immerse themselves in the history of Grenada,” the farmer and Commonwealth Youth Climate Change Network national coordinator
said. “Creating a link between tourism and agriculture and pushing that sustainability front is something we are focused on. We have been turning our farm sites into ecotourism sites. The majority of the farms are steeped in history. What we have been doing is building cottages on our farms and designing tours. You are not just coming to see what is planted, but how it is planted.”
Janet House, which is one of the few homes that withstood Hurricane Janet in 1955 which resulted in 147 deaths and widespread destruction, is on Mount Parnassus Plantation.
“Everything in the cottage is made from the farm,” added Chadel Charles. “There is no television here. You come and learn
how to plant and make nutmeg, chocolate or cocoa.”
Dividing time between the Greater Toronto Area and Grenada, Simon was grounded in the ‘Spice Island’ four years ago after COVID-19 restricted international travel.
As the holiday season approaches, most families come together to celebrate, sharing joy, gifts, laughter and love. Unfortunately, not all children and youth have a family with which to celebrate or are able to experience the joy of what Christmas is truly like.
A large number of the children and families in our Scarborough community are low-income, single-parents or newcomer families.
Help us with a contribution of a thoughtful gift during this special time of the year to help bring joy this holiday season to the less-privileged children and their families who lack adequate food, clothing, gifts, toys
and much more.
Help the low-income children, youth and families of Scarborough build their capacities and empower themselves.
Donation of any of the following items would truly help to bring the joy of the Holiday Season: A financial contribution towards purchasing gifts; Gift Certificates/ Cards; new clothes or toys and Christmas Gift Bags.
You can donate by mail with all cheques made out to Heritage Skills Development Centre. Mail to: Heritage Skills Development Centre, 2387 Eglinton Avenue East (Unit 3), Scarborough, M1K 2M5.
Donations can also be dropped off at 2387 Eglinton Ave. East (Unit 3), Scarborough, M1K 2M5. For pick/drop-off arrangements, please call us at 416-345-1613 or email info@hsdconline.org (mailto:info@ hsdconline.org) to make arrangements.
Heritage Skills Development Centre (HSDC) is a non-profit organization with a mission to promote the health, social, cultural and economic self-sufficiency of at-risk youth, children, new immigrants, refugees and their families.
For additional information about our organization, please visit: www.hsdconline.org.
During the quarantine, she found solace in living off the land where she now spends most of her time while practicing virtually. In the process, Simon became more eco-friendly, making several products from coconuts.
“I use coconut husk to make fibre mattresses, the inner shell to produce cups, the kernel to get milk, oil and the fibre to wash dishes,” the Osgoode Hall Law School graduate said. “I use calabashes instead of plastic dishes.”
Simon also created the ‘I Care’ initiative.
“We want guests to know we care about them and the planet,” she added.
A tour of the plantation begins with a cup of tea followed by a walk through the plantation and cooking exercises.
Nigeria hosting the world's biggest entrepreneurship festival
The Global Entrepreneurship Festival (GEF), the world's biggest gathering of entrepreneurs, innovators, investors, creatives, policymakers and industry leaders, will take place at the Entrepreneurship Village in Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria from November 22 to 24, 2024.
As the world grapples with significant challenges, including climate change, hunger, poverty and inequality, the need for enhanced international cooperation, innovative solutions and entrepreneurship is becoming more significant. The GEF aims to build on the outcomes of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA2024) and the Summit of the Future, accelerating progress toward the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The reaffirmed commitments from these global events will guide entrepreneurial discussions and business creation at the GEF.
The festival's theme, "Beyond Boundaries: Poverty Eradication through Entrepreneurship," with a focus on “SDG 1: No Poverty” was unveiled by the GEF board members and key partners at the exclusive Global Press Conference held at the Lagos Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria on August 20, 2024.
Dr. Summy Smart Francis, Special Adviser to the Ondo State Government on Entrepreneurship and Innovation and Project Lead for the Global Entrepreneurship Festival, highlighted the festival's comprehensive lineup. Over three impactful days, the festival will bring together over 5,000 participants during the conferences and 15,000 on Day 3 during the closing concert. It will feature 12 concurrent events designed to engage, inspire, educate and enable thousands of entrepreneurs, youth, local and global audiences. The events include conferences,
networking sessions, business pitches to investors and VCs, an award gala, an innovation and robotics expo, a hackathon, art and creative exhibitions, a trade fair/exhibition, a global leadership forum, an international women's congress, a fashion show and a closing concert.
Jaygbes Napoleon Ogbole, as the Country Representative in Canada for Africa’s Young Entrepreneurs (www.ayeonline.org), an organization that ensures the development of a strong and healthy social connectivity cum relationship among entrepreneurs, strongly encourage Canadian entrepreneurs,
innovators and investors to participate in the Global Entrepreneurship Festival. This premier event offers a valuable opportunity to engage with global leaders, foster innovation, and develop sustainable business ventures that transcend international boundaries. It's a unique platform for collaboration, knowledge exchange, and driving impactful solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges.
For more information, call/contact 1 647 219 6319; 234 812 824 3059; www. globalentrepreneurshipfestival.com; info@globalentrepreneurshipfestival.com
Goldingwantselectionstobecalled
“We think the general election should be called now because of what’s going on in the country and the corruption that is rampant in Jamaica. I believe the Jamaican people will make the right decision because, as them say, time come.”
Golding, commenting on the education system, pointed to a need for reform, including utilizing the Jamaican language as a tool for teaching at schools.
“Teachers need to use the Jamaican language to make our children fluent in
English. English is not the first language of the children,” said Golding.
“The Jamaican language has its own grammar; it has some of its own vocabulary. If you grow up in a household and in a community where you’re speaking Jamaican, you are fluid in Jamaican and you go into a school system, which assumes that you’re fluent in English, and there is no recognition or adjustment to ensure that you learn English to be comfortable in it, so that you can learn other subjects, you’re at a huge disadvantage.”
TRICIA SIMON
RCMP African Nova Scotian apology not enough
By KRISTA LOEWEN
Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) issued an apology on Sept 7, 2024, in the North Preston community for the historic use of street checks and other harmful interactions. It was an apology too long coming for the African Nova Scotian community, for the treatment that was, in the words of Rev. Lennett Anderson, “dehumanizing and tragic.”
In their 2019 report, written for the NS Human Rights Commission, Dr. Scott Wortley defines street checks as any occasion civilians are stopped and questioned by police, subjected to intrusive questions, and personal information is collected into a database. He confirmed what community members have known for years: people of African descent in the Halifax region are almost six times more likely to be street checked.
Five years after this report was released, RCMP put word to action, apologized for the harms caused, and presented five action items they would take, developed in consultation with 13 African Nova Scotian communities and the Association of Black Social Workers. The action items are:
• Increase diversity and equity training within the force with the goal of at least 60 people trained per year.
• Increase community involvement of RCMP in historic Black communities.
• Increase numbers of African Nova Scotian and racialized employees within the RCMP
• Consult the RCMP’s National Anti-Racism Unit’s race-based data collection team
• Continue annual and ongoing reporting
Rather than confidence that the organization will make real changes, these pledges inspire skepticism. And drafting the proposed actions together with community members simply allows the RCMP to maintain a façade of care for those they were created to oppress.
This is not the first time the RCMP attempted to redress their troubled history. In 2019, the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girl’s inquiry scathingly concluded RCMP proved they cannot hold themselves to account. The testimonies in the inquiry shed light on genocidal violence enacted upon Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA people – highlighting the deaths of women in police custody.
Pamela Palmater, chair in Indigenous Governance at Toronto Metropolitan University, explains “today’s racist government laws, policies and actions have proven to be just as deadly for Indigenous peoples as the genocidal acts of the past… What used to be scalping bounties are now Starlight tours (freezing deaths in police custody).” The RCMP issued a statement in 2019 promising to do better by delivering new training, strengthening investigations, increasing community engagement, and hiring more Indigenous employees – the very same promises made to the African Nova Scotian community six weeks ago.
Since August 29, 2024, at least nine Indigenous people in Canada have died in police custody or as a result of police interactions. For example, wellness checks for Steven “Iggy” Dedam and Hoss Lightning-Saddleback ended in death at the hands of RCMP
Blackmenurgedtoresearchfamilyhistory
an illness has become “metastatic” and has spread to various body parts.
“If you go to a public health clinic, it’s more likely that you’ll see a woman sitting there than a man. Men don’t generally go to the doctor until they feel very ill,” said Morrison, whose mentors while training in Toronto included Fleshner, a clinical scientist and prostate cancer doctor for about 30 years.
Fleshner said about 60 per cent of prostate cancers is explained by genetics. “It is very much a genetic disease,” he said.
Research, said Fleshner, only recently uncovered what appears to be a correlation between prostate cancer and a specific gene in Black men.
“We may have discovered a gene that is disproportionately represented in the Black community that may explain this risk of prostate cancer,” he said, adding that the information is “hot off the press” but also “very preliminary”.
Fleshner encouraged people to find out about their family’s medical history, saying “it’s important to know who in your family had what cancers and usually at what ages. That’s an important piece of information that we need as researchers. What we hope to do is, ultimately, that your kids or grandkids will know their genetic risks not just for prostate cancer; it will be for things like heart disease and stroke and for those individuals, we’ll tailor what diseases they need to check for and at what ages. That’s the way the whole field is going to go”.
Lofters and Dr. Jackie Bender reported on their combined research work on the prostate experience – including treatment, follow and support – of Black men in Ontario, Quebec, Alberta and Nova Scotia.
“Most of the participants have been from the Caribbean. We are having a much
officers. This is not a new phenomenon. CBC maintains the Deadly Force database of people killed by police from 2010-2020. Data shows Black and Indigenous people are disproportionally represented. Sixteen per cent of people killed are Indigenous, despite making up only five per cent of Canada’s population. Similarly, Black Canadians form 8.63 per cent of deaths and only 2.92 per cent of the population.
In response to the recent increase of Indigenous deaths, Conservative MP Raquel Dancho, criticized Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s failed promises to reform First Nations’ policing since 2019. Will the Nova Scotia RCMP fair differently with Black Nova Scotians?
The first action item, increasing Anti-Black Racism training, assumes individual RCMP officers are to blame – diverting attention from the structural racism that is at the root of the problem. Helping Mounties feel better about participating in a colonial structure placates White fragility but ignores the oppressive legacy of police in Canada. An African Nova Scotian survey participant in Wortely’s report stated, “the police have been there to help destroy our communities – like they did in Africville. They are still part of a system that keeps us down and maintains the status quo.”
The RCMP cannot just address the problems on the surface, they require a reimagination of police forces.
Instead of addressing the larger structural issues, a few African Nova Scotian people will be welcomed into the force as Mounties, providing credit to the organization by Black-washing the force. Wortley’s report cautions against diversity hiring as officers of African descent struggle in “the police subculture, and often engage in aggressive policing to gain the favour of their White colleagues.”
Putting Black faces in the RCMP serves both to conceal structural racism and enslave Black bodies to a life of White normativity.
systemic shifts, change is not possible as “the Mounties were created for a specific purpose: to assert sovereignty over Indigenous people and their lands… if the whole system is based on this idea that some people matter more than others, there’s only so much that can be done.”
In 2019, African Nova Scotian community consultations suggested other ways to improve the RCMP including improved screening for racial bias in new recruits. This “is reinforced by new research which suggests links between right-wing extremist groups and law enforcement and the possible infiltration of White supremacists into both policing and the military.”
Other suggestions to strengthen complaint processes; change performance evaluation criteria away from arrest statistics and shift to community policing models, have all been ignored in the 2024 action plan.
The RCMP paint themselves as a well-meaning organisation – one of Canada’s most recognizable symbols – designed to maintain social control of Canadians through surveillance, harassment and imprisonment.
Historian Greg Marquis writes that the “[RCMP] do a lot of good work, but we also have to realize that they have to be kept accountable to the citizens. And I don’t know if our politicians are always able or willing to do that.”
Entering its 151st year, the RCMP’s love affair with White-washing colonial violence continues. We need to be able to hear the stories of injustice against people of African descent in Nova Scotia. Instead, the RCMP are controlling the narrative through political stunts such as holding the Sept 2024 apology amidst a myriad of Indigenous deaths by their hands.
In the apology, Assistant Commissioner Dennis Daley, Commanding Officer of the Nova Scotia RCMP, states “our hope is that this action plan will lead us where we need to be. We will keep working to make things right, to earn your trust, and to be the fair, respectful, and equitable RCMP that Nova Scotians deserve."
harder time recruiting men of West African background,” said Lofters.
“There’s very little research that has been done in the Black community in Canada, in general, regarding health and regarding prostate cancer.”
Lofters underscored the importance of research, saying data garnered could help in finding new medical cures and treatments and in influencing public policies, including government spending.
Bender, an assistant professor at the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health, said a “Peer Navigation” program that she designed and developed more than 10 years ago, and on which she has collaborated with The Walnut Foundation, is being used to assist Black men, who “face very unique challenges to high-quality care after prostate cancer”.
“Navigation is an intervention that helps improve access to treatment and services to improve healthcare outcomes,” said Bender, who also works at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre.
“We have interviewed Black men with prostate cancer and their family members across Canada, and one of the things we’re learning from them is that what they would really like is to connect with someone else – another guy, or another caregiver – who has gone through the prostate cancer experience, to really hear what it’s like and to learn what they can do to sort of cope with the symptoms and side-effects and have a healthy recovery.”
Bender emphasized that the “Peer Navigation” can help to “overcome barriers”, and is an “effective intervention for any health issue to help people navigate the healthcare system”.
She said that upcoming initiatives include the hosting of a workshop to “engage more Black men and their families in research”.
The issue at hand is not a few racist RCMP officers, but the sets of violent policies, laws and structures which criminalize and pathologize, shorten life spans and trap people in poverty. Without attacking the base of structural racism, the RCMP’s action plan spreads icing on a rotten cake.
Jocelyn Thorpe, professor at University of Manitoba explains that without larger
I firmly believe the RCMP that all Nova Scotians deserve is one that is completely reimagined to give power back to those they have historically oppressed.
KRISTA LOEWEN is a Master of Social WorkStudentatDalhousieUniversityand aHarmReductionWorkerwithNorthEnd CommunityHealthClinic.
CONTINUED FROM Pg. 2
Nakumbuka marks the horror, devastation of slavery
MURPHY BROWNE
By MURPHY BROWN
On November 11, the world pauses to remember two wars that engulfed much of the known world. Those two wars (1914-1918 and 1939-1945) could be described as European tribal conflicts because White men were fighting each other in Europe which eventually spread to other areas.
The Europeans ultimately, in various ways, bamboozled/coerced, racialized men and women to become involved.
When war was declared in 1914, some African Canadian men tried to join the “war effort” but were allegedly told that it was “A White man’s war”. Other phrases reportedly used by Canadian military commanders and recruitment officers to reject African Canadian volunteers during World War I, included: “We don’t want a chequer-board army” and “Sorry we cannot see our way to accept [Negroes] as these men would not look good in kilts.”
Many White soldiers declared they would not fight alongside African Canadian soldiers. This attitude reflected the racism that was prevalent in Canada.
African Caribbean men were encouraged to fight “for king and country”. Ironically, those men were descendants of Africans who had been enslaved by Europeans yet they bravely left their homes and travelled to Europe, willing to make the ultimate sacrifice.
The racist recruitment staff in Canada were forced to accept African Canadian men they had previously rejected after the war had been raging for two years with heavy casualties. In the September 1916 issue of “The Atlantic Advocate” the Canadian military urged: “Colored men! Your King and Country need you!
Now is the time to show your patriotism and loyalty.
Will you heed the call and do your share?
Your Brothers of the Colonies have rallied to the Flag and are distinguishing themselves at the Front.
Here also is your opportunity to be identified in the Greatest War of History, where the Fate of Nations who stand for Liberty is at stake.”
The segregated No. 2 Construction Battalion was formed in Pictou, Nova Scotia in 1916 and shipped out from Halifax on March 28, 1917. African Canadians answered the “call” and joined the military to fight for European freedom.
They returned from fighting for Liberty, King and Country to find that their living conditions had not improved. They still were treated as third class citizens in the country of their birth where their ancestors’ blood, sweat and tears had contributed to the wealth and privileges that others could enjoy.
Some Africans on the continent and the Diaspora commemorate Nakumbuka on November 11 instead of Remembrance Day.
Nakumbuka (Kiswahili for “I remember”) is the annual November 11 remembrance ritual for the victims of the Maafa.
Nakumbuka was the brainchild of Tanzanian, Jomo Nkombe, who lived in Toronto and pioneered the idea as a public ritual in 1990. Nkombe asked Charles ‘Mende’ Roach who was a Canadian activist lawyer/jurist, to take the idea of Nakumbuka to the World Pan African Movement Conference which was held in Nigeria in 1992. At that conference it was resolved that the delegates would promote Nakumbuka to remember the Maafa in which millions of Africans perished during the Transatlantic slave trade.
In 1992 Nakumbuka was promoted in Nigeria by Naiwu Osahon of the World Pan African Movement. Baye Kes-Ba-MeRa and Adande Ima-Shema-Ra of the Pan African Associations of America who attended the conference in 1992, returned to San Diego, California and established the Nakumbuka observance which was celebrated for the first time at San Diego State University, California on November 11, 1994.
Charles Roach was the driving force behind the Nakumbuka observance in Toronto from the 1990s until he transitioned to the ancestral realm on October 2, 2012. Roach went to Kingston, Jamaica in 2003 and with Jamaican writer/educator Basil “Koosoonogo” Lopez established the
first Nakumbuka Ceremony at Mico College.
Observing Nakumbuka reminds us that never should we dismiss, minimize or simplify these five centuries of horror and devastation. It is a day to remember the countless Africans who were kidnapped and taken away from their families and friends on the continent, never able to say goodbye and who never saw their loved ones again.
On November 11, Africans are urged to take time to read and talk with their friends, relatives and children of all ages about the Maafa and what must be done to prevent a repeat. “Those who do not know their history are at risk of having it repeated.” We see it being played out to varying degrees in the USA in 2024.
The Maafa, a crime against humanity, has been the least discussed human tragedy, even among African people, although this centuries-long atrocity has stunted the growth of a continent, its people and its children of the Diaspora.
The inability of its victims to freely and openly express their grief and speak about the trauma has made this tragedy even more horrific, with generational trauma.
The Maafa has negatively affected the social, economic and cultural evolution of the African continent. Millions were lost due to the genocidal nature of an emerging European Capitalism seeking free labour to build its empires.
The European aggression against African people reached an apex of violence and brutality as centuries of the trade in human beings destroyed and erased the existence of villages, communities, empires, peoples, traditions, rituals, ceremonies, histories and languages. As a result of this barbarity, it has been estimated that 60 to 90 million African lives were lost in the Middle Passage, on plantations in the Caribbean, Central America, North America, South America and households in European countries. We have not found a way to bring psychological, emotional and spiritual closure to the trauma we have experienced in the last five centuries.
During this last year (2015-2024) of the UN-declared International Decade for People of African Descent, NAKUMBUKA! tiakoma@hotmail.com
Thestruggleforreparativejusticecontinues
By PATRICK HUNTER
The first International Decade for People of African Descent ended this year. The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 2015-2024 to be a period in which the difficulties to which people of African Descent were, and are, subjected as a result of enslavement and colonization are acknowledged and corrected”.
The Human Rights Council of the United Nations is proposing that a second decade be proclaimed, 2025-2034, to continue what has been started in the first.
This recommendation comes from the Permanent Forum of People of African Descent, a body that includes membership from the Caribbean and Latin America.
It is worth noting that all this effort is building on the World Conference Against Racism and Racial Discrimination, which was held in Durban, South Africa in 2001.
Many governments, including Canada, signed off on the declaration from that conference.
The Declaration states, in part: “We recognize that in many parts of the world, Africans and people of African descent face barriers as a result of social biases and discrimination prevailing in public and private institutions and express our commitment to work towards the eradication of all forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance faced by Africans and people of African descent.”
For its part, the Canadian government announced a number of initiatives in 2018, including funding for Black-focused community activities and support for Black entrepreneurship.
We do not have to look too far to see that a lot of work still needs to be done. In February of this year, a coalition of organizations, including the Black Class Action Secretariat,
launched a complaint against the Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC) over its alleged discriminatory practices. In June, the CBC reported that it had obtained a Treasury Board of Canada report that acknowledged that the CHRC “had discriminated against its Black and racialized employees” after nine employees had filed a grievance through their union in 2020 alleging systemic anti-Black racism, sexism and systemic discrimination.
Granted, a few European governments and some institutions have acknowledged the inhumanity of the transatlantic slave trade and the enslavement of African peoples. Some have gone as far as “hinting” at an apology. Some, particularly institutions like the churches and universities, have made some attempts or taken some steps towards reparations. However, these are still not ground-breaking enough.
As part of the Human Rights Council’s submission recommending a second decade, it included reference to the Ten Point Plan for Reparatory Justice developed by the Caricom Reparations Commission.
“In 2013, the Caribbean Heads of Government established the Caricom Reparations Commission with a mandate to prepare the case for reparatory justice for the region’s Indigenous and African descendant communities who are the victims of Crimes against Humanity in the forms of genocide, slavery, slave trading and racial apartheid.”
The submission also includes reference to the Bridgetown Initiative, a proposal fronted by Barbados prime minister, Mia Motley, to reform the international financial structure as it affects developing countries. The reform would allow for giving better advantage to developing countries in loans and the forgiveness of loans.
The Ten Point Plan is quite detailed. Among some of the demands, it calls for a full formal apology, development programs for the Indigenous peoples who were brutalized, and their lands seized, funding repatriation to Africa up to
debt cancellation and monetary compensation.
The conclusions and recommendations of the Permanent Forum are, to put it mildly, substantial and fair. It’s an outline of what should be initiated or achieved during a second decade. Of course, there are no penalties for failures to achieve.
The United States Congress has refused for many years to consider a bill to establish a commission to study reparations for people of African descent who were enslaved. I have not heard any discussion of reparations in the current presidential campaign.
King Charles has apparently asked for a review of the royals’ connection to the slave trade. At the recently concluded Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa, he and Keir Starmer, the UK prime minister, faced call for reparations for slavery. Starmer had taken the position that there would be no discussion of reparations. I guess he didn’t know what he was up against. In the final communique, “Heads…agreed that the time has come for a meaningful, truthful and respectful conversation towards forging a common future based on equity.”
The Portuguese government has recently rejected a suggestion by its president to pay reparations for slavery. The Guardian reported that the government will instead focus on “deepening international cooperation ‘based on the reconciliation of brotherly peoples’.”
I am still trying to figure out what that means.
Perhaps we should take some hope that the discussion is happening and is generating some reaction. These are like political promises, much of which never see the light day when the ones making the promise takes over as the government. It is a part of the appeasement process – “we are thinking about it”.
Canada supports reparations for crimes against humanity, just not to people of African descent. Yet. patrick.hunter11@gmail.com
Graduates laud U of T’s Summer Mentorship Program
By RON FANFAIR
With an eye on a healthcare career, Uchechi Esonwanne was excited to be chosen to participate in the University of Toronto’s 30th annual Summer Mentorship Program (SMP).
“I wanted to explore different careers in the field and get a taste of what it is like to be on a university campus,” the 2024 cohort co-president said.
Esonwanne got to do that and more.
“We made tooth moulds at the dentistry faculty, practiced wound care with nurses and went on a tour of an anatomy museum,” she said. “We got to learn and experience a lot. We had tons of hands-on activities that provided us with healthcare sector possibilities. At the end of each day, we left feeling we could be a dentist, physiotherapist or social worker.”
If you can’t see it, you can’t be it.
The medical profession in the Greater Toronto Area has become more diverse over the years, mainly because of the SMP program for Black & Indigenous students.
“Seeing people who look like us in professions we aspire to be in made our dreams feel a little more tangible and is proof that representation matters,” added Esonwanne.
Inaya Towfik was the other co-president.
“This program allowed me to have one of my best summers,” she said. “Every day, we did something new and we were always learning. For me, joining the program created a sense of belonging and empowerment and it fostered a supportive community in the field of medicine. It allowed me to explore my interests in science, solidifying my commitment to a career.”
A total of 105 students took part in the four-week program that provided students with different health professional programs offered by the U of T Temerty Faculty of Medicine, Lawrence Bloomberg Nursing, the Dalla Lana School of Public Health and the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Science, Dentistry and Pharmacy.
At the graduation ceremony, Dr. Lisa Richardson, the Temerty Faculty of Education’s Associate Dean of Inclusion & Diversity, thanked the students for choosing to spend part of the summer with the U of T.
“Seeing these faces in this space is very emotional,” she said. “To me, it represents the purpose of this program…Seeing these portraits on the wall and knowing what the next generation of healthcare leaders, providers and scientists will look like gives me shiv-
ers of joy and love for this incredible program.”
Speaking directly to the students, Richardson said their presence in the program was an acknowledgment of their commitment to the health and well-being of people.
“I lift you up, I want to honour you and I support you,” the U of T Indigenous Medical Education Office co-founder added. “There will be times when you feel this is a hard journey. Look around this room and know you are supported not only by your friends and family, but also by your communities.”
On behalf of the Deans in Dentistry, Public Health, Nursing, Kinesiology & Physical Education, Pharmacy and Social Work, Charmaine Williams said that the SMP is a remarkable initiative that has significantly impacted the lives of many students and the community in the last three decades.
“This program is not just an educational experience,” said the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work Dean. “It can be a transformative journey that opens doors and broadens horizons. Our Faculty of Social Work is proud to be a partner in this initiative. Through our collaboration, we have witnessed first-hand the program’s profound impact on students’ lives as I am sure it is true for my colleagues in the other collaborative faculties.”
Indigenous students joined the program in 1997.
Ceremonial leader and traditional healer Kawennanoron Cynthia (Cindy) White spoke about Indigenous historical ties to the health sciences.
“For all of our main traditions and lineages, our
people have had specialties of medicine in the concept of wellness,” the Elder in the Office of Indigenous Health said. “In each of our lineages, there were many medicine societies and each of them had their specialties. We called them seers and we went to them with gifts because we don’t take things without giving back as a gesture of acknowledgment of the spirit we work with and to give gratitude. We presented our problem and they performed a ceremony and told us what medicine we needed.”
In congratulating the graduates, White told them to use their training to make a difference in health care.
“Put out into the universe, ask yourself what your gifts and specialties are and how are you going to bring change to humanity,” she said.
A program participant in 2013, U of T Internal Medicine Resident Dr. Petra Famiyeh spoke to the graduates about her SMP experience.
She was a program participant in 2013.
“I saw a bulletin about the SMP at my high school, I applied and it quite literally changed my life,” said Famiyeh whose sister, Ida-Maisie Famiyeh, was also a program participant. “Just having that one month of experiencing different healthcare professions with the hands-on pieces and the panels was eye-opening.
“It showed me the op-
portunities that are available and made me realize that I could have support. I saw people who looked like me doing the same thing.
“Everybody who came to speak to us would tell us that we are here to help and we want to help. When I got into med school in 2019, I knew it was time to pay back because I had seen the impact of mentorship. The next year, I was one of the SMP co-ordinators.”
The former Black Medical Students’ Association President also offered words of encouragement to the graduates.
“As you move forward, try to figure out what you want to pursue and how you
want to shape your lives,” Famiyeh added. “This program is a network, a sorority that you are always going to be a part of. Find out what is your joy and hold on to it. Know yourself and know your goals and be prepared to sacrifice for that. Never let anyone tell you otherwise.”
The University of Toronto’s Faculty of Medicine and the Toronto District School Board collaborated with the Association for the Advancement of Blacks in Sciences to start the pilot in 1994 because of a paucity of Blacks in health and other professional faculties at the university.
“There were huge barriers we faced in the begin-
ning, but we found allies in the education system who were very supportive of what we were doing and that helped,” said SMP co-founder Dr. Dominick Shelton who is an emergency physician, two-time Harry Jerome Award winner and Toronto Metropolitan University School of Medicine’s Interim Assistant Dean with responsibility for Admissions & Recruitment.
One of the early supporters was the late Harold Brathwaite, Canada’s first Black Director of Education.
“This program can have a successful impact across the country,” he said at the 2008 graduation ceremony. See PROGRAM Pg. 11
MITSY ROBINSON
Dr. ANNA JARVIS (left), KAWENNANORON CYNTHIA (Cindy) WHITE, DIANA ALLI, Dr. LISA RICHARDSON and Dr. DOMINICK SHELTON
INAYA TOWFIK (left) and UCHECHI ESONWANNE
Photos by Ron Fanfair
Educator was inspired to profession by her teacher
By RON FANFAIR
Until Grade 8, Karen Hudson was the only Black student in her classrooms in Nova Scotia. In junior high, that changed when three female Black students joined her.
“I felt like I was in heaven,” Hudson recalled. “It was amazing.”
She also felt empowered.
Wanting to learn more about Black history, Hudson sought permission from her teacher to read ‘Soul on Ice’ written in 1965 by Black Panther leader and political activist Eldridge Cleaver while he was in California’s Folsom State Prison.
Telling the student that ‘the book would be too difficult for her’, he provided Gordon Parks’ ‘The Learning Tree’ which is a fictional study of a Black family in a small Kansas town in the 1920s.
Parks was one of the first African American filmmakers to direct films in
Hollywood, developing films relating the experience of slaves and struggling Black Americans. He also helped create the
‘Blaxploitation’ genre.
“I wanted to read books written by people of African ancestry,” said Hudson. “The teacher took that into consideration, saying ‘This is a book for your reading level’.”
Recognizing the power that educators hold that could influence change, she pursued the profession.
The award-winning educational leader was among 100 accomplished Black Canadian women recognized at an event in Etobicoke on September 28.
In 2018, Hudson pioneered the first Africentric cohort in Math and Literacy within a public school aimed at empowering students by infusing Afrocentric concepts into the curriculum.
The Learning Partnership recognized her groundbreaking initiative a year later, naming her one of Canada’s Outstanding Principals.
Hudson has been at Auburn Drive High School in Cole Harbour for the last decade after serving a year as principal at a junior high school.
Eight years ago, the late Preman Edwards – a Math teacher at Auburn – reminded his principal that Black students were underperforming and suggested she, with a background in Afrocentricity, is the best person to confront the issue.
“We brainstormed and the data I was looking at showed that Black students were taking low-level Math and they were in individual program plans (IPPs) and resource rooms,” said Hudson, who was awarded an honorary degree by Saint Mary’s University last May.
“Further investigation revealed that most Black students were told this is the Math they should take. I decided we should try something different and, in
CommunityapriorityforBarbaraTaylor
Barbara Taylor brings a community lens to everything she does.
Born and raised in Cocoyea Village in San Fernando, she founded the Blue Triangles that was deeply immersed in her community and the People’s National Movement’s (PNM) first youth group in San Fernando which was home to close friend and Trinidad & Tobago’s fourth Prime Minister Patrick Manning who passed away in 2016.
“That is where my community service took off,” said Taylor who was among this year’s 100 Accomplished Black Canadian women honourees.
Leaving the twin island republic in 1965 to pursue nursing in England, she did administrative work, instead, before coming to Toronto two years later.
While working with Canada Life and the municipal government, Taylor was a member of several community organizations in the city, including the Harriet Tubman Centre and the Black Education Project founded by the late Marlene Green in the 1960s. She later joined the now defunct Harambee Services Canada as its Director of Educational Services before switching to teaching.
“Harambee was going sideways and Madge Logan (she spent 38 years with the Toronto District School Board, rising to principal before retiring in 2002) encouraged me to go into education,” said Taylor. “I took her advice and joined the then North York Board of Education.”
KAREN HUDSON
BARBARA TAYLOR
CAROLE ADRIAANS
Trinidadian Dr. Hedy Fry marking 31 years as a federal MP
By RON FANFAIR
Rarely is an incumbent prime minister ousted by a rookie politician.
Just over three decades ago, Hedy Fry pulled off the remarkable feat, defeating Conservative Kim Campbell – Canada’s first and only woman PM – in Vancouver Centre.
Campbell held the leadership position for 132 days after replacing the late Brian Mulroney whose popularity had waned.
This month marks 31 years since Fry has held her federal seat, making her the longest-serving female Member of Parliament.
As president of the Vancouver and British Columbia Medical Associations and the Federation of Medical Women, and host of the popular ‘Doctor, Doctor’ medical information show on CBC television, the practicing physician was well-known in the medical community when Jean Chretien asked her to run in 1992.
Fry initially declined.
“I knew Kim when she was a member of the provincial legislature,” she said. “She was my MLA (Member of the Legislative Assembly) and we went out for dinner and chatted about policy issues. When Chretien asked me to run in Vancouver Centre, I told him I didn’t want to do that against a woman because there was just 12 per cent of us there in the House at the time.”
Convincing Fry to run in Vancouver Centre, which has the largest Japanese community in Canada, was not easy.
The then-family physician joined the Liberal Party when Chretien was running for the leadership. One of his co-chairs in BC was her patient.
“She asked me if I would support him because she knew I am a Liberal,” Fry recalled. “At the time, I was president of the
BC Medical Association and I went to the Board and told them I was asked to do this.
I liked Chretien and his feistiness. The Board said they didn’t care what I did federally as long as I didn’t support anyone provincially.
“I put my name down and after he became leader, he asked me if I would join a committee looking at how to get more women in politics. He then asked me to co-chair the Aylmer Conference the Liberals were putting on that was the basis for the Red Book (the federal Liberals’ plan for the party’s platform for the 1993 federal election).
“I went back to practicing medicine and was due to be the president of the Canadian Medical Association in 1993. It rotates through the provinces and it was BC’s turn.”
Becoming interested in the basic ethical issues related to assisted reproductive technologies, she was considering pursuing Law when Chretien invited her to breakfast
while he was passing through BC.
“I thought it would have been a group of people, but when I got there, it was just me and him and he said, ‘I want you to run,’” said Fry. “I told him he was joking and that was not going to happen because politics is a messy and grubby little business and I didn’t want to be part of that. He told me that politics is public service which I was already doing as a medical practitioner and host of a TV show. I also let him know politics is not my thing and that was that.”
A few months later, Chretien invited Fry to lunch and again asked her to run for political office.
“He said you came to this country as an immigrant and asked if Canada has been good to me,” she said. “I said yes and he asked if I was going to put something back. I told him I paid one of the highest taxes and I am putting it back. He didn’t say anything and left me alone.”
Very persistent, Chretien asked prominent Liberal Party member Sheila Copps to have coffee with Fry.
“I told her what I told him and he asked me to come to dinner with him and his wife,” she said. “What I learned was that he was ‘sussing’ me out and had concluded that I would only run if something appealed to me. At the dinner, he told me I am an activist always pushing for change. He asked how I would like to come inside and make a difference instead of standing outside and knocking on the door.
“I said ‘what?’ and he said ‘you can do that’. My response was ‘really’ and he said I could make a difference from inside the tent.”
Catching her attention,
TanyaMullingsan‘AccomplishedBlackCanadian’
Sitting at a table with a mother and daughter at the 100 Accomplished Black Canadian Women gala, award-winning singer/songwriter Tanya Mullings was teary-eyed for a few minutes.
“I told the young woman to hold on to her mom because I don’t have mine anymore,” the dancehall reggae vocalist said. Marie Mullings passed away at her home in July 2023 at age 73.
“The day after her death, I went back to work at the radio station and buried myself in music until about six months later when I was no longer with FLOW 98.7,” the 2015 Brampton Arts Walk of Fame inductee said. “I then took a break to grieve.
“My mom always told me to take some time off for myself which I never did. She would say, ‘You are a go-getter, but it is okay to stop and breathe, Tanya’. I did that and am rejuvenated.
“Receiving this accolade is acknowledgment of how much I have put into the music industry.”
This was the first time that Mullings, whose Juno-nominated singles ‘A Love Thang’ and ‘Love & Affection’ , which were featured in Trey Anthony’s television pilot, ‘Kink In My Hair’, opened up about the close relationship with her mother.
“I left that event thinking I have my strength from my mom,” said the host of the Tanya Mullings Show on Atlanta-based radio station www.DaFlavaRadio.com that is simulcast across internet stations in the United States, Africa and the Caribbean. “That helped me get through things and if I had the opportunity to dedicate
that honour to anyone, it would be her.”
The 11-time Canadian Reggae Music Award winner started performing at age 15 under the tutelage of her late father, Karl Mullings, who was her manager. He died in July 2005.
long as my foot is in music whether it is singing or being behind the scenes, I am happy.”
Fry promised to run on the condition that he would amend the Canadian Human Rights Act to add sexual orientation as a prohibited ground for discrimination.
“Without blinking, he said, ‘I could do that’,” she said. “His only request was that I give it to him in writing which I did the next day. The reason I wanted that was because many of my patients who were gay died in the 1980s. It occurred to me that they were treated unequally under the law in terms of access to drugs. Their partners, with whom many of them had been living for years, had no say in what happened to them in hospitals or their funeral arrangements. They had no ability to access medications if they needed them because they were gay. I thought this is not the Canada I came to.”
The Bill was first passed in 1996.
In the 1993 election, Fry ended 12 years of Progressive Conservative rule and Kim Campbell’s brief tenure as PM.
Three days later, she received a congratulatory call from Campbell who the Chretien government appointed Canada’s Consul General to Los Angeles.
“Kim went there right away and we have not seen each other or spoken since,” said Fry who, as head of the BC Medical Association, successfully negotiated a groundbreaking agreement with then Premier Bill Vander Zalm that included Canada’s first retirement plan for doctors.
Along the way, Fry has stung other Canadian heavyweight politicians.
See FRY Pg. 15 •
Coming to Canada in 1963 with his band, The Sheiks, the Cornwall College alumnus worked with several top artistes, including the late Jackie Mittoo, Lynn Taitt and Hopeton Lewis.
“I didn’t take my dad’s death well,” Mullings said. “He groomed me to be who I am today.”
She is following in the footsteps of her father in helping young artistes find their feet in the music industry.
“I am trying to groom other artistes and just guide them in certain ways,” the five-time Juno Award nominee said. “As
FANFAIR
TANYA MULLINGS
Dr. HEDY FRY
Hudson focused on expanding Africentric education
2017, we did a small test by placing half of our students in a Math cohort class to see how it would work. From that, we could see how they were pushing each other. The next year, we did a full class which was critical for us in that it changed the trajectory in terms of what we were doing next. The students wanted to be together working as a cohort. That was powerful.”
Becoming an educator was not something Hudson aspired to do.
“Though it was not my first love, I knew if I went into it that I would want to do something different,” she said. “I did not want students to experience some of the things I went through. If I had the opportunity to make a difference, I promised to work hard and influence young minds without seeking recognition.”
Role models play critical roles in shaping lives.
For Hudson, her guiding light is multidisciplinary artist David Woods who, through the Cultural Awareness Youth Group (CAYG) of Nova Scotia he headed, provided leadership, cultural awareness and history lessons to local schools and community groups.
“David is my mentor and role model,” said Hudson who graduated from Mount Saint Vincent University with a Master of Education in Curriculum Studies in 2005 and a Master of Education degree with a concentration in Literacy in 2010. “If it were not for him, I didn’t think I would be in this leadership role that I am in today. He gave us the information that was missing in terms of us understanding our culture and provided opportunities for us to come together as young people to talk about critical issues, celebrate each other, learn how to debate and write plays.”
Hudson, who has actively helped expand Africentric cohorts to other Nova Scotia institutions, including Horton, Woodlawn and Citadel High schools, said her mother, Yvonne Hudson, was in her thoughts as she and the other distinguished Black women
were celebrated at the biennial event.
“She is the epitome of honesty, integrity and an amazing work ethic,” the Black Educators Association’s interim president said. “She made sure her children understood that their life experiences are part of their
richness of living here, that you recognize that community is critical and that you pay attention to your elders and the wisdom they bring. She represents the spirit of Black women and the knowledge that we sometimes don’t respect.”
Organization’smissionto‘upliftAfricanwomen’
She taught at Lawrence Heights and Brookview Middle Schools, succeeding the late Vernon Farrell as principal after he retired in June 1998, and at Flemington Public School before being seconded to the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) where she retired.
During a celebrated professional career, Taylor raised her son, Sean Taylor (DJ Sean Sax), as a single parent.
He died in his sleep in 2021 at age 51 due to autoimmune disease complications. Her pride and joy, Taylor is still struggling to come to grips with his death.
“Soon after his birth, I looked into his crib and said ‘Seanie boy, you are not going to be a statistic’,” she said. “I didn’t have him by accident. I decided to have Sean and gave him all my love. That child made me who I am today.”
In the 1980s, she re-migrated with her son to Trinidad & Tobago. The stay was brief.
“I packed up everything and went back to be close to my mother and give back to my birth country,” said Taylor. “However, it didn’t take me long to discover the folks down there were not receptive to things I brought forward to advance what they were doing. After two years, I had enough and came back to Toronto.”
Event planner Carole Adriaans met South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu for the first time when he was in the city for the Toronto Arts Against Apartheid Festival at Massey Hall in 1986.
After the event, he interacted with a few South Africans residing in the city, including the owner of Adriaans & Associates, a full-service event management agency.
“I remember the Archbishop looking at me and saying, ‘Just don’t let the enemy know that you are angry and just smile with them and go along with it’,” she said.
The Nobel Peace Prize winner, who was at the forefront of the anti-apartheid movement, died in December 2021 at age 90.
Adriaans, who started the South African Women for Women (SAWW) organization in the mid-1990s, and Tutu were close friends.
One of the highlights of the SAWW calendar was an annual fundraising gala celebrating South African Women’s Day on August 9.
The SAWW made significant strides in empowering African women through education and poverty alleviation. One of its key initiatives was the Desmond Tutu Scholarship Fund which provided scholarships to disadvantaged African youth, enabling them to pursue educational opportunities that might otherwise have been out of reach.
In addition to education, the organization worked on projects aimed at improving living conditions and addressing economic disparities among women and their families.
SAWW also played a pivotal role in responding to the HIV/AIDS crisis in South Africa, supporting Archbishop Tutu’s initiatives to assist those impacted by the epidemic.
The organization’s broader mission was to uplift African women by promoting self-reliance and instilling hope in communities grappling with unemployment and poverty. Through its partnerships with Zenzele Development Organization and other efforts, SAWW left a lasting legacy of empowerment and social change.
In the fall of 2006, Adriaans attended Tutu’s 75th birthday in South Africa.
For his 90th birthday three years ago, she played a key role in establishing a bursary for divinity students at the University of Toronto, ensuring that his legacy of faith, justice and equality will continue to inspire and support future generations in perpetuity.
Celebrating Black Canadian women and the advancements they have made, said Co-Master of Ceremony Itah Sadu, is a watershed moment.
“When you get 100 accomplished Black women in a room and they feel the moment is about them, for them and probably by them, we feel electrified in their moment,” the entrepreneur and community builder said. “It is a moment where they don’t just see themselves as individuals. They see themselves as part of the sisterhood. They belong to a society of greatness. They look like every shade under the rainbow and at the same time they are Black women.”
Shirley Chisholm ‘left the door ajar’ for other U.S. women
By CHAITRAM AKLU
To celebrate what would have been the 100th birthday of Shirley Chisholm this year, the Museum of the City of New York mounted an exhibition titled: Changing the Face of Democracy: Shirley Chisholm at 100
The exhibition “explores the significance of Chisholm’s life and legacy and digs deep into her politics and policies.”
Shirley Anita Chisholm (nee St. Hill) was the first Black woman to be elected to the United States Congress 48 years after women in the U.S. won the right to vote via the 19th Amendment of 1920. Since then 45 Black women have served in Congress and two in the Senate.
Chisholm was born November 30, 1924 to working class immigrant parents, Charles Christopher St. Hill from Guyana and Ruby (Seale) St Hill from Barbados in the Brownsville neighborhood of Brooklyn New York. Chisholm achieved recognition through her decades of struggle for racial justice, advocating for police and prison reform, an end to apartheid in South Africa, an end to the Vietnam War, Black unity and a new generation of Black leadership.
The exhibition shows “that, in addition to her symbolic importance as a trailblazer and insurgent, Chisholm worked actively for real change within and beyond the halls of power. She fought for everyday people by working behind the scenes to build coalitions across race, gender, class and political affiliation, making both friends and enemies along the way” according to the curators.
Women gained the right to vote in 1920, four years before Chisholm was born. Yet, in 1964, when she launched her first political campaign and went door knocking for her petition to get on the ballot for NYS Assembly 45 District, she faced skepticism and hostility. She was asked “Does your husband approved of you running?” and why she was not at home making her husband’s breakfast.
But it was for her struggle and successful fight to raise the national minimum wage in the U.S. and to include domestic and farm workers that was said to be one of her proudest legislative achievements of her career.
The New York Times reported Chisholm “was instrumental in uniting the women’s movement within the labour movement in support of the legislation. The two movements have been on opposite sides of the equal-rights amendment in hard-fought ratification battles in the state legislations”.
She had set up a special office within her Congressional Office, from which she coordinated with some 39 organizations to elicit their support. The legislation passed in 1974 by a vote of 287 to 130. As a result, the minimum wage increased from $1.60 to $2.20 an hour benefiting 35 million workers and included one million domestic workers who previously were excluded. It also provided funding for longer opening hours of childcare facilities to benefit working mothers and low-income families.
Chisholm’s mother had worked briefly as a domestic when she arrived from Barbados in 1921.
Chisholm’s road to greatness through struggle was not planned to go in that direction. When a college professor suggested Chisholm enter politics, she reminded him “you forgot two things. I’m Black-and I’m a woman.”
She decided to pursue a career in education. She worked as a teacher’s aide in Harlem and as a Day Care administrator in Manhattan. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Brooklyn College and a Master’s in Elementary Education from Columbia University, the way many immigrant families sacrificed – working while studying.
When she won the New York State 45th Assembly District in 1964, it was historic, becoming only the second Black woman to be elected to the Assembly. (Bessie Allison Buchanan was first – in 1954).
“During her four years in Albany, she fought for higher minimum wage, protec-
tions for domestic workers, education funding for minority students, and other policies that addressed her constituent’s needs.”
Like her father, she was a dedicated supporter of the rights of trade union members. However, on one occasion in putting her constituents’ needs above everything else she opposed a union strike in which the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) led by Albert Shanker, joined with the Board of Education in its attempt to dismantle local Community Boards. A flyer calling the strike an unjust cause, rallied members of the community to join a demonstration outside UFT Headquarters: “Resistance to Integration caused Black and Puerto Rican people to say: If you are going to keep us in the Ghetto, then at least we must have control of it.”
In 1968 Chisholm was elected Representative for the 12th U.S. Congressional District of New York becoming the first Black woman to be elected to the United States Congress. She served seven terms from 1969 to 1983.
In 1972, Chisholm became the first woman in any major political party to run for President, using the motto “Unbought and Unbossed” (later the title of her book) for her campaign: “She rallied a diverse coalition of young people, people of colour, women, LGBTQIA+ folks, and other marginalized groups to join the “Chisholm Trail where they might shape the Democratic Party and reimagine a version of American democracy that included everyone”.
At the 1972 Democratic National Conven-
tion in Miami, she was the only Black woman and had 30 pledged delegates. However, she failed to convince other Black and women delegates to switch their votes for her. She was able to muster only 152 delegate votes, while George McGovern won with 1,729. McGovern won the Party’s nomination but Richard Nixon won his second term as President.
She would continue to serve another 15 years in Congress after her 1972 Presidential run.
A famous quote attributed to Chisholm was “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair”. According to Donna Brazile, a Democratic Party leader, this quote was never recorded or written down but it encapsulates Chisholm’s determination for inclusion and desire to get things done.” She was featured on the cover of Ebony Magazine of February 1969; was a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus in 1971 and Congressional Black Caucus for Women’s Issues in 1977. A documentary about her life and struggle: CHISHOLM ’72 Unbought and unbossed” was produced by film producer Shola Lynch.
During her lifetime, Chisholm received 35 honorary doctoral degrees and 14 awards from national and international organizations and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously in 2015.
Chisholm’s struggle for civil rights, women’s rights and economic equality is recognized in Washington DC, and in her native Borough of Brooklyn, where the Shirley Chisholm State Park covering 407 acres – the largest State Park in New York City – opened on July 2, 2019. And last year a permanent public artwork of her was commissioned to be erected in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park – the first of a series to honour women in Brooklyn. The32-foot-tall, stenciled metal in green and outlined in gold was designed by artists Amanda Williams and Olalekan B. Jeyifous. After retiring, Chisholm moved to Florida where she spent the last decade of her life. She died on New Year’s Day 2005 at the age of 80 but she “left the door ajar” for others to enter.
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“Imagine if we can get schools across the province and universities to build on this initiative. What this confirms is that appropriate intervention, advocacy and mentorship do work and it suggests that there are many young people out there who, if they can benefit from such a program, would add to the number of students who have been successful in our community.”
The other co-founders were Diana Alli, who spent 38 years with the U of T Faculty of Medicine before retiring in 2012, Dr. Kristine Whitehead and the late Dr. Miriam Rossi.
Starting with seven Toronto high school students interested in health sciences, a total of 1,582 youths have passed through the program in the last 30 years.
Almost all have attained undergraduate degrees and about half have completed a medical degree or professional program in health sciences.
Dr. Jason Holmes, who graduated from the program in 2003, is an Emergency Medicine Specialist and Chair of Emergency Medicine in Fayetteville, Georgia.
He was turned on to science in Grade Nine at Markham District High School after reading a prominent Black surgeon’s autobiography.
“I started doing research and talking to any doctor I came across,” Holmes said. “Then I
enrolled in the SMP and that opened many doors. It introduced me to mentors, some of whom I am still in contact with and other Black & Indigenous students with an interest in health sciences. It was a stepping stone for me in that it provided a roadmap and framework.”
After graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree from McMaster University and Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, he was an emergency physician with Piedmont Fayette Hospital in New Jersey before moving back to Georgia in 2019 with his wife and three children.
“I applied to several Canadian and American schools but was accepted by about three of them in the United States on my first try,” said Jamaican-born Holmes who did his residency at Emory University in Atlanta. “My goal was to stay in Canada. With American schools, I find that they look at life experiences and extracurricular activities.”
Kwasi Asare-Acquah is a healthcare and rehabilitation professional with OhioHealth, a non-profit and faith-based health system for about 35,000 associates, providers and volunteers.
He completed high school at Glenforest Secondary School in Mississauga before attending Western University where he graduated in 2003.
“As a young boy, my goal was to get into health care,” said the 2016 University of Alabama at Birmingham Master of Business Administration graduate. “When I got into the SMP, I thought it was a good opportunity for me. I wanted to do research, but that changed after I went through the program. It helped me realize I should not waste time on something I didn’t want to do. The program solidified my interest in health care and pointed me to physiotherapy.”
In 1998, Mitsy Allen learned of the program from her mother, a single parent raising four young children in the Jane & Finch Area. She was in Grade 12 at Regina Pacis Catholic Secondary School.
“I am so glad I applied because it has changed my life,” said the nurse practitioner who works with Unison Health & Community Services and does virtual care for New Brunswick residents. “I met mentors who guided me when I became a nurse.
“The network that I cultivated has been instrumental in my journey.”
In return for steering her towards the program, Robinson encouraged her mother to return to school which she did and became a dental assistant.
Dionne Banton, the daughter of award-winning gospel singer George Banton, was the SMP Outreach Co-ordinator this year.
Permanent public artwork honouring Shirley Chisholm to be erected in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park.
November 10 - 16, 2024
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Pay attention to detail, instructions and reactions on the 10th and 11th. A meaningful message will encourage a positive direction and good choices. Trust in your ability to tune in to opportunities and turn them into reality. On the 12th and 13th, take the initiative to complete your to-do list. The satisfaction you get and the realization of what you can do and offer others will change how you move forward. Changing how you make and manage your money on the 14th and 15th will help you save for something that can improve your life. Don’t ignore what’s good for you or be tempted by something detrimental. On the 16th, a conversation will offer hope and insight into new possibilities. Do your due diligence and streamline your path to fit your needs.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Excess is the enemy on the 10th and 11th. Too much of anything will put pressure on your budget or health. Focus on self-improvement, diet, exercise and updating your skills and qualifications. Go directly to the source and get your facts straight before making promises. Read between the lines on the 12th and 13th. A contract looks promising, but don’t neglect to add the little things that can make the deal sweeter. Look out for your best interests. Look at your options on the 14th and 15th, and don’t hesitate to make a change. A better position, learning something new or a partnership will help you achieve your dreams. Romance is favoured. Listen and observe on the 16th. What transpires will help you make better choices.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Slow down on the 10th and 11th. Take the time to ponder over choices and rethink the long-term effects of your decisions. Don’t be a follower; create opportunities that are well-thought-out and to your benefit. Work alone, master your skills and perfect your work before you let anyone know what you are doing on the 12th and 13th. Presenting a finished product will be easier and less stressful than a prototype. Learn and expand your plans as you move forward on the 14th and 15th. Discipline and budgeting will be essential if you want to reach your goal. Refrain from relying on others on the 16th. Plan, gather information, figure out what you want and who you want on your team. Put health and partnerships first.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Explore the possibilities on the 10th and 11th and reach out to those who can offer insight. Changing how you conduct business or do your job will give you an advantage when someone challenges you. Trust your ability to create something unique. Emotions will cost you on the 12th and 13th. Don’t act out of desperation or try to buy your way in to someone’s heart. Protect your money, reputation and health. You’ll be better positioned on the 14th and 15th to make decisions and changes that benefit you. A chance to make your mark or impress someone who can help you get ahead is apparent. Don’t share secrets on the 16th, or you will jeopardize your reputation. Distance yourself from manipulative people and situations.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Delve in to something that interests you on the 10th and 11th, and let your imagination take over. What you discover will help you grow your purpose and the ability to entertain those you encounter, but don’t make promises you can’t deliver or offer information that has no merit. Put your energy where it counts on the 12th and 13th. Live, learn, communicate and share experiences with like-minded people who can enrich your life. A passionate encounter will help you make a personal commitment. On the 14th and 15th, think twice before you make a move. A change of heart will follow if you let emotions interfere. Do your part; participate in a movement on the 16th that can make a difference regarding your concerns.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Hone your skills before you offer your services on the 10th and 11th. Problems will develop if you offer unrealistic expectations and don’t follow through. Adjust what you can offer to suit current trends to allow yourself more time to pay attention to
less. Pay attention to quotes and do your best to barter. On the 14th and 15th, visiting a destination that takes your mind off your worries will stimulate alternatives that give you a new lease on life and a quick fix that eases stress. Moderation and simplicity will help on the 16th and allow you to reassemble a plan that gets you one step closer to your dreams.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You are overdue for a journey on the 10th and 11th. Whether it’s mind travel, a learning experience or a trip somewhere, observe and learn from the experience. Your objective is to gather knowledge, not teach others or reveal secrets. Someone unique will grab your attention on the 12th and 13th. Keep an open mind, but don’t believe everything you hear or let someone mesmerize you with charisma, false hope and fake information. You know the rules and should stick to them on the 14th and 15th. Redefine what you expect out of a joint venture. A handshake alone is not enough. Get what you want in writing. Put some elbow grease behind your chores on the 16th. Get your house in order. Declutter and organize your space and your thoughts.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Be optimistic but frugal on the 10th and 11th, and progress will unfold. Network, be flexible and consider incorporating what you discover into something you want to pursue. The opportunity to stretch your imagination will lead to exciting alternatives. Investments, contracts and medical issues require your undivided attention on the 12th and 13th. Don’t believe everything you hear; do your due diligence before you concede to suggestions. Surround yourself with experts and interesting people on the 14th and 15th, and field ideas offered to see if they positively impact something you want to pursue. A partnership that can change your lifestyle looks inviting. Romance is in the stars. Emotions will rise to the surface on the 16th. A snap decision will take you down a unique path.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Be careful what you wish for on the 10th and 11th. Nothing will be as it appears, leaving you in a precarious position. Honesty and integrity will be your best defense. Ask questions, get what you want in writing and verify information before proceeding. Pick up where you left off on the 12th and 13th. Start conversations and rely on your tried-and-true friends and family to keep you grounded. Opportunities are apparent, but so are pretenses. On the 14th and 15th, look at your options before you move. Go through the proper channels and order the documents and licenses first. Find out how you will benefit on the 16th before agreeing to help someone else or pay their way. Protect your assets, possessions and reputation.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Take the pressure off on the 10th and 11th by asking pertinent questions. Once you have the scoop, you’ll know what to do next. Put your energy into whatever will preserve your rights and what you desire first. An opportunity or connection will help you reach your goal. You can have fun with friends on the 12th and 13th, but don’t let anyone take advantage of you. Keep your assets and longterm plans a secret. A change or move will lift your spirits on the 14th and 15th. Home improvements, clearing a space to develop and pursue something you enjoy doing and sharing your dream with someone you love are favoured. Get physical on the 16th. Do something exhilarating with someone special. Romance is in the stars.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Sit tight on the 10th and 11th. Changes others suggest will benefit them more than you. Bide your time, figure out what you want and plan your actions carefully. Someone will mislead you regarding your budget and finances. On the 12th and 13th, get out and mingle, network and find helpful resources that can help you on your journey. Refrain
goal. Stop worrying about what others do on the 14th and 15th and start doing what makes you happy. Keep tabs on what you spend and owe on the 16th. Look for alternatives that save you money and satisfy your needs. Home improvements, hosting an event and exploring new possibilities are favoured.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Keep things in perspective on the 10th and 11th. If you follow someone else’s lead, you’ll fall behind. Do what works best for you and stop watching and worrying about what everyone around you does and thinks. Presentation is essential on the 12th and 13th, and so is truth and honesty. Pay special attention to what you can provide and what things cost. An offer will fall through or lack substance. Proceed with caution. It’s up to you to bring about the changes you want to happen on the 14th and 15th. Don’t sit on the sidelines waiting for someone else to do the legwork. If you want something, make it happen. Say no to temptation on the 16th. Indulgent behaviour, overspending and stretching the truth will have consequences.
UNIVERSAL SUNDAY CROSSWORD
PAM AMICK KLAWITTER, EDITED BY JEFF CHEN
Students recognized for excellence in the classroom
Other award winners were Chad Dume, Jaylah Hall, Ethan James, Nia Wright, Timothy Eze, Mikayla Coore-Pascal, Arianne Jackson, Amelia Bork, Caswell Vickers, Merveille Uwase and Kaden Golding.
Since 2002, AEBS has been recognizing elementary and secondary school students at the annual celebration that honours excellence in the classroom and community.
Kien Nam Luu, a YRDSB superintendent, supports the event.
“Through the data, we know that Black students do not get the recognition they deserve,” the veteran educator said. “Having a special event like this, recognizing Black excellence across our school district is crucial.”
Tisha Nelson was honoured in the inaugural year for her contribution to the academic program at Vaughan Secondary School that, in 2021, was renamed Hodan Nalayeh Secondary School to memorialize the Somalian-born entrepreneur and
community activist who, with her husband, were among 26 people killed when terrorists stormed the Asasey Hotel in Kismayo, a port city about 528 kilometres southwest of Mogadishu, in July 2019.
“It was one of the first awards I received as a student,” said the YRDSB elementary school principal. “That year, I and a few of my friends decided to fast-track through high school to complete our Ontario Academic Credits.
It was affirming that our efforts were recognized. At the time at Vaughan, there was a growing Black population and we felt targeted at times by some of the school policies. To be given a space where our academic and school contributions were acknowledged was reaffirming.”
After high school, Nelson completed a History & Sociology degree at York University, a Master of Teaching degree at the University of Toronto Ontario Institute for Studies in Education and a PhD in Philosophy.
An instructional leader for the last 15 years, she
has invited educators to reimagine dominant narratives in education through Black feminist orientation for identifying, interrogating and disrupting barriers that perpetuate racism, classism and other forms of systemic oppression.
Nelson has contributed to the landscape of learning in the field of education in Ontario as a teacher, curriculum coach, blogger and facilitator of workshops.
The former AEBS chair recently served as a fulltime seconded course director at the Faculty of Education at York University and course developer and instructor for the three-part Additional Qualification, ‘Addressing Anti-Black Racism To Change Pedagogy & Practice’ at Lakehead University.
The author of three books in the Sankofa series, Nelson was promoted to vice-principal in 2017 and principal five years later.
Former AEBS co-chairs, she and Shayna MacDonald are the only two academic award winners who have become YRDSB
principals.
Nicole Bynoe and Pierrette Walker replaced them a few months ago.
“York Region District School Board covers a vast geographical area and often Black staff and students feel isolated,” said Walker who is a vice-principal at Cedarwood Public School. “When I first came to this Board, it was at the AEBS awards that I realized this is the space most representative of Black students in our Board.”
Bynoe, the principal at Kettle Lakes Public School, said the students’ feeling of joy is evident on awards night.
“You can see it in their faces when they walk in to get that award,” she said. “We are in a space where sometimes their excellence is not looked at as something to be celebrated. This is a platform for that to be done.”
Darcie Sutherland, the first Black woman principal of the Dismantling Anti-Black Racism Strategy in the YRDSB, has supported the awards program for the last two decades.
“When you think about
the importance of these awards, this space creates a voice, an affirmation where students can see their potential that is sometimes not highlighted,” she added.
Ron Lynn, the Chair of the YRDSB Trustees, acknowledged the award winners.
You are here because you are a role model for current and future YRDSB students,” he said. “You are representative of the amazing accomplishments that students of all backgrounds can achieve in the classroom and beyond.
Just for a moment, I ask you to reflect on the past year…I hope you can feel the satisfaction that comes with a job well done.”
Lynn thanked AEBS for investing in Black youth and empowering communities.
“We are extremely fortunate to have organizations such as AEBS working alongside YRDSB to identify opportunities for and celebrate Black students and their achievements,” he added. “By honouring the identities of Black students and their
lived experiences, we are better positioned to support them in reaching their goals. Thank you for your individual and collective efforts in fostering partnerships with families and community organizations, as well as supporting the Board in our ongoing work toward equity and inclusion.
“We look forward to continuing to work with you to create environments where students of all backgrounds can reach their dreams.”
Retired York Region District School Board administrators Vilma Cornelius, Paul DeLyon and Cecil Roach along with Camille Logan, who spent 29 years with the Board before joining Peel District School Board as an associate director three years ago, founded AEBS in 1998.
“The stories of underachievement of Black students have been told too often,” said Roach. “Our students are capable of achieving and having a fantastic educational trajectory and they deserve to be celebrated.”
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Courage and Resilience in Black Canadian History”. Henry-Dixon, recom -
mending curriculum change, said it’s needed “to counter the persistent, deliberate erasure and
marginalization” of Black Canadians’ place in Canada’s education system.
The change is required “in order to disrupt the role that anti-Black racism has played in shaping where Black people have been in Canadian society, and as well as to map their resistance and their resilience”, she said.
Francis said a curriculum “by us”, serving every student and educator and “built also for our community”, should be in place all the way up to the university
level.
“We need to ensure research and teaching in universities are appropriately done by us, for us,” said Francis. “If we don’t correct this at the university level, we will continue to have teachers who are ill-prepared to teach our students.”
Black people were not “just forgotten in the educational system”, said Francis. “It was an educational system that was designed to support colonization and enslave -
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MOVERS FOR RENT
Young Canadian shines at Norwich City Mina Cup in UK
By KENIOA PENNEY
MJ Opoku, a rising star from Toronto, Ontario, with proud Ghanaian-Jamaican roots, was impressive on the international stage at the inaugural Under-12 Norwich City Mina Cup in the UK.
Playing for Toca Pro FC, Opoku’s goals played a pivotal role in helping his team advance to the Gold Cup semifinals and placing in the top four teams against some of Europe’s most prestigious football clubs. Representing Canada, Toca Pro FC’s youngsters took on European football powerhouses and delivered one stunning performance after another.
Playing in multiple positions, Opoku and his team displayed defensive dominance, conceding only one goal in two group stage matches.
When asked what the highlight of the tournament was for him, Opoku said it was scoring a goal against Liverpool FC 1-0 and the hosting team Norwich FC 1-0.
Facing off against top European academy teams such as Chelsea, Liverpool, Borussia Dortmund, Arsenal and host Norwich City FC, Toca Pro FC recorded a string of impressive victories. They beat Chelsea 1-0, Liverpool 1-0, Borussia Dortmund 2-0, Norwich FC 1-0 and held Arsenal to a draw, securing the top spot in their Gold Division group and advancing to the semifinals.
In a heart-pounding semifinal match, Toca Pro FC battled Leeds United, where the game came down to a nail-biting penalty shootout. Leeds eventually edged out Toca Pro FC, claiming their spot in the final and going on to win the championship against Feyenoord.
Although Toca Pro FC didn’t take home the trophy, their incredible journey solidified them as a team to be
reckoned with. Despite being the underdogs, placed in the “group of death”, their passion, grit and Canadian spirit propelled them through the tournament, winning seven out of eight matches and allowing only one goal throughout the competition.
Head coach and owner of Toca Pro FC, David Velastegui, couldn’t be prouder of his team’s accomplishments:
“As the head coach and owner of Toca, I want to
express how proud I am of these young Canadian athletes. This was a significant test to measure their abilities against some of the top academy teams in Europe. They not only demonstrated remarkable technical skills but also displayed the hunger and determination to compete at the highest level. I am truly excited about the future for these boys. Their success in dominating the Canadian soccer scene, and now with these results, proves that we are ready to take on the world.”
This tournament plays a crucial role in the development and scouting of Canadian players, as there was significant interest and many inquiries about these young talents. It also provides the kids with an important benchmark, helping them understand where they stand and what they need to improve on to compete and excel at the highest level when they return to Canada.
Looking ahead, the future is bright for this fearless squad. In 2025, they will continue their international journey, competing in South America and Spain, where they will undoubtedly be ready to challenge the world’s best once again.
Chris Brown, founder of the Mina Cup, expressed his excitement for the future of the tournament:
“We were delighted with the inaugural Mina Cup UK given the level of teams that took part from all over the world including a number of the biggest clubs in England and Europe and by the seamless organization and elite level facilities provided by our partners Norwich City FC,” said Brown.
The level of the tournament and exposure gained will help build the brand of the Mina Cup across the world with Dubai and the UAE as its birthplace.”
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Attempting a political comeback in 2006 after admitting two years earlier to stealing an expensive ring, the incumbent foiled New Democratic Party MP Svend Robinson’s bid, winning by over 8,000 votes.
It was Robinson’s first loss in 25 years.
In the 2008 federal election, the tireless politician defeated prominent gay Conservative Party candidate Lorne Mayencourt and NDP member Michael Byers, a professor at the University of British Columbia.
Soon after migrating to Canada in 1970, Fry read the late Pierre Elliott Trudeau’s ‘Towards a Just Society’ and was inspired. She was also motivated by her grandmother who insisted she should not complain about anything she is not willing to change.
“Just go in there, fix it and make a difference she would always say,” recalled Fry, who was Canada’s Secretary of State for Multiculturalism and the Status of Women for six years before being dropped from Cabinet in 2002. “My parents had a Grade 8 education and they struggled to get me to where I am. Me and my ex-husband (Peter Fry was doing a residency in Vascular Surgery) were planning to go to the United States before deciding to settle in British Columbia. Education is the single most important thing and I wanted to get involved in health care for which you didn’t have to pay.”
Medicine and politics were not among the professional pursuits on her list growing up in San Fernando in the 1940s and early 1950s.
An avid reader and writer, Fry aspired to be a ‘Time’ magazine correspondent and a novelist.
At St. Joseph’s Convent, she studied French, Spanish and French Literature for her Advanced Level exams and was awarded a scholarship to attend Oxford University after emerging as the top English Literature student in Trinidad & Tobago.
“My parents were saving money to either build a house or send me to university,” Fry said. “All of a sudden, everything had fallen into place. They could get their house, I could read and I wanted to see if I could join the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts.”
While preparing to take up the scholarship, ‘she read ‘The Wheel of Fire’, written by English literary critic and academic G. Wilson Knight that psycho-analyzed Shakespeare’s tragic heroes.
“I had to do Shakespeare, a lot of the romantic poets and prose among other things to win that scholarship,” said Fry who chairs the Canadian Association of Parliamentarians for Population Development to raise parliamentarian’s awareness of sexual and reproductive health, human rights and to
promote cooperation among other networks. “So, I decided I wanted to be a psychiatrist and my father said he would ask our family doctor if I could do that. The doctor said I could not because I didn’t do any science subjects that would allow me to apply to medical school.”
While researching, Fry’s obstetrician discovered there was a College of Physicians & Surgeons in Dublin that was accepting 10 persons with top of the bell curve marks in Literature and the Arts into their pre-med class.
He sent her marks and she secured one of the spots at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.
“My father said if I wanted to do that, he had money saved that would pay for my tuition,” said Fry who completed a Bachelor of Science in a year before starting medical studies “So I gave up my Oxford scholarship to study medicine.”
With all of her father’s savings, she vowed not to let him down.
Re-elected nine times, the 83-year-old plans to run in the next federal election in 2025.
Fry is in rare company among a handful of long-serving Canadian Members of Parliament. They include Mackenzie Bovell who served for 50 years and two months after being elected to the first Parliament of Canada in 1867 and Wilfrid Laurier who served for 41 years and two months until 1919.
“I love the challenges and I love to make a difference and change lives,” said Fry who briefly campaigned for the Liberal Party leadership in 2006 before withdrawing and announcing her support for Bob Rae. “When I came in just over three decades ago, transgender and LGBTQ people were living in fear. Instead of saying I have done this, I have been there and I am tired, I am infuriated and ready to roll up my sleeves.
“Housing is also a big issue here and health care will always be one of the things I fight and strive for. There are so many things to do and so little time to do them. Also, I like elections more than anything else.”
How much has changed since the octogenarian entered the House of Commons in 1993?
“In the last few years, things have been much different,” the former Liberal Critic for Sport Canada said. “There used to be a theatre that went on for question period and then everybody went off to have coffee or something else to drink. People were polite and they went to bat on policies and other issues. The place has become very ugly. People are trying to savage your character and this has got nothing to do, as far as I am concerned, with politics. It is an ugliness that makes a lot of people uncomfortable.”
Fry attributes the offensiveness to the emergence of social media.
“A lot of people say things on social media without anyone
checking the facts to see whether they are true or not,” she said. “While social media has its benefits, it does have its drawbacks. People go on to social media and see someone saying something that they agree with. They believe it and, sometimes, share it without anyone checking to see if it is true or not.
“In the old days, if you read something, heard about it on the radio and saw it on television, you were certain you could accuse that person of libel if it were not true. With social media, it is a free-for-all. We have a collective of tribes of people going purely on belief, rumour and innuendo.”
Fry is not the only Trinbagonian who has excelled in British Columbia. As a classmate of British Columbia Supreme Court Justice Valmond Romilly at San Fernando Government School, she knew his older brother Selwyn Romilly who passed away in September 2023.
In the House of Commons shortly after his death, Fry rose to mourn the death of the University of British Columbia’s first Black graduate and the province’s first Black Judge and Supreme Court Justice.
“I was terrified of Selwyn because he was older and very stern,” said Fry. “He was not a guy who was fun to be with. When I came to BC, Selwyn reached out to me and we became good friends. He also supported me. When I first won, Allan Rock (he was Canada’s Justice Minister then) was naming Supreme Court Justices and was looking at the diversity of the people around. I said here is a guy that every time I walk out there and see my friends, they ask if they can get Selwyn Romilly to be a Judge of the Supreme Court. I told Allan to make the appointment because Selwyn was brilliant. He turned out to be an extraordinary jurist. I had a lot of time for Selwyn.”
The apple did not fall from the tree, especially when it came to the eldest of her three sons.
Pete Fry was first elected to municipal office in Vancouver City in 2018 with the second-highest vote count after standing twice in local elections and once in a provincial by-election. The Green Party of Vancouver member was re-elected two years ago.
“I brought my three boys up to have a sense of community and social conscience,” said Fry who heads Canada’s delegation to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly. “We talked about a lot of things, including gay rights and education. Not everyone is as lucky as they are to have two parents who are doctors and living a good life. We also talked about where I grew up in a housing scheme in Trinidad. I let them know you don’t have to be where you come from and that you can aspire to do great things and also help people to aspire.
MJ OPOKU in action. Photo contributed
