The journey that I have traveled over the past seventy-five years has brought me enormous knowledge and wisdom. The developing years of my childhood, with my parents, siblings, my extended family and community has instilled in me the precious value for honour and respect of human lives.
Living in Jamaica the first twenty years of my life has taught me respect for my elders, the beauty of nature, and the expectation of a better life and a more caring world. As I traveled to England in the late fifties and went through a transformation from a warm people and climate to a cold and racist country, I was compelled to fight discrimination and racism. My ten years of residing in England ended in 1965, the year I came to Canada.
These forty-four years of living in Toronto Canada has caused me to be involved in many different struggles, including the criminal justice system, immigration, public housing, police community relationship, racial profiling, and many other issues of concern to the Afro-Canadian community and to society in general.
One of the first lessons that I learned and that was very clear to me, was that a community must be organized if that community hopes to achieve and sustain progress, justice and respect. Because of this view, and the historic philosophic teachings of the Honourable Marcus Garvey, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., and many others, I have joined and co-founded many organizations in England and in Canada. The need for community based organizations, national, and international groups of cultural and political organization cannot be overstated.
Soon after my arrival in Canada, I became a member of the Jamaican-Canadian Association, of which I am still a member. Soon after I joined the Universal African Improvement Association (the Garvey movement), and became its President in 1972. Some of the organizations that I co-founded were: (in England), The Brixton Neighbourhood Association, and the Standing Conference of the West Indies. (In Canada), Black Youth Community Action Project (BYCAP), Black Inmates & Friends Assembly (BIFA), the Black Action Defense Committee (of which I am now its executive director), and the various other committees that were formed in support of victims and their families because of police use of deadly force.
In continuation of my community involvement, I am always inspired by the teachings of the Honourable Marcus Garvey in his Philosophy and Opinions, he tells us “Chance has never yet satisfied the hope of a suffering people; action, self reliance, the vision of self, and the future has been the only means by which the oppressed has seen and realized the hope of their own freedom”.
At the present time in Toronto, and other parts of Canada, the African-Canadian community has extreme problems of internal acts of crime that has taken the lives of hundreds of young black men since the early 1990’s. There is the problem of unemployment and unskilled youth, there are also problems of young African-Canadian youth who are dropping out or being pushed out of the education system, there are also problems of and the condition of public housing. All these issues are of urgent concern to most of us in the African-Canadian community.
For many years, individuals and organizations have made enormous attempts in consulting with the three levels of government to address these problems in our community; these efforts have not been addressed nor have they been achieved to a satisfactory degree.
The failure of government to ban the manufacturing, sales, and distribution of guns has caused the unlimited usages of these deadly weapons in the African-Canadian community and the destabilization of hundreds families, the deaths of hundreds, of black youths, and the imprisonment of hundreds more.
For many years the Black Action Defense Committee has been at the forefront of the struggle for the establishment of an Independent Civilian Oversight to investigate police misconduct. Although the government has called many commissions of inquiries, which have recommended the establishment of such a body, the government is reluctant to do so.
It is my opinion, and the opinion of others in and outside of our community, that if such a body is established, and citizens of Ontario and Canada have the means by which to make complaint on police abuse. This would greatly improve the relationship between the African-Canadian community and the police.
Over the past few years, the provincial government has spent over two billion dollars in the building of super jails in Maple Hurst and Penetanguishine, and the planning of a youth jail in Brampton. To my knowledge, the provincial government has not built a training centre where young adults could be trained with skills for gainful employment.
The establishment of the Afro centric School is a very positive advancement in the lives of some of our children especially those who are unable to cope in the present school system. Some of our children need a more tender approach; a cultural sensitive place of acceptance and welcome that would develop the intelligence and genius in them.
These seventy-five years has given me unlimited knowledge of my community and its people. Many persons living and deceased have given years of their lives for the betterment of our children and community; the continuation of this process is now the task of the growing youth leadership in which I have tremendous confidence. My hope is that they will call on the knowledge, experience, and wisdom of those of us who have traveled the path of leadership.
In my visitations to the jails and prisons I saw the hundreds of young black men in these institutions, I reflected on the various problems in our community. I must say that no child was born a criminal; it is the environment in which they grew that made them what they have become.
All of us must therefore accept our responsibilities and work to change the acts of violence, poverty, unemployment, and economic dependency. Those of us who have gained reorganization have achieved honour because of the sacrifices men and women that have preceded us made. We must now prepare our children to climb on our shoulders to the pinnacle of greatness that they must achieve.
Sean Cheesman is an award-winning, internationally renowned dancer/choreographer who has worked
with the world’s top entertainers including Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, TLC, Vanessa Williams, Carmen Electra, Tina Turner, Queen Latifah, Cher and Britney Spears.
It’s a really interesting question to be asked, "Who Is Your Mentor?" I've had many over the years.
Starting out as a Black figure skater, it was hard to find someone I could identify with so I found myself looking towards the entertainment industry; to people in "show biz". I started with the old school performers: Sammy Davis, Jr., Bob Fosse, Josephine Baker and went all the way to Michael Jackson. But it wasn't until I saw the movie, Fame, that my destiny was changed forever. From then on, my love of dancing on ice soon changed to dancing on the dance floor.
After moving to New York to study at the Alvin Ailey (Performing Arts School) and getting my first job as dancer in Michael Jackson's "Bad" video, I moved to Los Angeles where I met Vanessa Williams. I danced in her first video, "Right Stuff" and then she gave me my first break as a choreographer. She has been a major part of my life ever since.
But my true mentors in my life have been my parents, Winston & Gloria Cheesman. They came to Canada from Trinidad, which was a very big and difficult step. They had always asked me what I wanted to do and let me do it. They supported me through all the ups and downs and taught me by example to always maintain my pride and dignity. Without their constant love I would have never had the courage to do what I do and love: dance.
And for all the success I've had, just seeing them smile after they've seen my work makes me feel like I'm the richest man in the world.
Sean is currently the Host and Choreographer as well as the Head Judge on the reality show/dance competition DIRTY DANCING: TIME OF YOUR LIFE, currently playing on the Living Channel all over the United Kingdom.
Kevin Hanchard: On the Honourable Lincoln Alexander
Kevin Hanchard is an accomplished stage and screen actor based in Toronto. With numerous credits to his name he is continuing to persevere in hopes of one day eradicating the many barriers facing young black artists and actors. Classically trained, he is as comfortable with the words of William Shakespeare as he is with the words of the great August Wilson.
Having grown up in a rapidly declining area of Mimico in the early 80’s, I was identified as a “gifted” student in the second grade and in the third grade moved to a special school away from all of the children that I had grown up with. My childhood dynamic instantly changed from being “just one of the kids” to being the only black child in a class of privileged, and fairly affluent white children. As is the case with most children, I learned to adapt quickly and fit in, unfortunately my friends back in my neighbourhood recognized a change in me and my behaviour and I began to receive grief. Thus began a long standing inner turmoil, can I be an intelligent young black man growing up in “the hood” and still be accepted by my peers? That question wasn’t fully answered until some years later.
I was in the 7th grade. Through much hard work and struggle, my parents had moved us into the comfortable suburbs of Mississauga, and although the pressures and conflict of school persona versus street persona were lessened to some degree, they were still a very present factor in my day to day life. One day we were called to the auditorium for an assembly of some sort. Glad for the respite, we all piled in and took our seats. Shortly thereafter came a moment that changed my life. I wouldn’t fully appreciate it for several years but I knew at that instant that it was special.
An elegant black man took the stage and addressed the gymnasium full of pre-pubescent children in a manner that was not demeaning or condescending, but rather understanding, encouraging and inspiring. Never once did he say “young black boy from Mimico”, but it felt as if he was speaking directly into my soul.
He spoke of the power of education and the need, the overwhelming need for our generation of children to reach their maximum potential, to never be ashamed of being a shining light and an example to those around you. And how academia is the one undeniable tool through which one can achieve their dreams.
As he spoke I could feel the missing pieces of my life’s puzzle fall into place and I knew from that moment onward I would never again apologize for who I was and who I knew I could and would become, and although I had two strong and encouraging parents at home, the words of this man seemed to be push necessary to set me on my proper course.
That man was the Honourable Mr. Lincoln M. Alexander.
I had occasion to run into Mr. Alexander outside of the Air Canada Centre a few years back, and I was struck with this overwhelming need to let him know how much he had impacted my life. In true Alexander style he graciously thanked me for my words, but it was the look in his eyes that stayed with me. The look of satisfaction in knowing that he had indeed made a difference in someone’s life.
Mr. Alexander let me say that you have been an inspiration to many. And the boy from Mimico thanks you.
Member of the Royal Canadian Air Force in the Second World War, first Canadian Black Member of Parliament, Federal Cabinet Minister and Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario, recipient of the Order of Ontario and Companion of the Order of Canada, Lincoln Alexander, PC, CC, OOnt, CD, QC is a living legend. The self-described "Obama of Ontario" spoke to Canoe Live about the value of diversity and offered words of wisdom for today's youth.
Believing in my community is key. Black “her-story” - no problem!! It didn't take mee long to find out this was not my plan; my journey, but definitely not my plan. Responsibility, who wanted that at 14? I was so busy convincing people I was 16 and mother had no worries with mee rapping and break dancing at the centre with the boys. Yeah right, and this too shall pass, she prayed. ”Please Mom, don't call Aunty Barbara or Mama Lou I'm fine!!” I’d say.
Beating on cafeteria tables and talking back to smart-mouthed fellas was going to be part of my claim to fame and my entry into a man’s world! Hip hop or dancehall music, private industry parties, I was there telling everyone I would be a 'star' and could take out any American emcee because I was a fearless Jamaican living in Canada. A very proud Canadian, I was not afraid of a challenge. If you learned my accent and had better rhymes, believe I was going to learn yours and kill you with lyrics.
The beginning: The writer trying to express herself by any means necessary wanted to be heard by the world and prove she could write songs and poetry. Even then the actress in mee was bubbling on stage doing theatrics I knew no man could do unless it was during Caribana in Toronto! Just wanting to be different, exploiting our Caribbean culture in Canada. At 14, I was always wondering what can I do, that no one else can? Man or woman, gender was of no concern to mee.
As I entered make-up art school, I wanted to be on movie sets any way I could but at that time there was nobody I trusted behind the scenes to paint my face like Janet Jackson’s. How would I get my big break, LOL! Not realizing “her-story” was already being written. One day while in class, I got a call asking if I'd like to do a rock song. Ol' fearless Michie says yes and tells all her hip hop fans, “Too bad. I want more. Welcome to Canada, eh!!” There went my mouth again, facing another hard road and challenge after being told, “You're no Run DMC.” But ALL my friends in New York were emerging rap stars that stood at nothing. I quickly adapted that mind-frame and saw no apparent reason to start listening now, so I became Raggadeath's (Attic /Universal) lead singer. And “No Mom, please don't call Aunty Barbara or Mama Lou. I'm fine!!!...No, I'm not on drugs. It’s rock n roll, and yes that's my Stonelove dancehall CD. Don’t ask... just gimmee a minute......” Ha!
Then the biggest challenge of all: Motherhood!! Yikes! This is not hip hop; MC Lyte and Queen Latifah are not having kids. What do I tell my mother now.... “No Mom. Don't call Aunty Barbara or Mama Lou I'm fine!"
Tell my mother JB (a.k.a Ms. Joyce) this. I'm fearless like her! I believe in a higher power like her! I look like her! And without her I'm nothing!!! I believe just like her!! My mother is my biggest inspiration. I remember the story she told mee about dropping books in the mud on the way to school in Jamaica. From that point on, she believed she would educate her way out and help her family. That's exactly what she did and she became important in another country without losing herself or her roots. My mother is an RN nurse with a supermom doctrine. She’s a wife, an aunty, a friend and an irreplaceable grandmother. I still 'believe' just like her!!
You can “Drop the Beat”, join a band, act in commercials, speak your mind and encourage others, but the one thing you must do is BELIEVE in whatever you do! THANK YOU MOM I BELIEVED AND STILL DO!! Like my other BIG inspiration and big brother Ivan Berry would say, “To take advantage of an opportunity you must first recognize it.” I grew up on that one.
Thank you Beat Factory and CBC
Merci Canada! Respect to the maximum for helping mee BELIEVE!
Producer-Director Alison Duke is currently directing The VENT, a six ½ hr variety show created with Maggie Cassella and Charlie Smith. It will be airing on Out TV. She is also producing A Love Supreme, a film by Bruce McDonald based on a novel by Kent Nussey. Alison also mentors and teaches young filmmakers on how to make films that reflects their own point of view.
Over the years I have had many mentors who have helped me navigate different aspects of my life, such as my spirituality, my film career and my overall direction. One of my favorite people to go to for advice and support today is Thomas Allen Harris.
Thomas is an African American documentary director based out of New York City. During the past 20 years, he has directed several highly acclaimed films, and more recently award-winning documentaries including, E Minha Cara’s That’s My Face (2001) and Twelve Disciples of Nelson Mandela (2005). Currently, he is directing Through A Lens Darkly – a much anticipated film about the emergence of Black Photography from the 1860s up to today.
Although Thomas is many things; a Harvard Graduate, an artist, a hustling producer, a deeply spiritual connected soul with the universe, an American Artist Award winner, ultimately, he is a cultural warrior aka a man on a mission to make meaningful work that will challenge the status quo of who we are as a people and how we think about ourselves.
By watching his many fascinating films which delve into his complexly layered Diasporic identity, I fell in love with the idea of making culturally relevant movies. Now that I have a few under my belt, working mostly on my own, I am thrilled at the fact that I am one of his producers and he is mine.
Working with Thomas is helping me to realize my second act as a filmmaker. I've been through many different phases in my 10 year career. First as a music video producer/director, then as a documentary director and now as a filmmaker/director/producer. Meaning, I just work. It sounds so easy, but the confidence to actually live this way didn't come easily. Sure I was going through the motions, and it hadn't occurred to me that I had to believe in my own hype.
He has given me many Obama-type moments to reflect on what that means.
“Alison, it doesn’t matter if you’re a black filmmaker or a female filmmaker, or a queer filmmaker, you have to believe that the stories you have to tell are important and that the way you want to tell them is important. You have to believe in the fact that when you are asking people for funding, you are not asking them to help you, you are giving them an opportunity to get involved in something great because what you have to offer is great. ”He would boom this across the room whenever I said anything that was the least bit self-deprecating. He would say things like this to me all of the time until one day I stopped thinking that way.
This may not mean that much to the average person but to me it has meant a world of difference in how I now view myself as a filmmaker. Just a simple statement of acknowledgement, a gesture of encouragement can mean so much when most of your time as a black filmmaker is spent trying to circumvent a mainstream industry. They may say they are interested in your voice, because there is a great need for newer voices and creativity, but in reality when you show up at their offices, they aren’t. And when they are interested in your point of view, they want you to make work that more or less sticks to the stereotypes. How many doors have been shut in my face because I refuse to follow the status quo? Many!
But Thomas’s work has shown me that it is possible to make your mark on your own terms. He not only is guiding me through the system but also has shown me how to not only pay attention to my creative voice but to celebrate it.
I look at things differently now. I no longer am a filmmaker in need of money to produce her next film. I am an opportunity for people who want to be involved in something great.
For me, supporting each other as we move forward in our dreams and goals is what Black History Month is all about. Sure, we cannot forget the many great people in our history who have paved the way, however we have to make sure that we honour, recognize and nurture those around as they us grow. Because history is not built backwards, it is built forwards. If you want to see tulips blooming in the springtime, you have to plant them in the fall.
Sometimes, I don’t know if it is Thomas the cultural warrior, Harvard grad, the American Artist Award recipient, or hustling producer who is mentoring me but whomever it is it doesn’t matter. I feel that I’ve finally found my voice. I just want to say thank you Thomas for giving so much.
During the past year, Thomas and Alison have been invited to various festivals to talk to people about their upcoming documentary, Through a Lens Darkly. They recently attended the 2009 Sundance Film Festival to premiere the multimedia aspect of their project on a special panel honouring New Frontier in the digital media.
Alison Duke - Producer/Director
A sweet little production company www.alisonduke.com
James Valitchka is a 13 year old award-winning and critically acclaimed writer and motivational speaker, who started his community service work at the age of 8 by stating, "We have to give kids like me a chance to succeed at school". He is a sought after role model and public speaker who is known for his eloquent novels and his passion for encouraging other children and youth to positively express their emotions through writing. His second book, "Superheroes Don’t Have Dads" became a bestseller in six months. James is a dual citizen of Canada and the United States.
Who am I? I am an imperfect 14 year old bi-racial teenage author named James Valitchka, who chose good over evil, strength over sorrow and hope over despair. Most importantly, I am a child of God.
I have often felt that I really did not have a choice for my life. God had a purpose for me and when I allowed good things to enter into my life and allowed the good in me to shine I lived a better and happier life. I truly believe that life is about giving to others.
When I was younger, it was very hard because my mom had me when she was still in school and my father abandoned us. My mother eventually took him to court and life became a little bit easier financially. He was forced to be responsible and I think after he was able to work through his own issues with his father, he became a better person. However, that brief period of hardship taught me to have insight and compassion into the lives of others, and how to look deeper to truly see people I meet and try to understand their experience. This search for deepness made me a better person and ultimately a better author.
What I find the most interesting in life is that pain and challenges often teach you the most and bring you the most rewards, if you remain positive and never stop moving forward.
The other lesson I want to share with others is that courage and honour changed my life. I had the courage to speak about and write about the pain I felt when my father abandoned me and simply cared about himself and making lots of money for himself, not us. I looked for other role models with a heart, other role models who had made it in spite of not having a dad for a while. I started the story to heal my pain and then shared it with my class. I was scared that people would laugh and tease me and some did. While most felt inspired to share their own pain and write books themselves, I was actually bullied by a very rich boy in my class because I did not have a father. I wrote about that experience in my first book, Superheroes Don't Have Dads. That book ended up winning first place out of 1200 entries and I received a publishing contract and a chance to tour the world. It became a bestseller and I was supposed to tour with 11 other children, but for some reason they did not tour so I had to give 12 speeches a day; my own, as well as theirs. I learned then that I loved to connect and speak with my audiences. It also gave me a chance to improve the natural gift I had of public speaking. God has a sense of humour and sometimes you never know His purpose for your life until your back is up against the wall.
At 10, I was the youngest child to win the “Top 20 Under 20” award and Air Canada and many other corporations were very kind and supportive and sponsored me. I then won Free the Children's “Me to We Community” award and the “June Callwood Outstanding Achievement Award for Voluntarism”. From there, things kept moving forward.
On the outside things looked perfect, but what people did not know was that I kept moving forward and helping others while experiencing many racist attacks and challenges. I learned that some things people offer or give you are never what they seem.
I was accepted into a private school in Ottawa where I experienced very sophisticated racism from some of the students, as well as some of the staff members. I was called "slave", "nigger”, etc. almost every day while the teachers would most often pretend not to see or hear them. I received hate mail stating "Niggers don't belong here, don't come back". People, who were supposed to be teaching and helping me, marked down my work, treated me differently from the other students and tried to place me into lower classes so I would not reach my full potential. I was being tested and my self-esteem plummeted again, as it does for every black child or person who faces the cruelty of racism and pain just because of their skin colour. I did not know what to do, but I knew I had to fight it and make sure that this never happened to another black child at this school. I filed a Human Rights complaint and the school settled. I am glad I took the difficult road and filed the report because at least their racism was exposed.
I think that God was preparing me for that place because after I left that school God brought me to an even better school in the Greater Toronto area named Appleby College. This school is truly an international multicultural school with students from all over the world who want to shine, stand out, become leaders and be the best they can be. Appleby College has allowed me to improve my talents, reach my full potential academically and I believe that I can achieve my long term goals of becoming a civil rights lawyer and politician.
Another event that shaped my life was the inauguration of President Barack Obama, who I feel myself and millions of other children have so much in common with. He is also biracial; grew up without his father; had low self esteem for a period of time; and did his BEST in school so he could succeed. Some people will have trouble in school and to them I say: You are competing with yourself, not anyone else. Try as hard as you can, ask safe people for help, and do your best. It will take you places if you never give up. Find your talents and work hard on them every day. The inauguration of Barrack Obama proved to me that hate and racism can't stop God. If God has a plan for your life, no one can stop it so we need to turn to Him every day and trust him.
It seems with every challenge and hardship in my life I write a new book or start a new company or tour. When I was heartbroken because I did not have a father in my life I wrote, Superheroes Don't Have Dads and expressed my pain so I would not bully and so I could like myself. When I experienced racism, I wrote I`m Not Brown I'm Human. When I became a teenager and saw so many students hurting, with low self esteem and using drugs and alcohol to fit in, or answer their questions, I wrote, Greater Expectations because I wanted teens to know that they should not give into those things. They should say NO and stay on track for GREATER things. When children and teenagers wrote to me about being abused, I started the Stand Tall and Speak Out: VOICE for Children and Youth movement. It gives students the tools to become leaders and speak out respectfully and seek help whenever they see or experience abuse, discrimination, bullying/violence or injustice.
I am half-Canadian and half-American. I am half-black and half-white. All children, American, Canadian and from all heritages and races, need strong role models who have integrity, passion and morals. People who make us proud and strong; who believe in a better world.
I want children and youth like me to know that I had challenges, obstacles and hard times. I still do, but I overcame them and they can to. We can do great things and make positive choices, especially with heroes like Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King and President Barack Obama leading the way! We are not perfect, heroes are not perfect, but they don't let that stop them. They do what is right anyway. You can be a hero also! Make that choice to be fair and kind to others. Treat people equally. Speak out respectfully and safely with help and support whenever you see injustice, discrimination or abuse. If we all work together, support one another and work very hard for our dreams, we can accomplish great things and achieve our goals. Together, we can create a better future with every day, with every choice, and with every action. God bless you.
The first national Stand Tall and Speak Out: VOICE for Children and Youth conference will be taking place on May 16th-19th, 2009 in Ottawa. Students can visit: www.standtallandspeakout.com to register.
Dr. Bertram Fraser-Reid: Taking science to a whole new level
An article in the Jamaica Gleaner of January 17, 2007 under the by-line of Ross Sheil was captioned “The Sugar Doctor” – fortunately not the sugar daddy. The article was prompted by a recent outbreak of malaria, the likes of which Jamaica had not seen in forty years. I must therefore have been among one of the last cases because in 1947, as a 13 year old student at Clarendon College, I had been so badly afflicted by the disease, that I became delirious.
The “Sugar Doctor” caption of the article is related to the fact that in 2005, my non-profit scientific laboratory, Natural Products and Glycotechnology (NPG) Research Institute located in North Carolina, had reported the first synthesis of the complex sugar that is the suspected toxin of cerebral malaria.
People have asked whether I undertook the synthesis because of my childhood encounter with malaria? The answer is very definitely, no! Similarly, our recent syntheses of the complex sugars associated with tuberculosis were not undertaken because my eldest sister died of that disease.
Our work on malaria and tuberculosis has earned me (and my indispensible researchers) several honors including the World’s premiere Prize in carbohydrate chemistry from England’s Royal Society of Chemistry in 1995, and the Musgrave Gold Medal from the Institute of Jamaica in 2007. These achievements are the direct result of a reaction that was discovered in my lab some 20 years ago, by which we have been able to overcome the daunting task of assembling complex sugars called oligosaccharides, that encase and protect the cells of many infectious diseases.
In 1996, my wife and I established NPG Research Institute as a non-profit organization focusing on the infectious diseases that disproportionately affect Third-World post-colonial nations. I have witnessed at first hand the depredations caused by these diseases, because my science has taken me to 45 different countries, some many times over, such as India, from which I recently returned after my twelfth visit. During my visits, I have met young people (for example: Henok from Ethiopia, Thuo from Kenya, Supriya from India) who tell me that they were inspired when they googled me, and read of my history. These contacts with young Black scientists are among the greatest rewards of my travels.
Dave Newland’s invitation to contribute this article to Canoe.ca, asked that I tell something about someone who inspired my pursuit of a career in chemistry. Actually, not only did I not know any chemists during my childhood, but I do not remember even knowing of one.
My role model was my father. Of course, this did not dawn on me during my childhood; but as I matured, I realized that it was from him that I learned the value of hard work, and that “if something needs to get done, just get on with it”.
During my student years at Clarendon College, neither chemistry nor physics was taught. Two of the teachers for my 6th Form subjects were studying for the very same exams that they were preparing us for! Indeed, one of them was repeating, because he had failed the subject the previous year.Instead of bemoaning our lot, my seven classmates and I consulted as many books as possible, and shared our information with one another. Today, 5 of the 8 of us hold advanced degrees that rely heavily on chemistry and physics.(Since 1986, my wife and I have given, to the top student in chemistry at Clarendon College, an award that includes a take-home trophy, and a cash prize).
After finishing high school, I returned to Clarendon College as a junior teacher. Three years later, the school hired its first trained, qualified science teacher. His favorite subject was physics; but as I helped him set up the labs, I found chemistry more appealing.So I went to Sangster’s Book Store and bought “Teach Yourself Chemistry.” I was 21 years old and was making my first contact with the subject. A year later, with the help of my wonderful siblings, I left on a one-way ticket to Canada and with the first semester fees at Queen’s University.With the help of some credits plus heavy extra course loads, I graduated 3 years later with first class honors, and standing second in my class, as a result of which I earned scholarships to pursue a Master’s degree at Queen’s.
Thus, at the age of 20, all I knew about chemistry was how to spell the word. At age 21, I was turned on to chemistry by a colleague who hated it. At age 22, I was off to university to study chemistry. At age 25, I graduated and won a scholarship to go to graduate school.
I am proud of this five-year odyssey, but I am also humbled by it. Had I gone off to university after leaving high school at age 17, I would (might?) never have pursued chemistry as a career. Fifty years later, my love affair with the subject continues to be intense. But just because I love the subject does not mean that I have always found it easy, nor that I enjoyed doing all that was required to advance my career in chemistry. Usain Bolt said on The David Letterman show, that he hates to train; but he knows he has to if he wants to break world records. Similarly, there are hateful things that I had (have) to do for my chemistry. I will exemplify this with the following vignette.
I thought I was set to obtain my B.Sc. in May 1959. In February, the Registrar called me in. She said that in going over my records, she had noticed that I had not taken any physics at Queen’s, nor was there any physics on my high school transcript. I explained to her that physics was not taught at Clarendon College while I was a student there. “Well I am sorry, but you cannot get a B.Sc. degree from Queen’s without having had some physics.” However, she had an idea. She suggested that I go to a local high school and ask the physics teacher to allow me to take the Grade 13 exam (there were 13 grades then) with his students. “That’s fine with me,” the teacher said, “but you would have only two weeks between your final university exams and the Grade 13 test. That is not enough time to study, is it?” Well, I took the exam and got an A+.
Does this mean that I am genius? Not at all. The fact is that several of my chemistry courses required a knowledge of elementary physics. So, I simply borrowed a Physics 101 text book, and taught myself the physics I needed to understand my chemistry. So in that 2 week period before the Chem. 13 exam, all I needed to do was disentangle the physics from the chemistry. A few weeks later, I attended convocation, picked up my certificate - and my cheques for graduate school.
After a Master’s degree in chemistry at Queen’s, and a Ph.D. from the University of Alberta, I won a fellowship from Canada’s National Research Council to undertake advanced study in a lab of my choosing. I choose the laboratory of Nobel Laureate Sir Derek Barton in England. The most beneficial interactions in the 2 years that I spent there, were not necessarily from the contacts that I had with Sir Derek, but with the young men and women from all over the world who, like me, had come to sit at his feet. After leaving the lab at nights, we might go to the pub for a drink or a meal. The discussion ranged over all things that young people always talk about: finance, sports, sex, politics, not necessarily in that order; but the latest developments in chemistry were never far away. These interactions demonstrated the truism that “the main value of a university is the contact of mind with mind that it provides”.
In closing, I must not leave young people with the impression that success in one’s career requires a rigid, one-dimensional focus. I was fortunate to learn at an early age, that one can achieve competence in many things, if one goes from one activity to the next with a minimum of down time. am a reasonably good musician on the pipe organ and piano. At the International Symposium on Carbohydrate Chemistry at Stockholm in 1988, I was featured both on the scientific and cultural programs. I gave a plenary lecture about the new reaction we had just discovered, and played an organ recital at St. Johannes Cathedral. I repeated this in 1996 in Seville, Spain, playing the organ in the cathedral where the Spanish princess had been married the week before.
With regard to the under-representation of Blacksin science, I close with a story that fills me with humility. After my lecture at a Symposium on malaria in Nairobi, Kenya, some young students gathered around to talk to me. Upon my return to the US, some of them kept in touch by e-mail, seeking my advice about graduate school. With my help Martin was admitted to a Canadian University. His entire village had to help him raise his one-way fare to Canada. He went to the US to complete his Ph. D., and has just gone to Harvard for advanced training. Below is an excerpt from his latest e-mail to me:
"Hi Prof: It's been a while since we conversed; but I finally decided to accept the offer to join Harvard on the fellowship. I'm now settling in and getting the feel of interacting with some of the smartest people in the world. Thank you so much for all the help, but above all for the fight you put up and the ridicule you withstood so that someone like me can come from a rural village in Africa to Harvard. Thanks a lot Prof.!!
“I study your papers and see what you have accomplished and marvel, and now that I'm in the West and I have an idea how the 50s and 60s were for people of colour, I just can't but say thanks to you and others who paved the way for me. When you look back at your career I hope you will see all the Martins - those you know and those you don’t, that are doing great because you worked hard, fought hard and mentored us all.
“As we say in Africa, when we stand on a cliff, we don’t need a giant to send us falling down, but when we need to see beyond the horizon we must look for a higher point (shoulder) to stand on else our height is limited."
A vocal powerhouse performs a night filled with pure energy from Jazz, Soul, Motown, Funk to R&B and Pop.
7:30 pm - 11pm No cover Harlem Restaurant, 67 Richmond St. East (Just E of Church) For more details
or to book reservations book, contact Harlem at: carlcassell@harlemrestaurant.com or call 416-368-1920.
ONGOING UNTIL……SUN MAR 8
current Performing Arts Presents,
WISE.WOMAN
Emerging playwright, Rebecca Fisseha tells the story of Saba's journey back to her ancestral home in Ethiopia
where she plans to marry childhood sweetheart Solomon. It’s a modern tale of relationships and self‐discovery
with a revealing journey back to the old world of an East African dynasty. Enjoy a lyrical story of old world courting
and modern day self searching!
Various dates & times $20 Gen & $15 Student/Arts workers / $15 Groups of 10 / $10 Groups of 10+ Theatre
Centre, 1087 Queen St. West (Queen & Dovercourt) To buy tickets, go to: www.artsboxoffice.ca For more details,
go visit: www.bcurrent.ca
When I was first contacted by Mhairy, Canoe’s Marketing Solutions Advisor, it was great to hear from her, a former BMG music alumni who I had worked with previously while at MuchMusic. As I listened to her voice message she mentioned the Black History Month Profile and their interest in me being a part of this historical Blog. I was humbled and excited to participate, and she instructed me to give her call to get further details on the project. Well, before I called her, my old VJ ego jumped in...there’s probably going to be a photo shoot, what will I wear? Are they going to ask me about my influences and contributions as a Black man in Canada? My mind began to race recalling a variety of things I’ve managed to accomplish both past and present. Ok, I better give Mhairy a call...“Yeah, ok. Uh huh...WHAT?” You want me to write...500-700 words on an individual who’s inspired me (be it personally or professionally)... how they did so and/or offer any words of wisdom. Well my bubble burst right in front of my no lights, no camera, no pie in the sky sit down interview face...Hmmmm a blog I’m so old skool..... I can do this... the first thing that comes to mind is, FOUNDATION.
I must confess, shades of high school and college all-nighters haunt me when I have to apply myself to write creatively. I was blessed to have had the opportunity to provide a source of entertainment, culture and music to our Canadian fabric for over 12 years. As I produced and hosted "X-tendamix/Da Mix" I never realized the impact the show had on generations, until I left MuchMusic in 2001. It will be 8 years this August that I wrapped up my tenure at Much and they were some of the best as well as challenging years of my life. We would all like to work at a job that we’re passionate about; well I can’t deny I didn’t have that opportunity in my lifetime. I’ve also been blessed to have had the chance to be published in 2001 by ECW press. Much Master T, One VJ’s Journey , written by myself, Dalton Higgins and my wife Paula Johnson was my semi-autobiographical offering to the Soulmates. This really gave me the ability to share with so many, and provide some insight into this VJ’s world of personal challenges, highlights and amazing experiences with some of the greatest artists in the world.
It would be hard for me to name one particular influence personally or professionally because there have been so many. What I can share is how my foundation got me through my days at Muchmusic. When I went on the air in September 1990, I said a prayer before I ventured on the airwaves that afternoon. I continued that practice until the very last show which was the “Goodbye Blocko” with Lauryn Hill. I never realized how consistently my foundation would carry me on their shoulders during my 12 years on the air. My uncle passed away in November 1990 of cancer and I was fortunate enough to watch one of my early episodes of "X-Tendamix" with him in the hospital before he passed. A sense of great humility resonated through his whole being as he sat
proudly and enjoyed the fruits of his labour; this was a man who repeatedly gave me great words of wisdom that helped propel me to that very place. A few months later more tragedy struck when my wife miscarried our first child, no words can describe that feeling of loss but as with everything in life you have to press on and walk through the pain. As time went by I continued to experience more loss, my on Uncle on my fathers side had a fatal heart attack. He was an Emmy award-winning editor at NBC in New York. He was instrumental in me and my brother’s decision to enter the world of television broadcasting.
The big one was my Father who died two weeks before my son was born, his first grandchild. He taught me how to be a man in every sense of the word, to always hold my head up with pride, live life to the fullest, no regrets, plus I was blessed with his amazing wit and charm. Thanks Dad.
Along the way I religiously continued this practice and carried their energy and inspirational vibes with me through prayer before every show and at personal appearances to ground myself existentially. It may seem odd but each of those losses fueled me with strength to go forward and accomplish all that I could possibly ever dream both for myself and for them.
On the living front, my wife who has worked along side me for over 28 years, continues to be an anchor and creative force in our partnership which incessantly pushes me to grow and think outside of the box. My two incredible sons who bring me unspoken joy and blessings while keeping me young, revitalized and definitely in the mix. My mother, who always has an encouraging word and continues to provide her endless support for me and my family throughout all my endeavours, remains a great source of strength. My Brother, my Aunt Sis, my mother-in-law and extended family and friends have continued to motivate, stimulate, and elevate me through the grace of God to pursue more of my dreams and greater accomplishments in the second phase of my life’s journey without limits.
Tony and his wife, Paula, own the production company, Esor Productions Inc. Currently, they are working on a docu-film entitled, Febonopus 22 which is about 22 of the most influential and successful Black Women in Canada. It encompasses 22 questions, 22 musical compositions and 22 compelling and inspirational images of African Canadian Beauty, unfolding artistically throughout the film.
Innocent Madawo is a freelance journalist who writes regular columns in the Toronto Sun. Madawo has also contributed thought-provoking social and political commentaries to other mainstream media outlets like The Globe and Mail and the CBC. Having trained as a journalist in Zimbabwe, Madawo has more than 15 years journalism experience as a correspondent and editor. He is now a student of International Studies at York University.
To say I am inspired by Barack Obama sounds like I am merely flowing with the current. Sure, I have had other influences in my life; my parents and my professional mentors, but Obama touched a cord they could not.
When my parents and teachers taught me to aim as high as I can get, they dangled historical achievers for me to emulate – Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King Jr., among others. But even as I enjoy the benefits of these men's toil, I am somewhat detached from their struggles. They made their names before my time.
But I have been there to witness Obama’s ascend to greatness; I can visualize and participate in his vision. I can emulate him without the inconvenience of history, even though I don’t have a direct historical or circumstantial connection to him.
I was born in the Rhodesia, a black country ruled by a racist white regime. I have experience dodging bullets as Smith’s army exchanged fire with now President Robert Mugabe’s freedom fighters. After Rhodesia became Zimbabwe at independence in 1980, one of the everlasting benefits I enjoyed was a very efficient education system that allowed me a rare privilege in Africa for a kid from a working class family to attend some of the best schools and colleges on the continent.
Perhaps a little similarity with Obama is that I too edited a college newspaper, gaining invaluable experience that opened doors for me to pursue a journalism career that saw me file news stories from London, Johannesburg, Paris and other capitals of the world and meet Tony Blair, Nelson Mandela, Kofi Annan and others.
But, just as there is a vast difference between me editing The Sharpener at the Harare Polytechnic and Obama editing the Harvard Law Review, so are the differences between a life-long journalist and a politician-par-excellence.
Thus, Obama inspires me to inspire others whose future prospects would seem as dim as his might have seemed when he was a little hopeless boy being raised by grandparents. If Obama could overturn those early setbacks to become the most powerful man in the world, then anybody else can turn a leaf.
Toronto is full of black youths who believe that all they can be is a gangster, a druggie, a jailbird and eventually die by whatever sword they choose to play with. Instead of seeking solutions to this serious problem, the system revels in the statistics that legitimizes it.
A lot of black youths take pride in being the victims of a discriminative social order and perpetuate it actively. But Obama gives me hope that at least some of our youths will draw inspiration from his story and turn hopeless situations into hopeful futures.
In fact, some are. Take this case that I witnessed recently. One youth approached another, in my presence, and said he was going out that night with a girl (not his girlfriend who was working late). The girl was bringing a friend who had just left a seven-year marriage and "wants a man so bad". So, the storyteller wondered if the other youth would come with him and entertain the recently separated woman.
"No," came the emphatic answer from the other youth. "Obama would not approve of that. I have enrolled to finish school and get a career. That, he will approve." Need I say more?
I am sure there are hundreds of similar stories out there. The challenge is to make sure that they do not suffer the NYRS (New Year Resolution Syndrome) - pronounced in the giddiness of a new era only to be discarded as soon as the illumination of the fireworks dims.
Black History Month should not just be an annual roll-call of ancestors who sacrificed themselves during slavery and the civil rights movement era. It should be a month of community introspection. It should be a month for us to take stock of where we are as a community among other communities.
In fact, the challenge we have in Canada now is to produce our own Obama from among our directionless youths. It needs a village to sniff him out and bring him forward to lead us.
Modeling! People usually think your brain is a vacuum and you don’t really work. Well let’s just dispel the myth. Sometimes I do have to figure the price of my designer duds when there’s a sample sale and yes, I have to stay in shape! That’s work, people! I need a manicure, a pedicure, a blow out and makeup for an hour. Come on, that’s WORK!!!! And no, I don’t necessarily need to be able to carry on a conversation or even have a vocabulary, but you’d be surprised how many languages I can shop in!
It’s quite funny being asked to write this blog because that’s what most people think about models. Even me. And I’ve never really seen it as something that outstanding. I mean I’m not an astro physicist or anything. I didn’t study to get my job. Other than studying fashion tomes... Growing up, it was all about school. My parents immigrated to Toronto from the Caribbean. Education had been the only way to get ahead for them and they wanted us to have a good education, have opportunities that they never had, and be professionals. My dad is a surgeon and mom is a teacher, and all their friends from the Caribbean went to University and had degrees. I had always seen the adults around me as educated people. Needless to say, my choice did not go down well. I didn’t really plan to become a model. There were four of us, my brother the eldest and then three girls; I am in the middle of the three. Maybe it’s the classic middle-child syndrome, always feeling overlooked growing up, so I ended up in a job where it’s ‘all about ME!!’
Anyways, I knew nothing about the fashion industry or modeling, but a friend organized a fashion show at our school and another friend invited a top scout. One thing led to another and I ended up in NY as soon as high school was over. It was great because I was desperate to leave home and didn’t have any money to make that happen. So when the door opened, I ran. FAST!
And I’ve had a really great time along the way. I never really had a plan. I never really plan anyways. I just kind of let it roll. So I’ve been lucky to have done some fab things. Flare magazine has given me five covers over the years and Fashion four, as well as many other Canadian magazines like Clin d’Oeil and Wish. I’ve done covers for Elle, Spanish Elle, German Elle, Australian Vogue, Amica, Anna, LA Style, Grazia, Madame and many others. I was a regular in Vogues around the world, and worked closely with many designers like Azzedine Alaia, Galliano (who made my wedding dress) and Izaac Mizrahi, to name a few. I did shows for many years too, but the backstage part was horrible. These were the days of the ‘Super Model’. I hated the atmosphere-LOVED the Party-but leave the attitude! So I stopped doing the catwalk. In the mid-90's Cover Girl signed me to an exclusive contract. The first ever for a black model! And I’ve worked for Sports Illustrated, Victoria Secret. As I said, I never really made a career plan, and didn’t buy into the a#@-kissing part of the industry, so I hope people booked me not only because of my looks, but also because they liked me.
When I moved back to Toronto in 2001, I was working on camera at Fashion Television, which was a lot of fun. I think I just pestered Moses Znaimer so much, that he gave me a job, to keep me from calling! But I had a great time there. Television was a new media for me and I loved it.
I didn’t really have any one that inspired me going into in the industry. I didn’t know anything about it when I was a teenager. After moving to NY though, I think a lot of my friends inspired me. I grew up in a middle class family, with both parents, went to a great school, had educated, hard working adult figures in my life, and never lacked for anything. I didn’t have a job during high school. My parents wanted us to focus on our studies. When I moved to NY, most of the friends I had were teenagers, were black, grew up in projects, were broke, and came from single-parent homes. Many had siblings who had kids as teenagers, parents with basic education and certainly very few to no adults (especially male) in their lives, who they might aspire to be. Most of them were gay club kids, who used to joke about being in the supermarket line when their mom would pull out the food stamps. And yet here they were in the fashion world knowing that they could make it, and did. My friends from that time showed me kids determined to rise above their circumstances and not wait for someone to lead them by the hand. And yet at the same time they weren’t bitter about where they came from.
One thing about this industry, for all its self-centeredness and arrogance, the people in it come from ALL walks of life and work together. High school dropouts who grew up in trailer parks alongside girls who stay in the Plaza when they go to NY for castings. Gay, straight, bi, whatever, fashion has always been inclusive. There are very few industries where everyone comes to the table equal and talent is what counts. (Sadly, these days the visual aspect of fashion has become monochromatic. That HAS to change…MUST change.) Fashion also gives back a lot especially in mentoring programs and fundraising for AIDS and AIDS awareness.
I think now, certainly as it’s Black History Month and the first black President sits in the White House, we should make a step to change the face of fashion. How? In the early-90's, Bethann Hardison - an agency owner in NY at that time - organized a group called the, "Black Girls’ Coalition". Many of the prominent black models of the time would meet every so often to talk about the lack of diversity in fashion and what could be done. We also did fundraising for charity. One thing, which seems very small, is not supporting shops and designers that aren’t diverse in their advertising or runway shows. Money talks, whoever’s holding it. And a lot of small actions add up to a lot, especially in today’s econony! Bethanne did two forums on NY cable television last year addressing this issue. It was even in the Times. Speak out. This world is beautiful in its diversity and a creative industry like fashion should be celebrating that.
Models can’t speak, huh? Well no one ever said we couldn’t write. (Thank goodness for spell check!)
Brenton Alleyne is a marketer, barber, community organizer and speaker who combines his endeavours under the banner of a Master Groomer.
BLACK HISTORY month is a reminder of man’s struggle for freedom. Today we strive for holistic emancipation: mentally, emotionally, spiritually, financially and physically. We are striving to be free to discover and give our best in time.
Grooming is a lost art that prepares people to lead in every aspect of life. Growing up I was surrounded by great examples of leadership, from my father, to rappers like Big Daddy Kane, civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King, and great pastors like Orim M. Meikle, yet no one impacted me the way my mother, the lady Brenda Alleyne, has. My father had to work long hours so my mother bore much of the responsibility of raising me and my siblings. It is her life example that set me on the path to groom others. She challenged me to find my purpose and to awaken the king within. It is her love that groomed me to be a strong man that seeks to give a hand up rather than looking for a handout.
I remember searching for a sense of belonging, because I never really felt like I fit in. For me, it was more of a mentality than a skin thing. In grade eight a friend came over with a terrible hair cut. I really felt for him. Before that moment I never thought about cutting hair, but his esthetical dilemma moved me to help him. It was clear that his presentation was impacting his self esteem. I had no words of wisdom to console him. What I did have was my two hands, mom’s clippers, memories of my own bad hair cuts, and a desire to see my friend happy again.
It was amazing! After more than an hour’s work his smile and confidence returned. He bounced through the door exclaiming, "Big up Brenton, you’re the best. I’m going to tell everyone!” And he did. From that day a Groomer was born.
Later, I embarked on a successful career in Marketing, but something was missing. So I spent a year researching and formulating a plan for my life as a Master Groomer. My motto had always been simple: Groom the whole person, not just the hair. I live by what my mother taught me: give life your best -- look your best, so you can be and receive the best. It was this quest for mastery as a groomer that brought me to Trufitt and Hill, the world’s oldest and most successful barbering company.
After three unsuccessful visits and two unproductive phone calls, I seriously considered giving up the dream. Although I was afraid, I decided to visit Trufitt one last time. God intervened! The owner had a change of heart and expressed a desire to invest in youth. My perseverance paid off! It taught me that you must pursue what you believe in; and that possessing your destiny may not be easy, but is possible.
Perhaps the best message my mother gave me was that I am not just another black man, but a black man born to lead others to greatness. I have learned that to groom well you must see beyond what people do and say, understand who they are, and help them present their true identity. That means helping them to present their best aesthetically through consultation, barbering, teaching and life coaching. I choose to give life my best and encourage others to do so as well.
BLACK history month is a great time to remember that you are free to become who you believe God gave you life to be. It’s time to focus on using the best of what you have within you, and around you, to create better. It’s time to arise from the ashes of yesterday to “fight your great fight. Fight with faith, love and perseverance and you will possess a far greater life than you could have ever imagined” (1 Timothy 6:1). It’s a fight to: let go of limitations, get beyond what you have known, and do what you know you have been given life to do. Remember, life makes room for originals, so develop yourself and become the best you, you can be.
Miro Oballa is an entertainment and media lawyer at Taylor Mitsopulos Klein Oballa (www.tmkolawyers.com), one of Canada’s leading entertainment law firms.
Black History Month is to me a chance not just to reflect on our collective histories, but also to take pause on the individual journey that brought me here. I came to Canada at the age of eight, the way many of us have: stepping off a plane, a freshly minted landed immigrant. Calgary had become the final destination in my parents search for opportunity; a search that included stops in Slovakia, Germany, France and Nigeria along the way.
We arrived just in time to experience the full might of a Prairie winter and after spending the last 3 years of my life in sub-Saharan Africa, both culture and climate were a shock to my system. I still remember trying to play hockey for the first time on the neighbourhood outdoor rinks; me struggling to stay up on ice skates while the rest of the kids whizzed by.
Despite Canada’s reputation as a multicultural nation, the quilt that was being stitched in early 1980s Calgary was for the most part uniform in colour. Prior to high school, it was the norm that I was the only black kid in my grade, with a few Asian and East Indian kids sprinkled in for good measure against an otherwise homogenous canvas. As such, growing up, the idea of belonging to and participating in a shared black cultural experience was elusive at best.
It wasn’t until 1987, grade 8 when a couple of the skater kids introduced me to hip-hop that it all started to make sense. RUN-DMC and Beastie Boys were my first taste, followed quickly by Big Daddy Kane, Eric B & Rakim, and Schoolly D. Here was a culture that resonated my being and even though it came out of a boom box and talked of places that I had never visited, it felt like I was part of a community. Both hip-hop and I were young enough at the time that it felt like the truth and I spent hours upon hours listening to my cassette dubs.
If hip-hop was the truth, then Chuck D & Public Enemy were its messiah. I received It Takes A Nation of Millions as a Christmas present in ’88. I don’t remember from whom anymore, but whoever it was, you have my sincere and enduring thanks. This wasn’t an album as much as it was a key and from the first time I popped the tape into the player, my mind was unlocked. I pored over the lyrics and liner notes with the zeal of a born again Christian studying the bible. Through these studies I gained a greater social awareness as I learned about the political and social framework that shapes North American racial politics even today.
Chuck D was a driving force behind not just my decision to become an entertainment lawyer, but also behind the principles that guide my practice. Public Enemy showed me that music and the creative arts in general had the power to give voice, inspire minds, move spirits and create a collective will greater than the sum of its parts. During law school, the lectures on real estate law, civil litigation or corporate law didn’t ever capture my imagination as much as the idea of bringing about positive change by working alongside creative artists. It is why I am proud to work with artists, writers and other creators for whom their particular medium is about more than the cashing of a cheque.
During my last seven years of working as an entertainment lawyer, I’ve learned many things. I’ve learned that I work in an amazing industry full of wonderful, driven, creative and passionate people. I’ve learned that every artist needs a strong business team working behind them; for without that foundation often the fruits of their labour and passion are eaten by others without proper compensation. I’ve also learned that there are times when it feels like the business, and the greed and hypocrisy that sometimes unfortunately lurks within it, threatens to suffocate the art itself. It is at those times that I remember how I felt that Christmas morning when the wailing siren intro of Countdown To Armageddon first came across my headphones; and I remind myself that every day around the world, there are others being inspired in that same way.
I was 14 years old in 1974 in Toronto, Canada. Our social studies teacher Ms. Macfarquar – the second feminist teacher of my life – invited the ambassador from South Africa to speak to our class. Unknown to him, she had shown this class of white adolescents two films smuggled out of Black South Africa; The Last Grave of Mombassa being one of them. These films depicted the horror of Apartheid and were deemed illegal in South Africa by the Apartheid government. These kids were shocked at the horror of state supported racism. Ms. Macfarquar instructed our class to ask the visiting ambassador of South Africa about the issue of race and politics without letting him know that we had seen these two films.
On the day of his visit, approximately a week later, the ambassador lasted about five minutes before a white kid whose favourite name for me was “spear chucker”, stood up and told the ambassador of the shocking, disturbing and ‘illegal’ films we had been shown. The ambassador immediately walked out. He walked right by me as I was sitting curled up in a corridor off of the open space next to the classroom. I just wanted to be invisible. My developing young-black consciousness could not participate in his form of diplomacy. I did not know how.
Meredith was also a teacher who revealed to me she was involved in an organization who raised money to assist in the peaceful overthrow, if possible, of the Apartheid government. Unknown to me at the time she was to be a hero in my approach to life. Coincidentally, at that period in my life I was seriously contemplating changing my name to Mandela, going over to join the African National Congress and blow stuff up. I was in a state of constant disgust at the evident acceptance of injustice around me and in the world. Fortunately, Ms. Macfarquar and my first feminist teacher Ms. Comartin, although never saying it to me directly exampled and discussed with me other alternatives to blowing stuff up.
These women were the smartest and wisest people I’d ever met in my young life. Their profound sense of justice and their ways of adapting to profound and subtle hatred, societal injustice with understanding, confidence, competence, patience, forgiveness and love has had a profound impact on my life.
These women conveyed to me one of the highest forms of architecture, that being the architecture of soul, the building of a conscious citizen! In other words, I became aware of the importance of the ‘process of change’ while simultaneously keeping one’s eye on the prize – shared justice and beauty. ‘The process’ is as important as the goal! Architecture is not just about beautiful or functional buildings / cities; Architecture is also about the process of making that beauty and functionality.
Much of my present creativity began through the conscious and unconscious act of adapting to seemingly ugly circumstances in my life and trying to achieve sustainable beauty with understanding. Starting with the awareness that I am a divine spark in the universe, in the body of a human being, who happens to be male and who happens to be black on the planet earth in the city of Toronto.
After being a stay-at-home dad, I am building a design business based on the principles:
(1) Something for something,
(2) Value people and use things, not the other way around, and
(3) Imagination is valuable and requires appropriate remuneration.
I continue to volunteer in my children’s schools and elsewhere because I believe it to be critical to their development. Furthermore it is important, within this epoch of time, for black men to be and be seen in the school environment as caring and giving to all children as well as their own.
I continue to mentor and speak to students of all races.
Rohan Walters - Architect & Principal Designer www.SPACESbyROHAN.com
The Nathaniel Dett Chorale’s 2008.09 Concert Season in Toronto
Voices of the Diaspora… Dett to Africa: Wednesday, February 25,
and Saturday, February 28, 2009, at 8pm
And Still We Sing… All o’ We Is One: Wednesday, May 27,
and Saturday, May 30, 2009, at 8pm
Glenn Gould Studio, 250 Front Street West, Toronto
Individual tickets $39.50, students/seniors $35
Tickets available in person at the Roy Thomson Hall box office, 60 Simcoe St.,
by calling 416.872.4255 or online at www.roythomson.com
My name is Sol Guy. I'm an artist manager, TV and Film producer. Really I hate titles, what I do best is dream and find ways to make the best of those dreams come true. Sounds corny, but it’s the truth. Our power to manifest change is supreme and infinite.
I get involved in projects as long as I am passionate about them and can say yes to the following questions: Is this project good for people and would my father be proud of it?
Currently I work with K'naan, produce and host a series called 4REAL and I'm developing several film projects.
I have two heroes; they are both separate and they are one. One of them is in my DNA but no longer alive. The other is sixty-seven years old and very much alive. Both live with me every day.
My father's name was William Richard Guy. He was from Kansas City, Missouri and was an only child who never knew his father. I believe that because of that loss in particular, he became a fiercely loyal and outstanding father to my sisters and me. He was not without flaws, but the interesting thing about death is that the very best of you remains once you go. So it is with my memory of my father.
I grew up in a small town called Grand Forks in the interior of BC (light years from Kansas City, but that's another story). My father, my sister Shoshana, and I were the only Black people in the community. In fact, besides a couple of Indian and Chinese families, we were the only people of colour at all. This reality was not lost on my father, and he made sure that we understood from a young age that we were not the same, we were different yet special. He gave me Roots to read when I was 11 and made me write a book report for him. He also told me stories of a great man, another hero of mine to this day with whom we shared an affinity all the way to my Dad's deathbed. That man is The Champ, the greatest, Muhammad Ali! My father was inspired by Ali and made sure that I was aware of the courage, intelligence, talent and unbelievable audacity of The Champ.
Who goes ahead and tells the world they are the greatest? The greatest, that's who. Some scream it, others live it but the most authentic ones BE IT in thoughts and actions. My father challenged me to be the greatest at whatever I did. These two men taught me with their words, and their stature but mostly with their actions. The similarity between them was that they did not do what was popular. They did not go with the crowd. In fact, they went in the farthest lane possible; the lane that is unpopular at times; the lane that is uncertain and the lane in which the only solace is your instinct.
When my father decided he had to leave the U.S. of A. for the unknown of Canada's wilderness, it was because he did not agree with what he was told to be the norm and the right thing to do. He did know that the ghetto and that mentality would most likely kill him. So he left all that he knew behind to step into the unknown. Who does that? Who is that brave? The greatest, that's who. When Ali stepped out as Muhammad Ali the day after he won "The Title" and then went on to declare himself a part of the Nation of Islam and later refuse induction to the US military, he was acting upon his beliefs. Although he is known as a hero for it now, we forget that this was a very unpopular decision at the time. He was hated by both Blacks and Whites. He was denied the ability to earn a living and feed his family. However, these men believed in something else, something higher, themselves and their principles. They also knew that change is constant, undeniable and not easy. In fact, it is the most difficult of circumstances. However, if you embrace change, the world will reveal the most beautiful things the universe has to offer. These men taught me to embrace it.
When my father was on his way out of this life, we sat and talked. I was 25 and scared as hell, but I did what he always told me to do. I kept my head high and my back straight! During those last few days that I sat beside him, it was only right that we passed the time by me reading him chapters from a biography of Ali. Chapter by chapter we sat with the words, which in themselves were not important. The man we loved and the idea of him was paramount and present in that room. I left my father one day promising to come back in a couple of weeks. I took the book and promised to finish it when I returned. We never got a chance to finish it.
I still have that book. It travels with me wherever I go and so do the two of them, Eternal Champions in my heart and mind! When I come to the crossroads and have to make a decision, I ask myself what would they do and would my decision make them proud. Then the choice gets real easy!
To learn more about Sol Guy and 4real, visit www.4Real.com
CBC Archive: When politics and promoters ban Muhammad Ali from boxing in the US, the legendary fighter heads to Canada to take on George Chuvalo. (1966)
Last December, I had dinner with my cousin, Dr. John Flateau. John is a big bear of a man, as imposing physically as he is intellectually. He has a Ph.D. in American Politics and Public Policy and is a professor at Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn. He has written several books on race, crime, and justice. His formidable brain and brawn are offset by a rascally sense of humour and a perpetual, boyish enthusiasm.
He’s been my hero since I was a child. Over dinner, John showed me some photographs dating back to the 19th century. The photos showed slaves—shackled, starving, and traumatized—imprisoned at the bottom of one of those despicable slave ships that transported kidnapped Africans to America to be auctioned off like animals to the highest bidder. Talk about a shock to the senses. Here John and I were, dining in a mid-priced, unpretentious restaurant in Brooklyn. Most of the patrons were Black. The restaurant had a wonderful vibe, and everyone around us seemed happy, as if we all sensed that a historic change was about to take place at the conclusion of the U.S. presidential race. So the image of these slaves in the photograph, ripped away from their families—naked, chained to the floor, disoriented, and heartbroken—hit me like a body blow. It was such a jarring contrast to the feeling of spirit and pride that surrounded us.
“I can’t look at that photo,” I said to John. “You have to look,” he said. “You have to take this in. You can never forget how we got here. What happened to our ancestors.”
John is not a bitter man. He is not a victim. He is an überachiever. Brilliant. Everyone, students and professors alike, fall under the spell of his wisdom, his spirit, his thirst for knowledge. And in that moment, John taught me a valuable lesson. We can never forget how we, as Black people, originally came to North America: kidnapped, ripped away from our families, watching as our brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, anyone who resisted captivity, was murdered. But there is a positive side, a proud and inspiring side, to remembering the unspeakable atrocities that are part of our past.
The slaves who survived the journey across the Atlantic must have possessed a Superman-like spirit to live through those slave ships (indeed, most slaves either died during the journey or went crazy). And so, it is this legacy that we, as Black people today, have inherited. The strongest, heartiest, and most resilient spirit. We aren’t simply survivors; we are, because of where we came from and how we got here, strivers, thrivers, and inspirers. We have an obligation to honour our ancestors. All of our blood relatives who survived that awful journey and went on to endure generations of slavery and post-slavery oppression must have been beyond powerful, beyond brilliant, beyond courageous. I am proud to have inherited the gift of these genes, this soul, and whatever human connections our ancestors must have made to prevail against the most inhumane of conditions.
And so, Black History Month—frankly, every day of every month of every year—reminds me how honoured, and how blessed, I am to be Black. To have in my blood the men, women, and children who survived those slave ships. To prevail, to achieve, to set an example for future Black generations as they, our Black ancestors, set for all of us.
My hero continues to be my cousin, John Flateau. But I can never forget the heroes from my past: my African ancestors, who are alive in me, kicking and screaming, crying out for me to do my best, be the best that I can be.
Canadian-born of Barbadian heritage, Kevin Weekes is a veteran pro hockey goaltender who has played for 7 NHL teams. In tandem with Arturs Urbe, he went to the finals with the Hurricanes in 2002 and currently is the backup to legendary all-star Martin Brodeur with the New Jersey Devils.
We have persevered, we have sacrificed, we have endured, we have pretended and daydreamed, but on January 20th, 2009 we, and the rest of the world actually witnessed!
Through all of this our grandparents and parents have left home, places known as paradise to billions of others, in search of 'opportunities' in this promise land known as North America. With the inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United
States of America, came validation of that gut-wrenching decision made by millions of Caribbean and African descendants along with millions more of other ethnicities to emigrate to North America.
Perhaps more than anything else in modern history, THIS is why North America is so painfully alluring and THIS has validated not only the thought, but the action of moving to this great continent.
I would like to say that family and community have always and should continue to be the backbone of our existence. They have shaped us and given us our most consistent and time-tested fundamental blueprint as Caribbean and Afro Canadians, and from this framework we
should continue to love, cherish, support, educate and most importantly encourage each other to become and/or accomplish anything positive of which we aspire.
For generations, we have done a wonderful job of owning restaurants, convenience and small grocery stores, barbershops and beauty salons, clothing boutiques, etc, and these businesses have done wonders for our communities as far as providing their goods and services, employment and empowerment. They truly have been and continue to be our grassroots commercial footprint, however let's use their impact as a springboard for other opportunities that many (even in our own communities) have never thought and believed could be viable possibilities for "us"!
This is the information age, there are countless mediums and platforms through which we can become positively informed, educated and inspired to expand our community and professional goals and aspirations. These can not only serve as a wide angle lens to identify goals, but more importantly the information as to how to accomplish these goals - in essence a roadmap to their achievement.
Finance, government, arts, hospitality, community service, medicine, architecture and design, education and media are just a few of the sectors in which we've made inroads but certainly have yet to maximize our growth and impact. We can and must continue to advance
in these and many other "non-traditional " sectors.
There are countless examples of us paving the way in these sectors: Governer General Michaelle Jean, Toronto Deputy Chief of Police Keith Forde, Executive Chairman of AIC Limited, Michael Lee-Chin, Musician Kardinal Offishall, V.P of Blackmont Capitol Steven Conville and retired Toronto Argonauts Player and Current President "Pinball" Clemens.
Born in Toronto to Bajan parents, I decided at the age of 6 that I was going to be a goaltender in the National Hockey League. Although there was Grant Fuhr of the Edmonton Oilers (current member of the Hockey Hall Of Fame) and Fred Brathwaite (also of Bajan parentage), it was the encouragement and support of my parents to dream beyond the immediate expectation of what I should and could become that led me to achieve this goal. I encourage each of you to do the same.
I am Robert Allicock, a native of Guyana who immigrated to Canada in 1982. What a journey. Since my arrival in Canada, Montreal has been my home away from home. Always impassioned by business and education I started my business career working at the Black Theatre Workshop in downtown Montreal as the business administrator. It was a wonderful opportunity to bring to Montreal my expertise particularly to my community.
I then went on to work for the Bank of Nova Scotia gaining a wider knowledge on business in Canada. Always having my community at heart I served on the board of directors as the treasurer at the Cote des Neiges Black Community Centre. As I continued to work for the bank I became increasingly eager to work for myself not because I no longer enjoyed it there. In the early 80’s it was prestigious for a black man to work in the front line of any large organization, my job was secure and I loved every moment of it but it did not stop me from pursuing my passion and my goal. I always loved hairstyling and wanted to have my own business so I began taking a hairdressing course and researching the industry and became convinced that this was my next level to success.
After completing my hairdressing course at College Inter Dec, I immediately opened my own salon, Salon Robert Allicock Montreal, located in the heart of Montreal, in an area called Cote des Neiges. My business grew quickly based on my good work and quality service and I became well known amongst the Montreal elite and even the Black American actors visiting Montreal such as Queen Latifa, Gabrielle Union, Kerry Washington, Tae Diggs and many others. I also competed in the Sifa Hair Awards in 1997 and 1998, which was held in Toronto and won a total of five awards including stylist of the year in 1998. In 1999, I worked on the movie The Bone Collector as a celebrity stylist to Queen Latifa, which opened many doors in the film and television industry. It’s been 13 blessed years since I opened my salon and I am very thankful for the opportunities it gives me.
The person I admire and respect very much is Oprah Winfrey. She has inspired me to live my authentic life by following my passions and my dreams. I would like to close by saying an achievement is for today but an education if for a lifetime.
For more information on Salon Robert Allicock Montreal , email Robert at: allicockr@aol.com or call: 514-344-0842, to book an appointment.
My life of survival in Canada has taken many twists and turns, over many decades. I retired in 1993, and remained inspired and motivated as a person. I was born in Kingston, Jamaica B.W.J. in British Colonial times when the island was a happy and safe place.
For me as a young boy, being reared by my grandmother and two aunts was paradise. I was very fortunate to have been well cared for by the women and helpers in my family. My father was not accepted into my mother’s family, and she had to make it on her own. My mother married a man from Barbados, who fought in World War 2 for Canada and won his citizenship. He sent for my mother in 1946, and soon after I was sent to her in 1947.
I arrived in Montreal on one of the coldest days in January, and my life would be radically changed forever. I was forced to accept Canada as my new home with its good and bad sides. As time went on, I paid my dues through hard work while always looking for opportunities to improve my survival. Canada was a young country that had a tendency to pigeon-hole new immigrants in the old days. This meant that most black men were employed by the railways or for the service of wealthier Canadians.
To me this job was only a stepping-stone to see this great country and its potential for my future. I have never had a tendency to bite the hand that feeds me, as I see things based on my survival first. However, I will never sell or give up my personal integrity as a human being, which I consider to be No. 1 over my race. I also see myself as a working-stiff who has never been unemployed in Canada, even without a degree of any kind. Having been thrown out of my home in Montreal at 15 years old, I was about to make mistakes. But I was also determined never to make them over again.
Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would become a recognized Canadian author. Life had many good surprises for me, always wanting to make a contribution to inspire others. Having met my present wife of 30 years through my mother, and after two bad marriages, gave me even more drive. My wife was the one that always felt that my life story was a part of Canadian history and should be told.
That is how the writing of my autobiography began, and it took me ten years to write a manuscript. This manuscript was first self published in 2004, with the loving help of my wife who gave me the will and encouragement to finish, as I made sure that I will only tell the truth as I remember it.
Only a wise man learns from his mistakes, and I found out very soon that one can win the respect of many people when you speak from the heart.
I have met many people in life, some of them not so good, some very bad, but the good ones I can never forget. Many negative things can affect the lives of the youth, but they should be guided and helped to be better people. Most people are where they want to be, unless they want to pull themselves up. For me, as a man always willing to work and give of myself helped me understand and cope with human behavior. One should never give up on their aspirations, based on race or the colour of their skin.
I signed a contract as a new author in 2007, with a Canadian publisher Dr. J. Patrick Boyer, Q.C. A person of much higher accomplishments and education than I could dream of proves that all is possible in a life. My book is titled, “A Struggle to Walk with Dignity-The True story of a Jamaican-born Canadian.”
Thanks to this great country of Canada, my struggle is over and I have found happiness in a loving wife and partner along with good health and good neighbors.
Kevin Pennant is the Founder/Senior Publicist at Pennant Media Group.
“Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future…”
I am truly blessed. My journey on this earth began with exceptional parents. They instilled in me the spirit of entrepreneurship that I continue to carry with me. I would say that my family, friends and even clients, have informed who I am to a great degree and helped me to achieve the level of success I have today.
My mother and father are both immigrants .They began their journeys separately from their native Jamaica in the early 70’s, and met and fell in love in Toronto. From very early in my life, I remember admiring both my parents’ work ethic. They were solidly grounded in family, both as partners to each other and as parents to me and my 2 siblings. Being the oldest, a fatherly kind of responsibility characterized my youth. Looking back, I feel that it was this responsibility offered to me that helped shape my character to a large degree.
During my senior year at high school at Bayview Secondary in Richmond Hill, I was very fortunate to be placed in a co-op program at Warner Bros. Canada which planted the seeds for the business I run now. I loved the work environment so much I volunteered to work for them the summer following high school. That September I enrolled in International Business Marketing at Seneca and Warner Bros. hired me to be their campus rep for the 18-30 yr old demographic. I ended up staying with Warner Bros. for 7 years and they remain a client to this day. While I was at Warner Bros, I met Tonya Lee Williams, a beautiful and talented actress, who was to help grow my career in yet unseen ways. Tonya kept seeing me everywhere during that TIFF and finally took me aside and said “Who are you and why do I keep on seeing you?” I guess the fates were at work here, because Tonya had the idea of establishing a publicity firm in Toronto and along with 2 others, we formed TPG (the Publicity Group) in 1996.
A few years later, I took a leap of faith and launched my own PR firm (Pennant Media Group) that focuses on personal and brand development, communications and public/media relations for a wide range of sectors including corporate, entertainment, hospitality and the non-profit sector. All I really
knew was that I wanted more than anything to share people’s inherent greatness with the world.
I remember what the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King said, “Not everyone can be famous but everyone can be great”, and that is what we are judged upon – our greatness. And I realized that my role was to showcase
people’s greatness. It’s in this time and space that real magic began to happen. I like to call it “synchro-destiny”, a phrase coined by new-age guru Deepak Chopra; the place in between spaces where one allows the Divine to collide with Fate.
In 2005, I was introduced to a woman (Carol Adrians) by a dear friend. She was President of South African Women for Women. By now, I was consumed with the need to give back to the community that
had nurtured my parents’ dreams. I decided to work for her charity pro- bono. I felt enormous gratitude for the blessings that had showered my life to date and I wanted to share this with others. During our very first meeting, Carol told me she had a gift for me and walked me out to her car. She unveiled a large framed photograph of someone that I admired very deeply - Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Later, in September 2006, I would travel to South Africa to attend Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s 75th birthday party.
Once my South African trip was confirmed, a friend brought to my attention that the road right behind my apartment building was named Archbishop Tutu Drive. Talk about synchro-destiny! I just knew what I had to bring with me on my trip. With the help of a professional photographer, I created a collage of images of my neighborhood, including the road sign that I was later to give to Archbishop Tutu in person.
I have been so honored to have been able to meet and break bread with so many icons; people who set out to make a difference and who are doing that - from the Archbishop, to President Bill Clinton to President Nelson and Winnie Mandela. I have achieved much over a short period of time and have a great deal to be grateful for. The influences in my life - my life’s mentors have left an indelible impression and have enabled me to be able to see the greatness and learning in everyone who I work with or represent.
Warren Salmon is the founder of Black Board International (www.ashaware.com), a software company that has produced a line of educational afrocentric software and First Fridays in Toronto (www.firstfridays.ca) a monthly networking event. Mr. Salmon is the proud winner of the ‘Men of Excellence Award’ for Business, the ‘Bob Marley Award’ for Business, the Visions of Science ‘Keepers of the Knowledge Flame Award’, the Seed of Life Philanthropic Organization ‘Community Award of Excellence’ and the 2008 BBPA Harry Jerome Award for Technology and Innovation.
Inspirations – My inspiration comes from ancient and modern African history, my family and community.
Growing up and going to school in Toronto in the 70’s and 80’s, the Black History that we were taught was often very derogatory and often focused on slavery, as if that was the start of African History. It wasn’t until I was in University that I started to learn about the great contributions to ancient and modern civilization that people of African descent have made and continue to make. Learning about contributions and innovations in areas like mathematics, medicine, hi-technology, aeronautics, astronomy, architecture, art, and music, African Kings and Queens and Empires inspired me to develop the Ashaware (ashaware.com) line of Educational Afrocentric Software in the early 90’s to help educate society about other chapters of our history – the history that we were not taught in school. The software, which was launched in Toronto and tied to the Ontario Curriculum for year-round application, is used in school districts and homes in Canada, over 30 US States, as well as several countries in the Caribbean, Africa and Europe.
Modern day icons like Marcus Garvey, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Ivan Van Sertima, Nelson Mandela, Cheikh Anta Diop, Muhammed Ali, Bob Marley, Oprah Winfrey, Michael Lee Chin, Michelle Jean, and Barack Obama have provided inspiration in terms of community, spiritual, social, political and economic development. They have provided examples of what my parents always told me growing up – “You can do anything that you put your mind to!”.
I have been very fortunate to have many inspirational family members who have paved a path for me to follow including my paternal grandparents Robert and Eugina Salmon who came to Canada from Jamaica almost 100 years; my maternal grandfather Herbert McLean Bell, who left Jamaica at the age of 14 to join the Canadian army and ended up being stationed in Siberia, Russia; my 6 generation maternal great-grandfather John Millar who sailed with his family from Dundee, Scotland in the late 1700’s and founded New Dundee, Ontario in the Waterloo region; my father, the late Dr. J Douglas Salmon, who was an accomplished pianist, scholar, athlete and sculptor and surgical pioneer in the area of stomach stapling and the first African-Canadian Chief of Surgery; and my mother Dr. Beverley Salmon who was a nurse, community leader and politician on Metro Council. These family members continue to inspire to and many others who know their story and I hope to do the same for my two children Caitlyn and Shakarri.
I also receive a great deal of inspiration each and every month from community members at 1st Fridays, a monthly networking event that I started in Toronto almost 15 years ago (firstfridays.ca) and recently expanded to Montreal, and other community based events and organizations like the African Canadian Heritage Association (www.achaonline.org). The positive and uplifting people, young and old, that you meet at many of these events are a breath of fresh air and very far removed from the negative stories that we often hear about in the media and other influential institutions. People like playwright Andrew Moodie, Patricia Bebia & Moses Mawadi of Planet Africa Network, Mark Beckles, former leader of the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund and Wayne Purboo, the CEO of QuickPlay Media. It is their journeys, aspirations, contributions and ongoing support that have inspired me and other community members to ‘go for it’ and to ‘be the best that we can be’.
I look forward to the day when we don’t need a Black History month or Asian Heritage month because the history and culture of all people is equally integrated into our institutions, and equally represented within our society. Increasing our knowledge, understanding, respect and acceptance of each other will make this world a better place
Alana began her career at very early age as a member of the Canadian Children’s Opera Chorus and the Toronto Mendelssohn Youth Choir, where she was quickly promoted to soloist. She has toured with jazz great Joe Sealy and his quartet, was a member of the Nathaniel Dett Chorale and was the voice for Toronto’s 2008 Olympic Bid Song. Her recent credits include In A Jam (CBC Television), Little Shop of Horrors (St. Lawrence Stage Company), Womens’ Blues Revue in Toronto and Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (Stage West). Alana is currently playing the role of the Killer Queen in the hugely successful musical "We Will Rock You".
Being a child of the 80’s has its benefits. The 80’s were a time of great progress in the music industry. The potential to be a mega superstar was vast and music made you feel good, from heavy beats to electronica. As a child, I saw myself as a part of this industry. As far back as I can remember I would listen for hours on end to my brother’s arsenal of records. I would sway and sing to Lou Rawls, Yellowman, Bob Marley and Michael Jackson. My family truly loved and appreciated music. On most weekends, we would have visitors. My mother would cook all kinds of different dishes and dominoes would hit the table from time to time. The boisterous sound of my Uncle telling someone they cheated. Those memories live with me and transcend through my music today. I always equate music as the one thing that can bring people together.
My inspirations run deep. My mother, through her love of cooking, showed me what it meant to be dedicated to a task. There was never a time in my childhood - that I can remember - where my mother was asked to prepare a special dish and she turned the person down. She loved music and when she saw my passion for it, she allowed me to audition for The Canadian Children’s Opera Chorus. She never gave up on my dreams to be a singer even though it was tough for her to imagine me making a decent living in such a volatile industry. My sister, a dancer, had a wonderful run but eventually set her sights on academia. (Shani is currently a professor at NYU). My mother worried that I would run out of steam at some point. Yet, because of her tireless faith, I stand today an accomplished musician.
Jackie Richardson is one of the most influential Canadian singers in my life. I used to sit with my mother and watch this wonderful woman sway with a choir in a show called “Hallelujah”. Her personality, her voice and her presence, all grand. My first professional concert out of University was the Women’s Blues Revue (1998). It was the first time I met Jackie in person. Jackie was so gracious. She took my mother and me out for coffee after the concert and spoke to me about the industry. She reassured my mother that my career would come together through hard work and a little luck. I will never forget that meeting.
As a founding member of the Nathaniel Dett Chorale, I was overjoyed to discover that Jackie was a board member and we would perform with her from time to time. Jackie went on to do a brilliant show “Cookin At The Cookery”. She was Nana on the Rogers commercial and she brought the house down in “Ain’t MisBehavin’”. The real gift with Jackie is beyond her voice. Jackie remembers everyone’s name from stage managers to crew to box office personnel. She would stop every day to ask you how your day was going and she was sincerely interested. When she sings you hear history and struggle and comfort and love; the emotions ever reaching. I admire her and thank her for all the she has said and done and all that she continues to do in my life and the lives of others. To hear a duet that Jackie and I recorded please feel free to download “Go Tell It On The Mountain” from The Gospel Christmas Project available on ITunes.
For those of you who are interested in the Arts, I would like to offer some words of wisdom. As I stated before, I had dreams of superstardom. I thought that being a singer meant that I would be transformed into the next Whitney Houston. The industry has certainly changed. The reality is many of us will not see the super stardom. If you are serious about being a singer, dancer, actor artist and so on here is some sound advice.
1. Expand your abilities
We see images on BET of bling and big cars and big houses. They are usually rentals. If you want to rap, learn to play an instrument. Take acting classes or enroll in a creative writing course. This offers up a plethora of options to continue in the entertainment industry in the event that you don’t get the huge record deal (virtually non existent in our changing industry).
2. Mind your business
Being creative does not mean we can’t be business minded. Many of us focus on the creative process because we are artists. As organic as that sounds, we have to take the time to learn about the industry we’re in. How do we expand on our product? Who are the players within our industry? How will we advertise? How do we make money? These are very important questions and you should take the time to answer them. Researching, courses, personal advice are all tools to gain information. You should know as much about the industry as your managers do. If you fail to learn the business, the potential to be taken advantage of is multiplied.
3. Embrace your passions
You must enjoy what you do in order for others to enjoy it. The Arts embody a spiritual connection with your audience. Imagine watching a play where the actor on stage couldn’t care less about the scene. We, as audience members, would be turned off from the performance and would leave the theatre feeling betrayed. It is important to move away from people who try to discourage you from living your dream. Many will try to derail you including those in the industry. Rejection is extremely high in our business and you must not take it personally when a door closes. Others will open.
If you use these things as guidelines, you can truly have great success in the Arts. My mission is not only to continue to hone my skills as an artist, but to help mold the generations that are coming up. I take my role as a Black woman in the industry seriously. The industry is difficult as a whole but it is particularly challenging as a person of colour. We are now seeing shows that are bringing diversity to the masses but we are still in the primitive stages, especially in Canadian programming. One of the greatest opportunities I have been given is portraying “Killer Queen” in We Will Rock You. Imagine being part of a rock musical where race is unimportant. Many shows have roles that are race specific, like Ragtime or Les Miserables. WWRY is a show of the modern times where two leads can be Black. No character is race specific. (My character, for example, is played by a White woman in England and an Asian woman in Australia). I am excited about the future of the industry and I look forward to hearing from those of you who are setting their sights on a music career.
Former MuchMusic veejay Nam Kiwanuka is an Ambassador for the Canadian Red Cross campaign Malaria Bites. While working as a Media Trainer with Journalists for Human Rights in Sierra Leone, Nam contracted Cerebral Malaria and almost died after being treated with a banned drug. She's been working with the Red Cross in raising awareness of the dangers of Malaria and how easily preventable the number killer of children in Africa is.
I was eight when I met her. It was at Pearson Airport in Toronto, a place where people say their hellos and goodbyes, where tears and hugs are openly exchanged in front of strangers. She was holding yellow and red flowers, patiently waiting for someone. Earlier in the day, I was in East Africa. My father was forced to leave Fischer, my cousin, at the airport in Nairobi. When Fischer’s dad died, my father promised to take care of his best friend’s son as his own. But a Kenyan official decided that my father was too young to have 5 children. Even though we had legitimate documents he barked that none of us would board the flight unless my father left one of us behind. I remember crying as we walked away from Fischer knowing I would never see him again. He looked so scared. We were the only family he had.
Now walking into arrivals in a new strange place, she ran forward with a familiar smile to welcome us. She was very tall, white, with graying hair and as soon as we entered the lounge, she scooped us up and hugged everyone individually. This person we had never met was our new family. Sydney Tebbutt, or Granny as we came to call her, heard of us through Amnesty International. All she knew was that we fled Uganda on foot and had been living in a refugee camp on the Kenyan border. Yet without ever meeting or speaking to us, she cared for our well-being and chose to sponsor us out of all the thousands in the camp.
It’s hard to write about Granny because I miss her so much. I always think about what would have happened to my family had she not come into our lives. I was born during a civil war and from a young age, I witnessed bombings, shootings and was sexually abused. My parents were teenagers with four children. My mother left us. I rationalize she wasn’t ready for kids. For my father it was worse. He had a young family and the government was after him. He was hunted like prey, beaten and would disappear for weeks. I’ve managed to block out certain things but I think my dad relives those days in Uganda on a daily basis.
Once we settled into our new Canadian life, he changed from the loving dad I used to idolize as a child and was increasingly violent and moody. He endured the pressures of life in a foreign country and the responsibility of raising a family; coupled with his past it was too much for him to deal with. He became physically abusive towards me and Granny was the person I ran to for comfort. She would calm me down and say it wasn’t my fault. She told me I was special and lovely. She was the first person to say she loved me and at 16, when my dad kicked me out of the house Granny found me a place to stay. But despite my father’s struggles, she still saw him for the person he once was. She reminded me that he loved us and to be patient and forgiving.
I remember looking forward to weekends. We’d spend Sundays together and watch Audrey Hepburn movies or sit on a bench in a nearby park. Sometimes she would take us to a farm and spend the afternoon picking strawberries and apples. When we came back to her house, she would cook in the kitchen while my sister and I tried to play the piano. She never became annoyed with us for repeatedly playing ‘Heart and Soul’, the only song we knew. For a few hours a week I was able to escape the tension at home and I felt like a kid. I knew I was safe with her. Granny showed me that I was smart and capable of anything. I felt beautiful and perfect when I was around her. When I was at home, I avoided mirrors and locked myself in my room escaping into the worlds of Emily Bronte and Archie comics.
Granny died from cancer shortly after I turned 16. She was 56 years old. The church was filled to capacity and speakers were placed on the lawn for those standing outside. I remember seeing John whom she took care of because he had no family. John was in his 90s. He was hunched over his pew and his body shook as he cried. He looked so frail and broken. I’d never seen a man cry before. I stood watching the faces and backs of all the people who had been touched by Granny. Everyone was in tears but I couldn’t cry. I’d lost the most important person in my life and I didn’t know what to do or feel.
I think in life all it takes is one person to see you and to celebrate you especially when you can’t see it. I’m lucky because Granny showed me what I could do in life. She was generous with herself and was a part of so many families. What she had wasn’t material. She would listen to those who felt forgotten and see those who felt invisible. She gave her time, her concern, her love and she saw only goodness in others. When I visited her in the hospital I told her I was upset with God. I vented that there were so many bad and evil people living healthy lives and asked why He was taking her instead of them. I remembered her stroking my hand and telling me God was happy with how she lived her life and that’s why she was leaving so early, and that He was giving those other people more time to turn their lives around.
Granny was diagnosed with stomach cancer in her 20’s and yet she never felt sorry for herself. She taught me that in life you could either choose to be a victim or a survivor. I followed her example and chose to be a survivor; my pain, tears or problems could never define my potential. Granny showed me that getting an education would be the key in creating a life for myself. While in high school, I woke up at five in the morning to make my six o’clock shift at Wendy’s before going to my classes. With my older sister, Jackie’s guidance, I graduated with an A average and secured a loan to go to Ryerson University. In my final year of journalism school, I called MuchMusic every week for one year in an attempt to get an internship. I think Master T and his producer Siobhan Grennan just wanted me to stop calling so they offered me an internship. Thinking back, they probably thought I was a crazy bugaboo!
Since then I’ve been blessed to work alongside the best in music entertainment. I’ve interviewed A-list celebrities and those bubbling on the surface. I’ve hosted award shows and charity events. I’ve had the opportunity to tell the story of an East African Grandmother raising 19 AIDS orphans, been invited to work with the Red Cross as an Ambassador for it’s Malaria campaign and I’ve learned from aspiring young journalists while working as a Media Trainer in Sierra Leone. I believe that my journey in life would have been greatly limited had it not been for a stranger who chose to love me as her own and who saw my worth before I was even aware of it.
My Gran was compassionate, kind and genuine. She taught me life could be difficult and complicated but it was also beautiful and full of possibilities. She never received the riches of Oprah or the fame of Angelina Jolie, but for the short time she was here, Granny changed the lives of more people than anyone will ever know.
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Brainerd Blyden-Taylor left Trinidad to come to Canada in the early seventies to be music director of a Toronto church. He has since enjoyed a stellar career performing and conducting traditional Afro-Centric music. In 1998, he founded the Nathaniel Dett Chorale, dedicated to the dissemination of Afrocentric choral music. The Chorale has gone on to perform across Canada and around the world, and recently had the honour of performing at various ceremonies in Washington on the occasion of President Obama's inauguration. Brainerd Blyden-Taylor spoke to Canoe about that experience shortly after his return.
It was so wonderful for the Chorale to be in Washington on Martin Luther King Day, to perform at The Smithsonian and the National Museum of the American Indian.
When I started the chorale, it was in part to try and show Toronto and Canada and as it’s turning out, North America quite a bit, the breadth of Afro-Centric choral music that’s available. And really also wanted to create a community based on the Nguzo Saba – the seven principles – unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith.
That really inspired me around community-building. And to me those are not just things you celebrate from Boxing Day to New Year’s day. These are principles to live by. So my invitation to my singers, and to folks around me is to do this. I’ve been blessed to work a lot in the school systems, to go in and teach teachers and work with their students, and just try to be a role model and do that kind of work.
The week before we went to Washington, Michelle Obama had sent an email saying, “Barack and I are going to be volunteering in Washington on MLK day”, and quoting Dr. King and also quoting the New Testament and the master Jesus, when he said “The person who would be great among you must first learn to be a servant to all,” and inviting us all to make that day a day of service.
So the Chorale sang at the Smithsonian in the morning and we did a site inspection of the Canadian Embassy and we got credential tags, and then we went uptown to an inner-city community of DC called Columbia Heights, and that was our act of service. We just went in, took off our suit jackets, set our bags down, in this little alternate art space, and we gave them a one-hour concert.
We talked about what we were about, what we do through our music, and they were just so moved! It was nice to be able to join the Obamas and our larger global family in that regard, doing an act of service there.
Of course the Tuesday, the day of the Inauguration was just phenomenal. Got up at 2, left the hotel at 3, got into DC at 5, walked to the Canadian Embassy, got there by 5.30, and then we spent the day performing for people gathering on the street, performing for the Canadian ambassador’s guests as they arrived, on the roof of the embassy, inside again for some of the guests, outside again for the tailgate party flanked by some of the Mounties as they drove by.
We were obviously excited, but extremely humbled to be representing our country, and it really felt we were taking Canada’s pride with us when we went. And I know there were a lot of Canadians that went, and it felt like we were there and singing for all the Canadians who wanted to be there and couldn’t. It was really very moving.
We had sung that old spiritual several times in the Canadian embassy on the Tuesday: “Walk together children, don’t you get weary, there’s a great camp meetin’ in the promised land…” Some of the crowd members started to sing “There’s a great camp meetin’ in Obama-land.”
Reverend Joseph Lowery, who did the benediction at the Inauguration, got up and quoted the last verse of the “Black National Anthem”: “God of our weary years, God of our silent tears,” … and then he went on to say “Walk together children, don’t you get weary”
And you know, when I heard him quote it, I was gone! We were feeling this stuff! And we just thought, this is what we can do, we’ll do our part.
I think of that quote from Dr. King: “the centre of non-violence is the power of love.” I don’t think we really understand fully what that is. Words have great power and also, they can easily misrepresent things we need to think of. Love is such a force for good! And the opposite of that is not so pleasing… people do things out of fear, and that makes them hate, or makes them greedy, or makes them selfish, those types of things. Love is not something that’s namby-pamby, or trite – love takes courage. Love requires Justice. It requires right. To say to somebody, learn to truly love yourself and how to act from a place of love, not of fear… that’s the basis for this kind of interaction and this kind of connectedness that I’m talking about.
That’s one of the main things that I want, not just young people but humanity in general to get from me, from us as an ensemble when we perform. People should get that from us. I would like to be that kind of example to others, especially young people. Those are the kinds of things that we try to show: lead by example.
Judge Thérèse Alexander is the President of the Canadian Association of Provincial Court Judges and one of only 4 bilingual judges to sit in her home province of BC. Her roots in the province extend all the way back to the arrival on Vancouver Island of her great-great grandparents, fleeing racism in pre-Civil War United States.
It is an honour and a privilege to be asked to participate in this blog for Black History Month. Most judges are much more comfortable writing about fact-finding and applying legal principles rather than about what has inspired and motivated them.
I was born in Vancouver, British Columbia. After graduation, I attended the University of B.C. and obtained a BA (French) and ultimately a law degree. I spent a number of years in private practice before my appointment to the Provincial Court of British Columbia in January, 1996. I preside in all divisions of the court and am designated as one of the Court’s bilingual judges.
Many who study law hope for an opportunity to make a difference in society in some modest way. After more than ten years in private practice, judging seemed an appropriate and natural progression. The legal profession offers exceptional opportunities for community outreach, liaison with leaders in education, community and national organizations. As a judge I have had the privilege to serve as national president of the Canadian Association of Provincial Court Judges in 2007-2008. It is a very rewarding career and a long way from where my great great grandparents Charles and Nancy Alexander began my family’s journey to Canada in 1858.
We all have role models- people who have influenced the choices that we have made and the path we have followed. Mine are very close to home. I have been inspired by my family and its journey as early Black pioneers to British Columbia and their unwavering commitment to succeed in their adopted home-a commitment they passed on to subsequent generations.
Charles and Nancy Alexander came to Canada in 1858 from the United States in search of a better life for their children. With two children in tow, they traversed the United States by bullock cart from St. Louis and arrived in San Francisco. Time and distance obscure the adversity that they must have faced. The political climate in 1850’s California was unfavourable: it included a legislative scheme which denied Blacks access to state schools; discriminatory laws in that Blacks could not give evidence against whites in court and a proposal to require Blacks to be registered to discourage further Black immigration to California. When an opportunity arose to come north to Vancouver Island, they came.
My great-great grandparents settled on the Saanich peninsula just outside Victoria, B.C. They had 12 children and prospered – becoming prominent members of their local community. My great-great grandfather served as a lay minister at Shady Creek Church, which still stands today. It is now a designated National Heritage site.
Life was often difficult – but they adapted and persevered. They were the real trailblazers and bequeathed those values of hard work, tenacity to their children. I like to believe that a measure of that pioneering spirit has survived as the Alexanders and other Black families spread into the Gulf Islands and the British Columbia mainland.
Until recently there was very little information about the early Black settlers of British Columbia. It was not included in any school curriculum or in conventional history books. Most of us learned from oral history: family lore – the shared memories of parents, aunts and uncles, family and friends. Family history is an integral part of our identity. It grounds and provides context to our lives.
The importance of strong family and community support can never be overstated. My grandparents lived through the Great Depression. People helped each other – it was a matter of survival. The family endured periods of extended separation and very difficult living circumstances. My grandparents took employment wherever they could find it: waitressing, domestic service, portering on the C.P.R, hauling coal or sawdust –whatever job was available. Work was a matter of pride. Those efforts paid off as they were eventually able to move from the Downtown Eastside to a house in South Vancouver where my father was able to complete his high school education.
When my own parents married in Vancouver in 1952, they were an unlikely match. My mother is of English/ Swedish heritage. Inter-racial marriage at that time was very uncommon. Both families were accepting of their union, even if society was not. They faced many challenges and I have always admired their courage. They were years ahead of their time. They have now been married for 57 years. When I married my husband, an Indo-Canadian – it was nothing out of the ordinary for my family. We had already embraced diversity and the strength and richness that it creates.
Education was always a priority. Previous generations did not have the opportunities most of us enjoy today. My parents ensured that both my brother and I completed university. They encouraged us to learn a second language and to travel. They knew that education is an enduring gift that challenges and enlightens the human spirit. Its benefits can never be taken away.
Is Black History Month still relevant given the recent milestone achieved-the election of America’s first African-American president? Unequivocally yes! February provides a unique opportunity to evaluate our progress: in many cases from slavery to freedom and prosperity, and how far we have yet to go. Black History Month also provides a brief moment to assess our society - to examine our important social institutions: to ask whether they are truly inclusive and reflective of Canadian society. If not, what more we can do individually and collectively to achieve this fundamental goal.
Our ancestors had a vision of just and inclusive society. They sought to make that vision a reality, often at great personal sacrifice. We are the beneficiaries of their efforts and we bear a responsibility to honour and actualize their vision. We all have a role: to understand where we came from; to share our history with our children and others so that they too may profit from that wisdom and experience. We must be open, not insular – engaged in our own communities, working together until that vision is a reality for all.
Tamara Sutton-Brown, born in 1978 in Markham, Ontario, is a professional basketball player, currently with the Indiana Fever of the WNBA. She was ranked Canada's Top Female Prospect in High School, had a record-setting college career with Rutgers, played for Canada at the 2000 Olympics and has won multiple championships with Fenerbahçe Instanbul. Sutton-Brown was a WNBA All-Star in 2002.
There is a quote that says "people come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime." I meet a number of people on a daily basis, and I enjoy socializing and interacting with different people. I must admit that everyone you meet can have an impact but very few leave that lasting impression. Among those who do, they have been an inspiration on my life. I would like to take a moment to acknowledge the people who have truly inspired me, touched my life in a very positive way, and encouraged me to pursue my endeavors to the highest degree possible.
First and foremost, I would like to recognize my parents as being the ones who instilled in me the core values by which I live my life. My strong foundation was shaped and cultivated by them and I acknowledge that they are the main reasons for my success. They demonstrated through their own diligence that nothing worthwhile in life is achieved without vision and hard work. I have been blessed to have a career that is based on my passion.
I am a professional basketball player in the WNBA as well as overseas, I am a former Olympian, I am the first Canadian selected to the WNBA all-star team, I am a Harry Jerome award recipient, I am a college graduate, and I have experienced success in many other domains. Despite these successes, I still maintain a grounded attitude and I am committed toward helping others to achieve personal success. The humility that guides my down-to-earth personality is attributed to the way I was raised.
My parents are proponents of collectivism and they helped me to realize that I am not successful if those around me are struggling, and this has fueled my involvement with community-based initiatives. I believe that my namesake has been a powerful force in determining the course of my life. Named at birth as Tamara Kim Sutton-Brown, I was named after Tamara Dobson, a beautiful actress and fashion model who starred in 1973's "Cleopatra Jones", and modeled for magazines such as Vogue, Essence and Ebony. Tamara Dobson was an icon of the 70's, and she possessed class and sassiness, while keeping it real in her movies. When my parents named me little did they know what the my future would hold.
My growth spurt hit early and at the age of 13 I was already 6'2". Growing up in my youth Tamara Dobson was an inspiration to me because she made Black women feel as though they could accomplish anything, and she was a positive role model for tall girls if they put their minds to it. At 6'2", Tamara Dobson was certified as being the tallest leading lady in film by the Guinness Book of World Records. She was the epitome of the correlation between tall and beautiful, and she complimented it with her strength and intelligence. Through her determination, Tamara Dobson was one of the few Black women who transcended racial barriers in the entertainment industry, showing that with hard work we can succeed in life.
Later on in my life I came into contact with another source of inspiration. Ms. C. Vivian Stringer was my college basketball coach, but she extended her coaching ability beyond the court. I describe her as being my 'life coach'. I respect her for being incredibly humble in spite of her successful career, and she has truly worked hard to achieve all that she has. She deliberately attempts to teach her players how the skills required in the game of basketball are also applicable to daily life. Teamwork, and a strong work ethic, are all skills that permit me to connect with others in a positive manner and to be a functional member of society. I have learned from this incredible lady that I should not take the easy road, I should not make excuses for things that are within my control, and that I should be responsible for my own actions, success, and failures. She constantly reminded us that we should not allow others to break our spirit, and that no matter what obstacles we confront, we must always think like a champion, dig deep and find the will to overcome, no matter how many times we get knocked down.
Though I graduated from college eight years ago, the words spoken by Coach Stringer continue to echo in my mind today. Guided by the love of my mother than father, and via the dignity and hard work of Ms. Tamara Dobson and Ms. Vivian String, I have come to realize that true success is achieved when you set your own worth and strive to accomplish personal goals. It should not be measured by money, cars, or title; rather it is measured in the currency of destiny fulfillment.
Dr. Pat Francis is an international humanitarian, author, TV host and recording artist. she is the founder and senior pastor of Kingdom Covenant Ministries based in Canada, and the CEO of several charitable organizations and enterprising companies. Her charitable initiatives for providing solutions for youths and the community have been honoured with awards in both Canada and the USA. In January 2008, Dr. Pat was appointed a United Nation's NGO Representative with influence as a Transformational Activist dealing with humanitarian issues, systemic poverty and children and adults at risk.
My journey for humanitarian causes began as I travelled throughout Africa, Asia and nations meeting beautiful talented people ravished by poverty and disease though living in countries with intrinsic wealth. The poor needed a voice and an advocate to bring solutions so I joined the cause to eradicate systemic poverty and to create systemic prosperity in people waiting to experience the grace of God who loves the world.
My personal mission statement is to serve God, serve others and make my world a better place. I know that every person is valuable and made in the image of God. Therefore, they possess beauty, brilliance and great potential.
After several missionary journeys in many nations, I formed Compassion for the Nations to provide holistic solutions that will improve health, environment, thinking, financial sustainability and the spirit of enterprise. Projects include medical missions, developing medical centres, orphanages, farming projects, conferences to educate and transform lives and support for mission organizations. In January 2008 I was appointed as a United Nations NGO representative with influence as a Transformational Activist to deal with humanitarian issues, systemic poverty and, in partnership with world leaders, help children and adults at risk.
While on a trip to a local shopping mall, during school hours, I saw kids hanging out as though they lacked purpose or a plan for their lives. This experience made me realize that youths in my own city were at risk. In their eyes, I saw anger and bitterness that could represent disillusionment with parents, the police and society as a whole. I immediately thought, herein lies one of the reasons for the increase in crime in our city. Without education youths are destined for systemic poverty and a propensity for crime. This marked my journey to work with youth at risk that drove me to sleepless nights until it became a cause worth fighting for.
With a team of passionate professionals we have created, over the years, several programs and schools to provide holistic solutions to save, secure and transform the lives of hundreds of young people. We started with education programs such as mediation with school officials; counselling that involved youth and parents and to date we have granted over one hundred scholarships. In addition, mentors are assigned to coach and encourage youths to pursue a path of excellence in accomplishments.
Recognizing the high rate of high school dropout, we formed KC Collegiate, an accredited high school with the Ministry of Education in Ontario for youths struggling in the mainstream school system and disenfranchised youth who have either dropped out or been nudged out of school. The KC Collegiate is a school of excellence, with small and personal classes, individual attention and immediate resources available to students. These students have found renewed self-esteem and are now choosing to further their education by enrolling in college or university.
Youth crime is an epidemic in our city. Again, by mobilizing a team of lawyers and passionate professionals the Acorn to Oak Restorative Justice (RJ) program was developed. I am convinced that youth detention centres are not the answer to juvenile offenders. In many cases the experience creates shame, anger, hardened hearts and hopelessness that turn first time offenders into hardened criminals. Through the RJ program court intervention is provided, relationships have been restored many times with parents and persons of authority and the damage that had been done were fixed to prevent further cycles of crime. The success of our education and restorative justice programs gave birth to Acorn to Oak Youth Services that now carries, in addition, a variety of other programs to help the youth of our city.
The Acorn To Oak Mentorship program came into being to support youths by providing them with real life mentors in social, academic and rehabilitation who meet with them regularly and consistently to support and guide them to reach that other level.
Acorn To Oak Counseling Program where professional counsellors are available for individual and group counseling to provide coping strategies for dealing with many issues faced by young people and families.
Acorn To Oak Sports and Recreation Program provides opportunities for youths to become involved in recreation activities such as drop-in or organized sports, the most popular being basketball.
I believe each person is gifted by God with talents and innate power. Together we have the ability to create a new world. I have created my world with a passion for prosperity with purpose, to help people and to make my world a better place. The principles for creating a new world are found in my new book, “The Ultimate Secret”.
To learn more about Dr Pat Francis, please visit www.patfrancis.org and to learn more about Acorn to Oak Youth Services visit www.acorn2oak.ca
Phil Vassell and Donna McCurvin are co-founders of the award-winning WORD Magazine; the Toronto Urban Music Festival and the IRIE Music Festival. Both are winners of the Harry Jerome Award for Excellence in Business (2000); Special Recognition Award in 2000 from the Urban Music Association for the healthy advancement of Urban Music in Canada; Best Publication (2001) from the Urban Music Association of Canada; and the Bob Marley Community Award (1995).
Reflecting on people who have inspired me over the years, two figures have remained constant in my life: my mother, Dorothy Vassell, my first teacher in kindergarten, and my wise grandmother, Rita Myrie, who taught me the importance of treating people the same whether they were “princes and paupers.”
There are others who have fueled my quest for excellence over the years. These include: Marcus Garvey, Martin Luther King Jr., Bob Marley, Nelson Mandela, Richard Wright, Spike Lee, Pierre Verger and Barack Obama.
Both my mother and father worked overtime to instill in their seven children that despite humble beginnings, we could accomplish anything with a good education. They facilitated this by immigrating from a small rural village in Western Jamaica to Toronto.
Despite very different environments, our life lessons remained constant. “Study hard and you can be whatever you want to be.”
The Universe can sometimes unfold in ways that are unforeseen and often times a so-called chance encounter becomes a major force in shaping one’s destiny.
This was the case with WORD. That chance encounter took place while on a trip to Bahia Brazil. In Salvador, Bahia, Donna and I visited an Afro-Brazililan museum and purchased a book. That book titled Retratos da Bahia by French Photo journalist Pierre Verger. The book changed our lives.
Here was a man who gave up a secure job in Paris where he worked at the French News Agency to devote his efforts to documenting the lives of Afro-Brazilians. And here I was, going back to my fulltime staff job at CBC and Donna going back to her job as a chemist. That was our moment of clarity.
Upon returning to Toronto, we got busy and founded WORD, an award-winning magazine on urban/black culture. It became the conduit through which we pursued our passion for arts and culture. We wanted a publication that spoke to the new generation of African Canadians who grew up in this country, unlike many of the previous publications from Toronto’s black community.
We wanted it to reflect the emerging urban/ black culture in Canada, the U.S. and across the Diaspora. We wanted to tell our own stories. We also wanted it to be inclusive of writers from other backgrounds who shared our passion for the music and the culture. Moreover, we wanted it to foster the change we and a group of committed contributors wanted to see.
Fifteen years later, WORD’s contribution has been one of educating and entertaining our readers with a variety of artistic profiles and socio-cultural/socio-political issues. We have also had the opportunity to work with some very talented writers, photographers and designers in Canada and internationally.
WORD has also provided coop students of all ethnic backgrounds with training in journalism. One of our proudest accomplishments has been the Minority Media Training Program produced in partnership with the Province of Ontario and the Southern Ontario Newspaper Guild.
We have also been able to showcase hundreds of very talented performers through two music festivals which WORD made possible: The Toronto Urban Music Festival is celebrating its 13th year in 2009, and the IRIE Music Festival — its 8th year. Each has become the largest in their categories in Canada.
We have witnessed hip hop culture’s rise to become the leading edge of youth culture world-wide. The recent Grammy Awards, a barometer of popular music culture is proof, as is the many visitors to our website at www.wordmag.com.
Barack Obama’s historic ascension to the presidency of the United States is also a testament to why arts and culture matters. In the Spring of 2008, WORD carried a cover story on the strong support Barack Obama was getting from Hollywood and the artistic world. It was clear to us that he also recognized the importance of this support. Many young people became fired up.
The cultural impact of this occasion will be felt for generations. That is why Donna, our two daughters and I traveled to Grant Park, Chicago on November 4th, 2008 to help celebrate that incredible moment. We came back inspired!
As Black History Month is celebrated across North America, I am reminded of a phrase rapper, Jay-Z helped popularize : “Rosa sat so Martin could walk. Martin walked, so Obama could run. Obama is running so our children can fly.” Yes we can!
Phil Vassell and Donna McCurvin are co-founders of the award-winning WORD Magazine; the Toronto Urban Music Festival and the IRIE Music Festival. Both are winners of the Harry Jerome Award for Excellence in Business (2000); Special Recognition Award in 2000 from the Urban Music Association for the healthy advancement of Urban Music in Canada; Best Publication (2001) from the Urban Music Association of Canada; and the Bob Marley Community Award (1995).
"Love is that condition in the human spirit so profound that it allows one to survive, and better than that, to thrive with passion, compassion, and style. "
— Maya Angelou
As I reflect on Black History Month and specifically my history and those who have influenced me I realize that many individuals have contributed to the wife, mother, woman, daughter and business partner that I am today. Some are famous, most are not, most are from the Black community, some are not but the one constant is that they all speak to the importance of love.
As a child growing up in London, England my parents, Lloyd and Velma McCurvin, showered me with love and support and gave me a strong belief in my own abilities. My father would always tell me that I could accomplish anything I set my mind to and that my gender should never be a deterrent. This message was repeated so many times and in so many ways that I never doubted him. No matter how impossible the goal would seem I knew I could accomplish it with hard work and determination.
As a young woman graduating from U of T with a Bachelors of Science degree I felt confident that I would find my place in society even though many questioned my non-traditional choice of chemistry. Little did I know that falling in love and marrying Phil Vassell would take me down another non-traditional path to the life of an entrepreneur and influence my life in such a profound way.
As an entrepreneur with a unique and successful partnership with my spouse I have been most inspired by Microsoft’s Bill Gates and Steve Balmer. Not because of their financial success but because of their unique business relationship. When Steve Ballmer, was asked to describe his then 25-year partnership with Bill Gates, he confessed – “It’s like a marriage”. Their relationship was based on mutual respect, complementary strengths and skills, open and frank discussions and of course, love.
As Phil’s wife I have had the privilege to know my mother-in-law, Dorothy Vassell, a mother of seven and a wife of 49 years. Her positive attitude in the face of adversity has inspired me to remain hopeful regardless of the circumstances. Whether it is a health issue or a financial crisis she can always be counted on to provide words of encouragement.
As the mother of our two beautiful daughters, Kamilah, 15, and Zahra, 14, I have found tremendous joy in raising a family while operating and expanding our business. Their unconditional love has inspired me to be their strongest advocate which has in turn inspired my daughters to advocate for themselves and others. Kamilah’s outrage at the lack of a Black History Month program at her high school, one of the largest in Peel, prompted a meeting with her vice-principal and several discussions with her teachers. As a result of these efforts the second annual Black History Month program, conceived and delivered by black students, will take place in the high school auditorium later this month.
As my roles have changed over the years I now realize that I too can influence others whether through my actions or the actions of my daughters. My hope is to inspire young black women to be the best that they can be, to not settle for less, to be leaders, not followers and that “excellence is the best deterrent to racism or sexism.”
~Oprah Winfrey
Toronto native Jully Black overcame a challenging childhood to become a successful singer-songwriter with two albums to her credit. Black has written for Destiny's Child and Nas, shared the stage with Jay-Z, 50 Cent, Bon Jovi, Josh Groban and Usher, and collaborated with some of the nation's best songwriters, including Ian Thornley, Dallas Green and Hawksley Workman. In addition to her musical endeavours she does celebrity reports for CTV's eTalk.
Jully Black is also Jullyann Inderia Gordon, the youngest daughter born to Agatha and Lloyd Gordon. I am one of nine siblings and the only child who was born in Canada. A twin at birth, I began my life crying in harmony with my brother whose voice quickly went silent only moments after we entered into this world. For Mom was 42 years old when she gave birth to us and had no idea she had an RnB group living inside of her! Due to her excessive weight gain her boss at the time said to her, “This baby is either coming out with a full beard or a mouth full of teeth!” Well he was kinda right being that there were two of us chilling in there, one being a boy waiting to meet our Rock Star Mother. And a rock star she was and still is! I often say, “If I could be one percent of the woman I mother is, I’d be perfect!”
Who is Jully Black?
I am a Girl, a Lady, a Woman, a Queen and everything I can dream. I’m still the little girl from Jane & Finch who dreamt the dream that I am currently living and was fortunate to have the right people to guide me along the way.
Over the years, I have been asked many times who has been my biggest inspiration personally and professionally and of course my Mother is at the top of that list. However lately I’ve had a lot of time to reflect on my life and being that my Mother has been inducted into my “Hall of Fame of personal inspiration” I am ready to open up my “Black Book” and share some more of the makings of me.
I remember being in the second grade when my teacher, Mrs. Simon, gave me permission to sing for “show and tell” rather than bring a toy. While most kids brought in the latest toy or gadget, all I had that I thought was cool was my voice. Cocky you say? Well not really, because at six years old I remember singing in church and instinctively knowing that I had an anointing and a gift that I knew no one else had, but me. So my sister braided my hair with pink ribbons, Mom let me wear my FAVOURITE pink dress with the fresh Italian knee socks (that’s what I knew them as) and my red patent leather “church shoes”. I remember singing, “Saving all my love for you” by Whitney Houston, and if I wasn’t ONLY eight years old you would think I knew who I was “Saving” my love for. As I look back at who I’ve become, I realize that I owe a lot of who I am today to that single opportunity for Mrs. Simon gave me the chance to take a chance on me.
Then there was Mr. Roy Greaves who accepted me into an already crowded enriched music program at Oakwood C.I. when he clearly didn’t have to. I took a bus a train and a streetcar everyday from Jane and Finch, mainly to attend that class. After almost failing the first semester he took me aside and let me have it. He didn’t care about how well I could mimic Whitney Houston or Aretha Franklin, I had to humble myself and learn music history as well as how to sing in Russian, and simply learn how to listen to the voices around me and sing as one. He was and still is my hero. And last year, on Oakwood’s 100th Anniversary I was able to reunite with him (he still teaches at Oakwood after 27 years!) and sing “At Last” with the school symphony. Talk about a full circle moment.
I wanted to take the time to acknowledge my two favorite teachers because good teachers are often overlooked and forgotten about. I know that I wouldn’t be the Jully I am today had I not had teachers who recognized my talents early, nurtured them and encouraged me to keep walking into my purpose.
So who is Jully Black?
I am storyteller, a singer, a songwriter, an actor, a television personality, an ambassador, a philanthropist, an athlete, a dreamer and an equal.
So if you are reading this wondering how to make your dreams come true or if they’ll ever happen, just know that you are paving the road that you are walking on. Just don’t be afraid to ask for help or take a break. “Rest if you must, but don’t you quit” and dare to be you.
Orin Isaacs is an award winning TV music producer, composer and musician. He has also been the bassist and musical director for some of Canada’s most successful TV shows. Hockey Night in Canada, Open Mike with Mike Bullard and Canadian Idol.
Well it’s February 2009 and another Black History month is upon us. But for some reason with the January 20th inauguration of President Obama something feels different this time around. For one, my mother is an official Obama Mama. She has everything Obama, and I mean everything, right down to the earrings. Her fanatical excitement is infectious. When I watched the ceremony I couldn’t help but think about Obama’s story, his journey, his mother and how proud she must be even though she’s no longer with us.
It got me thinking about my mother, and how proud she is. She came here from Guyana in 1968 with my dad. By 1971 she was divorced and alone with two boys to raise. She wanted us to have a better life so she decided education was the answer. She had to do it part-time so it took her ten years to earn her B.A. in Sociology and English from the University of Toronto. She knew that degree would make her a better-rounded person, and with that would come better opportunities, and she was right. You see my mom was all about acquiring knowledge, she knew that was the key to success. My older brother immediately bought in to the concept. In school he was a bookworm honour-rolling scholar. He won tons of academic awards and was the 1st black valedictorian of what was then a mostly all Jewish high school Sir Sanford Fleming. He got a partial scholarship to the University of Waterloo and graduated with honours with a degree in Mathematics and Computer Science. Then there was me, the kid that just wanted to play music.
I look back now and realize my mom was brilliant. Even though she and my brother had university degrees she never, not once, pushed me in that direction. I guess she realized from my early grade school marks I wasn’t university material.
What she did realize was that I had a deep passion for music. So at the age of 12 when I decided I wanted to be a professional musician her response was “ok so let’s make sure you’re the best musician you can be”. From that day on and over the next 6 years she bought me 3 electric basses, 1 upright bass, 2 bass amps, countless strings, music books, all the accessories I needed and paid for all the private music lessons she could afford. She came out and cheered with the declaration of “that’s my son” at every performance she was at. She didn’t have too, but she made sure I practiced everyday. I was in love with the bass. I played it for hours everyday and at ridiculously loud volumes. I never once heard my mom say, “Turn it down!!!” Her friend once asked her how could she put up with all the noise, all the time, and in classic mom fashion her response was “when I hear that bass. I know where Orin is, and that he’s doing something constructive, can you say the same for your son?”
You see my mother busted her butt and used the few tools she had to help us succeed. Her main tool was love. She was there when I needed her most, she was always supportive and she was very understanding and nurturing, as long as I tried my best that was good enough for her. The second tool was knowledge. She always pushed us to be informed. Since I wasn’t big on books, she would say things like “If you don’t know, surround yourself with people that do”. She had a million of these sayings and to this day I remember them all and put them to practical use. The third tool was fear. She knew she couldn’t always be there, so as a kid living in a peer-pressured filled neighbourhood, a good healthy dose of fear kept me on the straight and narrow.
Today, I truly believe, because of my mother’s love, knowledge and Obama style fanatical support, I’ve been blessed with an amazing musical career.
It’s funny how some things never change. I’m 39 now and my mom still tells me she turns on the TV just to see me play that bass. I guess at that very moment, on live television, on some of the biggest stages this country has to offer. It still confirms to her, where I am, and that I’m still doing something constructive.
Dr. Kenneth Montague is a Toronto dentist, art collector, curator and music lover. He received the 2006 SOCAN Patron of Music award, and recently established a scholarship for undergraduate Black students at his alma mater, The University of Windsor.
Well... I've just returned from a wonderful trip to Washington, DC to be a part of the Obama Moment. The presidential inauguration event was as frenzied - and fantastic - as you can imagine. Barack, Michelle and "the girls" were as elegant and admirable a first family as the world has ever seen. The crowd was intense. The speeches were memorable. My feet were frozen.
But hey…I was THERE.
As significant a day that it was, I still think back to the night of November 4th, 2008 - Election Night in America. For me, that was the true moment. When CNN announced that it was in fact official, that Obama had actually done it, my first reaction was to close my eyes and give a silent prayer of thanks.
And then I called my folks in Windsor.
Yeah, it was after 11pm, and yeah, my folks are retirees.. but I had to call them. You see, Barack was right: it wasn't about him. It was a victory for the people. In particular, the generation of black people who didn't ever believe that they would see the day that a black man would gain the massive support - the trust - of a nation divided by race.
I am continually inspired by that generation. Yeah, my life is busy, but so was theirs. And you know what? I feel like I can do anything that I want, live wherever I want, achieve anything that I want. That feeling of choice, of privilege, came at a price. Our parents' generation suffered injustices, felt the sting of racism and discrimination in their everyday lives. And they just kept going, giving us the opportunities that we now take for granted. (Well…some of us.)
I want to tell you about my parents, who were early immigrants from Jamaica to North America. In the late fifties, before they married, my mother attended New York University (she graduated as a dietitian), and my father attended the University of Toronto (graduating as a teacher), where there were only two other black students that he knew of. The racism was crushing - for example, years later, at my graduation from U of T's dental school, my Dad confessed that he hadn't ever been inside the jewel of the downtown campus, Hart House. In his day, blacks' were "not allowed" in the student lounge. And my mother winces when she talks about having to do housework for a wealthy New York family - imagine the silent indecencies of "being someone" back in your home country, and suddenly being made to feel like a nobody. Maybe even less than that.
But they got through it.
Dad even got accepted into graduate school in Detroit, and this being pre-Civil Rights days, they avoided America and settled in Windsor, where I was born in the sixties. They never told me that they couldn't rent a house in their new city with its bustling post-war economy - a couple of university grads with three small kids, the perfect nuclear family (or so should have seemed). In fact, they ended up living at the local YMCA after being turned away from one rental property after another. And when they finally got an opportunity to BUY their own home, their prospective neighbors signed a petition which their real estate agent presented to them, suggesting that they should consider another neighborhood. Any place but theirs.
So, when Barack, Michelle, Malia & Sasha and stood up on that podium as the first family of The United States of America, well, you know that meant something to my family. The legacy of slavery, the immigrant struggles, the Civil Rights movement, the personal trials and tribulations. For the first time in my parents’ long lives, all of these things made sense. It was their moment.
Black history is now. Give thanks to the folks who came before us. Celebrate this moment.
Ebonnie Rowe is the creator of a mentoring program for Black students called Each One, Teach One, founded in 1992 to counteract negative images of Black people in the media. In 1995, she formed PhemPhat Productions, an all-female production company showcasing women interested in urban music. PhemPhat's Honey Jam has provided a platform for Nelly Furtado, Jully Black, and Jemeni among many others. Rowe received the YWCA "Women of Distinction" award in 2005.
This is a new experience for me, to sit and write about myself, say who I am and who inspired me in 500 words for Black History Month. Hmmm… I find myself a bit conflicted as I’m not one for calendar-prompted consciousness – there should be interest in Black history throughout the year, people should show their love not just on Valentine’s day, give gifts not just on Christmas day – you get the drift. At the same time I am honoured to have been chosen to participate, and so I will…
I was born in Montreal to Barbadian parents. I am the youngest of 3 children and we were all raised mostly in the suburbs of Toronto. English Literature was my favourite subject, I’m afraid of spiders and I make really great Rice Crispy Squares – LOL!
OK I’m not sure that’s quite what they had in mind…The Each One, Teach One profession-based mentoring program and the Honey Jam talent showcase are two initiatives most people know me for.Who inspired me? My parents first and foremost, Joan and Owen Rowe, both of whom believed strongly in community service and voluntarism and passed that on to all of us. My mother is the one who raised us mostly as a single mother. Watching her struggle and sacrifice for us was a powerful lesson of dedication, determination, overcoming adversity, never being a victim, sucking it up and pushing through against the odds.
As an adolescent though my most powerful and profound influence was Malcolm X. A pivotal moment in my life came at age 12 when I was at Fairview Mall and a young black man was shot to death by a deranged white man who said he would “shoot the first nigger that he saw”, which could have been me. That incident shocked me and forever removed my naiveté and innocence. There is indeed evil in the world.
At that time I discovered Malcolm X through the “The Autobiography of Malcolm X”. He got me fired up with his rhetoric, his anger, his fearlessness, his audacity, his intellect, commitment and spirit. He had the strength of character to turn his life around from street criminal to community leader, to educate and remake himself. He was a lightening rod that energized a revolutionary spirit in me. What resonated with me most was his refusal to accept the status quo, his determination to push the envelope and willingness to pay the price, to do what he felt was right “by any means necessary”. None of us were to play victim, and he urged us to take responsibility for our lives and that before we complained or pointed a finger, we should look in the mirror and ask first and foremost what we were doing to be part of the solution – empower from within.
It is that philosophy that informed my vision for the Each One, Teach One mentoring program. Empowering from within. All of us taking responsibility to be a part of the solution. It is a part of who I am and has stayed with me throughout my life. Stop complaining, start doing.
I’m soon running out of words, and I was also asked to offer any advice that I’ve learned on my journey. What I often say to young people is to be very clear on what your goals are, to know yourself, to always be open to learning, to surround yourself with people who know more than you do, keep the naysayers at bay, treat everyone with respect and kindness, the janitor the same as the president, to be a person of integrity and honour – that saying of what goes around comes around is completely true. What you do in life will definitely come back to you, the good and the bad. Be the change you want to see in the world.For more information on the Honey Jam talent showcase go to honeyjam.com.
Ivan Berry's career as a manager, promoter, publisher, entrepreneur and executive has made him a giant in the music business. Through his work with BeatFactory, Sony BMG, Ole, andtanjolahe has played a key role in the careers of dozens of successful recording artists includingMichie Mee, Kardinal Offishall, Choclair, andJully Blackamong many others.
When asked to write this blog, it meant the world to me. I remember when black entrepreneurs did not have a commercial voice, especially those who, like Farley Flex, Ron Nelson and I, proudly decided to focus on hip hop as the starting points of our careers in the music industry. Today, 30 years after migrating from St. Kitts (Caribbean) and developing my career, I write this blog for one of the most popular and mainstream online communication portals for the Universe to read. This is what I call evolution.
I considered who inspired me to the point that I will share my most inner feelings with the world. The obvious choice was my parents. They gave up ALL they had to move our entire family to this country in hopes of a better life, a life full of choices and decisions to ensure emotional, economic and personal success. However, I did not want to write about the obvious. I wanted to take a different route.
So, with this said, I decided that my ultimate inspiration has been my lifelong friend, confidant and business partner for 30 years: Mr. Rupert Gayle. Rupert, as you will find out, is one of Canada’s top songwriters, with a portfolio of hit songs that is the most versatile I have ever seen. What most don’t know is that Rupert has been my partner, my backbone, my inspiration, my 50% decision maker and most importantly, my BALANCE. Rupert’s input was critical in ALL decisions towards our growth together. Decisions that contributed to the success that BeatFactory and artists that include Michie Mee, Dream Warriors, Tom Green (Organized Rhyme), RapEssentials (Kardinal Offishall, Choclair, Rascalz), GroovEssentials (Jully Black, Glen Lewis, Divine), Keshia Chante and my latest superstar, Shiloh have had.
Rupert was instrumental in my decision to accept the position of “Head Of A&R & International” for Sony BMG and also my move as Senior Partner of Ole, which is now one of the world’s top music publishers. He was my inspiration to teach at The Harris Institute For The Arts and Durham College, in which I contributed to the education of many. Rupert was in full support of my move to partner with Daniel Mekinda to create tanjola, through which we now manage and publish Rupert Gayle, Shiloh and Shazelle and also publish Haydain Neale (Jacksoul), Dru (In Essence), Alonzo and Alex “South Rakkas” Greggs.
As we travel around the world, sitting with executives to make solid decisions about our corporations and our artists, Rupert is the quiet, balanced one. He is the one that brings me back in line when I go off on long-winded topics that sometimes seem to make no sense to few other than me and those aware of my passion for the topic. Rupert was, and still is the one that makes absolutely certain we both remember that our success and good health comes from God, and is not solely about who we are and what we strategically do on a daily basis.
So, in the name of inspiration, I would like to, in short, share some knowledge on where I think we are as both black entrepreneurs and as a black music industry. The past deficiency of hard infrastructure in black music is a blessing in today’s new, global model. There is opportunity now to reformat the production, distribution, marketing and sales methods, and focus on what is critical to the success of independent black music. Certainly, full brand management and exploitation on a global basis, with revenue diversification in all possible revenue streams is a must. Some of the most common revenue streams we have today are record sales, legitimate digital downloading, touring, publishing, retail & tour merchandising, endorsements, sponsorship, music in TV & film, ringtones, video games, appearances and more. As we approach a global-digital convergence, a range of opportunities exist, but it’s the preservation and ownership of our intellectual property is the invaluable asset that will prove to be the vault of our life’s work.
As a people, the music industry is not just what we see on TV. We need to perfect the creation, management, copyright protection, storage, diffusion, marketing, promotion, sale, interactivity and revenue generation of our music. Young people should be made to recognize the options that are available to them in the “Business Of Music”. They must first be taught to align education, both practical and formal, with their talents as graphic designers, arbitrators, stylists, makeup artists, engineers, songwriters, producers, publicists, business managers, marketing & promotion experts, road managers, managers, choreographers, dancers, lawyers, photographers and the scores of other roles that make up a vibrant and perpetual recording and entertainment industry.
In doing so, young people will recognize the plethora of options available to them, that the combination between talent and education is an indomitable fortress.
To Take Advantage Of An Opportunity, You Must First Recognize It.
You can check out Ivan’s current work attanjola.com
Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, CC CMM COM CD (born September 6, 1957, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti) was appointed Governor General of Canada by Queen Elizabeth II in August 2005. Prior to her appointment she had a distinguished career as a journalist and broadcaster. Her Excellency Madame Jean is fluent in English, French, Spanish, Italian, Haitian Creole and can read Portuguese. She recently became the first Governor General in many years to actually hold the fate of government in her hands, granting Prime Minister Stephen Harper the right to prorogue parliament to avoid a non-confidence motion by a coalition of the Opposition Parties.
I have always thought that this time of reflection—every February—on the struggle of Blacks to gain their emancipation had no value unless viewed through the lens of the history of humanity itself, giving it its full universal dimension.
I believe that the same is true for the struggle of women, of Aboriginal peoples, of gays and lesbians for the recognition and respect of their human rights. These are but a few examples, for the list of struggles throughout history against all forms of discrimination that poison our life in society is very long. The voice of the oppressed and excluded is necessary because it stirs our consciences, forces us to re-examine how we think, allows us to take stock of how far we have come and to identify all that still needs to be done if we are to build a more fair and more human world.
This year, Black History Month is marked by an occasion of particular historic significance—the election of the first African American president of the United States of America. On January 20, when President Barack Hussein Obama was inaugurated, I declared that a new page in the history of civilizations was being written before our very eyes. How could we not rejoice in such a monumental change in a country that had built its prosperity on the shameful practice of slavery and endorsed centuries of systemic segregation and racism, which ended only recently? The global resonance of this event speaks to its universality. Like the dream that the Reverend Martin Luther King expressed so passionately and with such conviction in 1963. Like the release and election of Nelson Mandela, which signalled the end of apartheid in South Africa. The entire world celebrated those moments and recognizes in them turning points in the long march to equality. Barack Obama’s words of hope derive their strength from that ability to bring people together across every barrier, be they racial or otherwise. His “Yes We Can” reminded people that anything is possible and invited individuals and entire populations to join together, to believe in their power to act, and to redefine the world.
On January 20, Rideau Hall hosted a Youth Dialogue, attended by more than 100 youth from every walk of life of our rich Canadian diversity. Together, we watched the inauguration ceremony of the 44th American president, and the discussion that followed was incredibly revealing. The energy was palpable; the call to civic engagement, to take action, to cast off apathy and indifference swept through the room, and it was amazing!
For more blogs, videos and photos from the Governor General and other contributors, please visit www.citizenvoices.gg.ca
Gary Pieters, M.Ed., B.Ed., B.A. was named an 'inspiring alumnus' by The University of Toronto Ontario Institute for Studies in Education in commemorating the 100th anniversary of its faculty of education. He has volunteered on numerous boards and advisory committees including the Urban Alliance on Race Relations, Sojourn House and the Toronto Star Community Editorial Board. He is also the creator of an annual calendar of Black History Month Events.
In the commemoration of Black History Month, I reflect with humility on my own motivation to achieve a good education, and the role of education in actualizing aspirations and increasing the pool of talented Black Canadians The goal is to inspire in others the ability to develop their own talents and realize their aspirations.
I permanently moved to Canada in 1987. Prior to moving to Canada, I lived in Guyana, where I was raised in a single grandparent family, headed by my grandmother. During my early years, my grandmother encouraged me to get an education and value education as an automatic entrance to lifelong opportunities.
I moved to Canada as a young adult and quickly entered the workforce. However, in my quest to achieve a full formal education, I enrolled in secondary school and acquired the required credits and grades to successful gain post-secondary admission to the University of Toronto. At the University of Toronto, I was able to complete three degrees - a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and African Studies; a Bachelor of Education degree and finally, a Master of Education Degree with specialization in Computer Applications in Education.
Through the skills I gained at University, I was able to access employment, volunteer and community organizing opportunities in both Canada and the United States of America. I currently serve as a vice-principal in Toronto. Prior opportunities included teaching in the public education systems in Ontario and Los Angeles County. I was able to achieve my hopes and aspirations through persistence and goal setting.
As a first generation Canadian of African descent, my achievements are the product of my environment. I have and remain grounded in the belief that everyone has the potential to be successful. A good education provided me with the ability to further develop my skill set.
As we accentuate the positive contributions of Black Canadians in a plural society where people of all diversities are fully participating in various sectors of leadership and influence, we must continue to mentor young people to reach their potential.
However, becoming a role model, inspiring person, hero, heroine, prominent Canadian or Black achiever is defined not by the credentials earned, skills developed, letters behind one’s name, or the titles that one hold, but by the contributions made towards the betterment of society.
In Canada, there are many Black achievers dispersed across the cities, provinces and territories of this vast nation. Many of these achievers have skills, training and talent that can be shared through personal stories, mentoring, guest presentations and invitations to participate in a small community-based event.
Get to know a Black Canadian role model in your community and become involved in accentuating our positive acts of from which everyone benefits.
Make time to attend an African Heritage/Black History Month event in your community and meet some of the Black Canadians in your community who are making a difference. Approach them, ask questions, allow them to share their stories and develop a better understanding of their diverse acts of achievement.
In early 2001, after several months of indecision and increasing frustration I decided to produce a compilation of Black achievers from across Canada who were excelling in a variety of professions. This decision was borne out of anger, frustration and a sense of responsibility.
Growing up in small-town Ontario in the 70’s, I felt starved for images which would validate my existence. Like many during that period, I looked south and soaked up American portrayals of Blacks. These came from television (i.e. Good Times, The Jeffersons, Soul Train), Motown music, Black American historical figures such as Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Angela Davis, and Black performers such as Sidney Poitier, Sammy Davis Jr., Cicely Tyson.
And, while reading was my favorite pastime, books by and about Blacks were hard to come by. In high school the first books by Black authors I recall reading were brought to my attention by the school librarian. They were I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou and Go Tell it on the Mountain, by James Baldwin. Gradually and with time, there were others. Of course it was not until university that my real education began and I had a fuller exposure to works by Black writers as well as Canadian history and the place of Blacks therein.
After working overseas in Africa for a number of years, I became accustomed to seeing Blacks throughout all levels of society – from government ministers to street vendors. Back in Toronto in 1997, it required some adjustment to re-acquaint myself with the phenomenon of seeing Blacks and other ‘people of colour’ in the population but very few in public office or in other prominent positions of influence or decision-making.
However, it was not until 2000 when, wanting to engage in more meaningful work, I left the corporate sector to return to community development. While freelancing, a series of chance encounters propelled me towards undertaking this compilation of Black achievers. These included a Canadian business periodical which, seemed to profile predominantly white, middle-aged males. This made me wonder if there were no Asians, Aboriginals or Blacks in business who could also be included. Then there was a more painful incident which I witnessed of an older Black woman being treated with great discourtesy in a phone centre by someone young enough to be her granddaughter. It made me wonder if the exchange might not have been less hostile if they had both been the same colour rather than one Black and one white. But finally it was my feeling of being negated when seeing a staging of a Christmas favourite by radio personalities whose make-up in no way reflected that of the audience in attendance and the terse reply received to my mild comments about this that made me feel that something needed to be done to show that Blacks and other minority groups are not invisible and have been contributing to the development of this country for many years.
Individually each incident was annoying. Collectively they made my blood boil. My friends, initially sympathetic, kept asking what I planned to do about this growing annoyance. I kept insisting that the battle was not mine to wage. After each one though, I penned a letter or e-mail to air my concerns as I felt that those who are educated and see injustice have an obligation to speak up and speak out on behalf of those who cannot or will not.
It was, however, a discussion with friends, one a relative newcomer to Canada from the UK, which crystallized for me the need and the utility in having a handy reference of ‘who’s doing what among Blacks in Canada’ while highlighting for the larger population the achievements and contributions being made by Blacks across the country. Such a resource would help people find professionals for services or for networking, provide Black youth with information on the range of careers and professions to which they could aspire since other Blacks were already engaged in them, and, provide the larger population with insight into the depths of this population group within its midst.
The next 20 months were chaotic, exhausting, and extremely gratifying. Once the decision was made to produce Who’s Who in Black Canada reactions were mixed. Ironically, some of the strongest opponents were Blacks (the idea is divisive) and some of the strongest supporters were whites (we want to know if Blacks are doing more than sports and music). The first edition appeared in 2002 with over 700 entries. Who’s Who in Black Canada-2 was published in 2006 with over 730 entries of new and updated profiles.
My faith in this project was fueled by the need to share what I had been learning for years from community newspapers such as Contrast, Share and Pride - that Blacks were achieving success in Canada. But nothing prepared me for the range of educators, lawyers, medical specialists, writers, dancers, soil specialists, legislators, academics, police, military and religious officials working countrywide. I was filled with an immense amount of pride with the culmination of each publication because I knew that my objectives were being met – to highlight achievements, motivate Black youth, and, pay homage to those who had worked so hard in their respective fields to make themselves, their communities, and their country proud.
Mark Stoddart is a former Canadian college basketball champ who has turned to art to express his energy and passion. His graphic work on clothing has been worn by hip-hop artists Redman and Socrates, NBA star Tracy McGrady and singer Jully Black. Stoddart also dedicates time to teaching children to paint and to working with a shelter for young single mothers.
It is a familiar saying: “A People with no history have no future.”
This single truth has inspired and motivated each brushstroke I have swept across a canvas. While the immediate subject changes, the purpose behind my art remains the same: educate, empower and unite.
I use art as a means of sharing the rich history and beauty of the motherland – Africa. By creating a positive and authentic image of Africa, we can begin to embrace the land, the history, and ourselves – its descendants.
As we explore our peoples’ history this Black History Month — the pyramid builders, physicians, metaphysicians, alchemists and mathematicians — and the great men and women who are alive today — the athletes, musicians, composers, writers, politicians and activists — I entreat you to be inspired by their legacy.
It is also important to look closer to home during this month of reflection and celebration to honour the achievements of our parents, siblings, friends and community members. Often times, we forget to appreciate the people who have inspired us or taught us important lessons through their life experiences. This relates not only to those whom we admire, but also to those whom we are quick to judge. In observing and learning from others, you make your own road a little easier to travel. I try to learn something from everyone in my life because I know that every person is my teacher.
This month especially, I am reminded of two exceptional people who significantly influenced my life: Shawn “BLU” Rose and Kwame Ture.
Shawn “BLU” Rose was a local youth worker who died of a brain aneurysm in autumn 2005. Blu’s greatest gift was his ability to connect with the youths in his community (Malvern). Shawn gave them the greatest gift one can give – his time. On August 13th, 2006, almost a year after his untimely death, the City of Toronto officially recognized his efforts by renaming a Malvern-area park in his name. This was a milestone for the African-Canadian community as it was the first time a city park in Toronto was named after one of us. What I learned from my friend Shawn is to live each day with love and grace; to smile, laugh, and give back when you can.
Kwame Ture was the second person to touch my life in a profound way. Meeting him for the first time as a college student, and hearing him speak about our obligation as activists to reach the people in the best way we know how, was life-changing. I recall approaching him after this powerful speech to present him with a sketch I had created of him during the lecture. He signed my sketch book with a message that struck a cord in my body and has stayed with me ever since: “Everything for the people, even art.” His message was prophetic; I owe much of my success to Kwame Ture for encouraging me to pursue my passion for arts and activism. When my faith flags, I need only recall Ture’s outstanding life achievements to regain my purpose and renew my passion for my work.
Ture, the very man who coined the phrase “Black Power”, was a radical activist of the '60s who never compromised. His was a voice that would accept nothing less than true empowerment for his people, even if that meant the dismantling of the international order that hoards the world's resources and keeps most of its people down. He was especially unforgiving of American capitalism, which he saw as the greatest oppressor on Earth.
Even after his body weakened under assault of prostate cancer, his spirit never faltered and his commitment never flagged. Until the end, he worked to bring the various elements of the African-American community into coalition. Until the end, he answered the telephone, "ready for the revolution."
What I learned from Ture is, we each have our own lives to live and things that are important to us, but it is critical to remember that we are here together and that we all make this planet work. It is easy for us to feel small and unimportant, but the reality is that even the smallest gesture can make a huge difference in the lives of others. We should never underestimate our ability to make an impact.
Today, I am looking towards the future with passion for an artistic medium that motivates and expands the imagination. As a visual communicator, I feel compelled to do more than just convey information. It has become my personal mission to create art that moves people to act.
To be inspired by Mark’s work, please check out: Kurupt
Wesley Williams, (a.k.a. Maestro Fresh-Wes, later Maestro) is known as the Godfather of Canadian hip hop. He was the first Canadian rapper to have a Top 40 hit; his single "Let Your Backbone Slide" remains the top-selling Canadian hip-hop song ever. Besides amassing gold and platinum album sales, Juno awards and MuchMusic Video awards, Williams has logged numerous TV and film roles as an actor.
Because I'm an avid football fan, one of my most recent inspirations would have to be the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers Mike Tomlin. Mike is the youngest coach to ever bring his team to the Super Bowl and only the third African American coach to achieve this. Regardless of the outcome of Sunday's championship game, I am inspired by Mike's drive and his ability to lead individuals to move together as a team towards a specific goal. Being an ethnic minority in this position is encouraging to many. The same month that Barack Obama became the first African American President, Mike Tomlin becomes the youngest coach to lead his team to a Super Bowl victory.
I guess it's fair to say that I am a person who always goes for the underdog. A lot of it has to do with where I was born and raised. We Canadians seem like the underdog in a lot of ways especially in the genre of music I'm involved in. As Hip Hop artists I always felt we're just as good or better than most the MC's down south but we have to work twice as hard as everyone else for international recognition. Musically, especially within the last 12 months I must commend my brother Kardinal Offishall for representing us internationally. His song "Dangerous" feat. AKON reaching number 5 on Billboard's Top 100 singles is an example of us being just as good or better than most. That we as Canadian musicians involved in the genre of Hip Hop can make a major contribution world wide with our talent, as well as networking abilities.
I continue to be inspired by those older as well as younger than me. This inspiration gives me energy to continue to evolve as a man as well as a professional. I have several different projects on the go including my brand new television series, The Line ( HBO Canada) and I had the opportunity to work with an actor by the name of Clé Bennett. A fellow thespian from Toronto who has starred in films like "Doomstown", "Guns", as well as "How She Move", Clé's talent is one thing, but his focus is what is so inspirational to me. While I play the role of Andre, Clé's role of Carlos allowed me to grow as an actor since the majority of my scenes were played against him. There is the saying that men sharpen men like steel sharpens steel and working with Clé has not only sharpened me as an actor but it has helpen me work on sharpening the skill of being focused.
These three individuals are among several people who have inspired me in one capacity or the other. Mike Tomlin's ability to be a young African American coach leading his team towards victory, Kardinal Offishall's drive , talent and determination to break through national acclaim to raise the bar for Canadian Hip Hop artists reaching international arenas, and Clé Bennett's impressive acting skills, concentration and deep focus are very inspirational to me.
A barrister, teacher, entrepreneur, advocate and statesman, Senator Donald H. Oliver has served Canadians with honour, distinction and achievement for more than 40 years. Most recently, he raised $500,000 to lead the first-ever national study conducted in Canada that definitively proves the business case for diversity. He has since spoken to dozens of audiences throughout Canada, South America, the United Kingdom and Europe about the urgency of fostering diverse and inclusive organizational cultures.
Nelson Mandela once observed that “A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.” Add persistent dedication to the mix and success is yours. These are truths that I learned early on in life. A good education, service to others, and the determination to make a difference are the three most deeply cherished values in my family.
First, consider the importance of education to my family. My father had to leave home when he was just thirteen years old to earn money for his family. He only achieved a grade eight education. And he made just $25 a week as a janitor with Acadia University when I was growing up with my four siblings in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. But he insisted, like his brothers and sisters, that all his children study diligently.
I listened to my father, graduating with honours from Acadia University with a B.A. in history. Then, I enrolled in Faculty of Law at Dalhousie University as a Sir James Dunn scholar, where I graduated three years later, earning the G.O. Forsythe Prize for Scholarship and Character.
But I was not the only member of family who recognized that a “good head” is a precious asset. When my father died at age 84 in 1966, there were seventeen university degrees in his extended family. Most of the degrees were with high honours and distinction in the fields of medicine, law, and teaching.
The second lesson I learned very early on is the importance of giving back – of making the world a better place.
My grandfather, William White, came to Acadia to study at the turn of the 19th century and became the second Black graduate of Acadia in 1903. Subsequently, he was ordained a minister and spent two years working to build new African Baptist Churches across Nova Scotia. He later enlisted in the Canadian Army in World War I as a chaplain, becoming the only Black officer in the British Army. After the war, he was called to the Cornwallis Street Baptist Church in Halifax.
While ministering to his people, he devoted much of his energy and influence to combating racism. He fought continuously for the equality of Blacks. It was he, for instance, who single-handedly made it possible for Blacks to sit down downstairs in movie theatres. Before that, Blacks in Nova Scotia were only allowed in the theatre balcony – or “niggers heaven”, as it was known then.
My half brother, Reverend Dr. William Oliver took over my grandfather’s responsibilities at the Cornwallis Street Baptist Church, where he served for 25 years. An inspirational leader, he was instrumental in establishing scholarships for Black students seeking higher education.
I also had the honour of working with him on several of his adult education and Black culture initiatives. We both became deeply involved in the Nova Scotia Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NSAACP). We fought constantly to bring anti-discrimination legislation to our province. We won that battle.
For more than three generations, all the members of my family, on both my father’s and my mother’s side, have devoted their lives to the betterment of humankind. Their influence moved me to teach, to explore business, and to take a deep interest in political reform. And I know that these efforts led to my appointment in the Senate, whereupon I continue to help advance important social changes.
The third lesson I learned from my family is to “keep at it.” Never give up. Know that you can make a difference. Consider what my great grandfather, Andrew White, was able to accomplish through sheer determination. He grew up as a slave on a plantation about 40 miles east of Richmond, Virginia. But, at during the American Civil War, he secured freedom for himself and his family.
He then pursued his trade as a carpenter and a cartwright and became a shrewd businessman. He also became a landowner, an astounding feat for any Black man at that time. He even purchased the plantation on which he had been a slave.
I experienced racism as a young boy, when my family was the only Black family in Wolfville. I felt its lash as a young man, when I was not welcomed in certain restaurants and denied opportunities because of my colour. Early on, I fought alongside with members of my family to eliminate racism and to recognize the many contributions that Black people and other visible minorities have made to our country.
I continue to actively push for social justice through my work in the Senate and other forums. For example, I raised $500,000 to lead the first-ever national study conducted in Canada that definitively proves the business case for diversity. Since then, I have spoken to dozens of audiences throughout Canada, South America, the United Kingdom and Europe about the persistent dangers of racism and the urgency of fostering inclusive cultures.
Has it been easy? Never. But, as I learned very early on from my family, a good head and a good heart are unbeatable, especially when combined with persistence.
And has it been worth it? Always. There’s an immense and rewarding pride that comes from making a difference. And that is the best gift my family gave to me.
Award-winning jazz drummer Archie Alleyne has had a long and illustrious playing career that has included performing with many of the giants of the jazz world. He has also been a successful bandleader and businessman and oversees of The Archie Alleyne Mentorship Program and the Archie Alleyne Scholarship & Bursary Fund. This is his story...
My career has spanned 60 years and I have no intention of going into retirement. I have performed for all of these years at all the principal Toronto jazz establishments - House of Hambourg, 1st Floor Club, Colonial Tavern, Top O’ the Senator, Montreal Bistro, George’s Spaghetti House, Bourbon Street, including the ones still in existence – The Rex, The Pilot. I have traveled all over the world with various artists, appearing in Birdland, New York, The Blue Note in Chicago, Baker’s Keyboard Lounge in Detroit, Festivals in Europe, and tours in Egypt, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Scotland, Ireland, Spain, Rome, Cuba and the Caribbean. It has been a career and a lifespan that has exposed me to a wonderful and varied diversity of cultures and lifestyles.
Born and raised in Toronto during the Depression in the area of Queen and Spadina where the African Canadian community harmoniously co-existed with the Jewish community, one of my earliest experiences as a teenager was listening to Cy McLean’s band rehearsing at The Settlement House located behind the AGO. The music of Cy Mclean’s band inspired me to pursue music as a career. Cy McLean paved the road for many African Canadian musicians by being the first band leader in 1947 to take his band into the prevailing jazz establishments such as The Colonial Tavern. This was at a time when African Canadian musicians were not allowed to perform, due to racial barriers, at any of the clubs on Yonge Street, at that time the live music entertainment hub of the city.
While I did not receive a formal education in music, I had immense opportunities such as private training by Jack McQuade, co-creator of Long & McQuade Musical Instruments. During that time, the only professional music school was The Royal Conservatory of Music, and jazz music was not part of its curriculum. I was and am a self-taught successful musician following in the footsteps of my mentor, Cy McLean, learning by his example and that of many musicians of that era.
Cy McLean was born in 1917 in Sydney, N.S., and in 1947 moved to Toronto. Similarly to his career, I took the first local band into The Town Tavern in 1953. I continued to be the house drummer there for 13 years, accompanying the likes of Billie Holliday, Lester Young, Carmen McRae and Teddy Wilson. My career escalated at that time when I became the first call drummer for many visiting musicians as well as CBC Radio and Television variety shows.
After recovering from a car accident, I was co-owner of a remarkable soulfood restaurant in the 70’s (The Underground Railroad). This was beneficial in providing me with insight into managing a business, and has helped me tremendously in the overall administration of my music career, my band and my show productions.
While touring in Africa, I was inspired to create the show The Evolution of Jazz. The theme of this show is to prov
The journey that I have traveled over the past seventy-five years has brought me enormous knowledge and wisdom. The developing years of my childhood, with my parents, siblings, my extended family and community has instilled in me the precious value for honour and respect of human lives.
The establishment of the Afro centric School is a very positive advancement in the lives of some of our children especially those who are unable to cope in the present school system. Some of our children need a more tender approach; a cultural sensitive place of acceptance and welcome that would develop the intelligence and genius in them.
But my true mentors in my life have been my parents, Winston & Gloria Cheesman. They came to Canada from Trinidad, which was a very big and difficult step. They had always asked me what I wanted to do and let me do it. They supported me through all the ups and downs and taught me by example to always maintain my pride and dignity. Without their constant love I would have never had the courage to do what I do and love: dance. 
As he spoke I could feel the missing pieces of my life’s puzzle fall into place and I knew from that moment onward I would never again apologize for who I was and who I knew I could and would become, and although I had two strong and encouraging parents at home, the words of this man seemed to be push necessary to set me on my proper course.
The beginning: The writer trying to express herself by any means necessary wanted to be heard by the world and prove she could write songs and poetry. Even then the actress in mee was bubbling on stage doing theatrics I knew no man could do unless it was during 
Then the biggest challenge of all: Motherhood!! Yikes! This is not hip hop; 
Who am I? I am an imperfect 14 year old bi-racial teenage author named James Valitchka, who chose good over evil, strength over sorrow and hope over despair. Most importantly, I am a child of God. 
The “Sugar Doctor” caption of the article is related to the fact that in 2005, my non-profit scientific laboratory, Natural Products and Glycotechnology (NPG) Research Institute located in North Carolina, had reported the first synthesis of the complex sugar that is the suspected toxin of cerebral malaria.
I am proud of this five-year odyssey, but I am also humbled by it. Had I gone off to university after leaving high school at age 17, I would (might?) never have pursued chemistry as a career. Fifty years later, my love affair with the subject continues to be intense. But just because I love the subject does not mean that I have always found it easy, nor that I enjoyed doing all that was required to advance my career in chemistry. Usain Bolt said on The David Letterman show, that he hates to train; but he knows he has to if he wants to break world records. Similarly, there are hateful things that I had (have) to do for my chemistry. I will exemplify this with the following vignette.
With regard to the under-representation of Blacksin science, I close with a story that fills me with humility. After my lecture at a Symposium on malaria in Nairobi, Kenya, some young students gathered around to talk to me. Upon my return to the US, some of them kept in touch by e-mail, seeking my advice about graduate school. With my help Martin was admitted to a Canadian University. His entire village had to help him raise his one-way fare to Canada. He went to the US to complete his Ph. D., and has just gone to Harvard for advanced training. Below is an excerpt from his latest e-mail to me: 
When I was first contacted by Mhairy, Canoe’s Marketing Solutions Advisor, it was great to hear from her, a former BMG music alumni who I had worked with previously while at MuchMusic. As I listened to her voice message she mentioned the Black History Month Profile and their interest in me being a part of this historical Blog. I was humbled and excited to participate, and she instructed me to give her call to get further details on the project. Well, before I called her, my old VJ ego jumped in...there’s probably going to be a photo shoot, what will I wear? Are they going to ask me about my influences and contributions as a Black man in Canada? My mind began to race recalling a variety of things I’ve managed to accomplish both past and present. Ok, I better give Mhairy a call...“Yeah, ok. Uh huh...WHAT?” You want me to write...500-700 words on an individual who’s inspired me (be it personally or professionally)... how they did so and/or offer any words of wisdom. Well my bubble burst right in front of my no lights, no camera, no pie in the sky sit down interview face...Hmmmm a blog I’m so old skool..... I can do this... the first thing that comes to mind is, FOUNDATION.
It would be hard for me to name one particular influence personally or professionally because there have been so many. What I can share is how my foundation got me through my days at Muchmusic. When I went on the air in September 1990, I said a prayer before I ventured on the airwaves that afternoon. I continued that practice until the very last show which was the “Goodbye Blocko” with 
The big one was my Father who died two weeks before my son was born, his first grandchild. He taught me how to be a man in every sense of the word, to always hold my head up with pride, live life to the fullest, no regrets, plus I was blessed with his amazing wit and charm. Thanks Dad. 
To say I am inspired by Barack Obama sounds like I am merely flowing with the current. Sure, I have had other influences in my life; my parents and my professional mentors, but Obama touched a cord they could not. 
"No," came the emphatic answer from the other youth. "Obama would not approve of that. I have enrolled to finish school and get a career. That, he will approve." Need I say more? 
Grooming is a lost art that prepares people to lead in every aspect of life. Growing up I was surrounded by great examples of leadership, from my father, to rappers like Big Daddy Kane, civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King, and great pastors like Orim M. Meikle, yet no one impacted me the way my mother, the lady Brenda Alleyne, has. My father had to work long hours so my mother bore much of the responsibility of raising me and my siblings. It is her life example that set me on the path to groom others. She challenged me to find my purpose and to awaken the king within. It is her love that groomed me to be a strong man that seeks to give a hand up rather than looking for a handout. 
Perhaps the best message my mother gave me was that I am not just another black man, but a black man born to lead others to greatness. I have learned that to groom well you must see beyond what people do and say, understand who they are, and help them present their true identity. That means helping them to present their best aesthetically through consultation, barbering, teaching and life coaching. I choose to give life my best and encourage others to do so as well.
Chuck D was a driving force behind not just my decision to become an entertainment lawyer, but also behind the principles that guide my practice. 
The Nathaniel Dett Chorale’s 2008.09 Concert Season in Toronto
Who goes ahead and tells the world they are the greatest? The greatest, that's who. Some scream it, others live it but the most authentic ones BE IT in thoughts and actions. My father challenged me to be the greatest at whatever I did. These two men taught me with their words, and their stature but mostly with their actions. The similarity between them was that they did not do what was popular. They did not go with the crowd. In fact, they went in the farthest lane possible; the lane that is unpopular at times; the lane that is uncertain and the lane in which the only solace is your instinct. 
made to prevail against the most inhumane of conditions. 
I would like to say that family and community have always and should continue to be the backbone of our existence. They have shaped us and given us our most consistent and time-tested fundamental blueprint as Caribbean and Afro Canadians, and from this framework we 
Born in Toronto to Bajan parents, I decided at the age of 6 that I was going to be a goaltender in the National Hockey League. Although there was Grant Fuhr of the Edmonton Oilers (current member of the Hockey Hall Of Fame) and Fred Brathwaite (also of Bajan parentage), it was the encouragement and support of my parents to dream beyond the immediate expectation of what I should and could become that led me to achieve this goal. I encourage each of you to do the same.
I then went on to work for the Bank of Nova Scotia gaining a wider knowledge on business in Canada. Always having my community at heart I served on the board of directors as the treasurer at the Cote des Neiges Black Community Centre. As I continued to work for the bank I became increasingly eager to work for myself not because I no longer enjoyed it there. In the early 80’s it was prestigious for a black man to work in the front line of any large organization, my job was secure and I loved every moment of it but it did not stop me from pursuing my passion and my goal. I always loved hairstyling and wanted to have my own business so I began taking a hairdressing course and researching the industry and became convinced that this was my next level to success.
and won a total of five awards including stylist of the year in 1998. In 1999, I worked on the movie The Bone Collector as a celebrity stylist to Queen Latifa, which opened many doors in the film and television industry. It’s been 13 blessed years since I opened my salon and I am very thankful for the opportunities it gives me. 
A few years later, I took a leap of faith and launched my own PR firm (Pennant Media Group) that focuses on personal and brand development, communications and public/media relations for a wide range of sectors including corporate, entertainment, hospitality and the non-profit sector. All I really
Once my South African trip was confirmed, a friend brought to my attention that the road right behind my apartment building was named Archbishop Tutu Drive. Talk about synchro-destiny! I just knew what I had to bring with me on my trip. With the help of a professional photographer, I created a collage of images of my neighborhood, including the road sign that I was later to give to Archbishop Tutu in person. 
I also receive a great deal of inspiration each and every month from community members at 1st Fridays, a monthly networking event that I started in Toronto almost 15 years ago (firstfridays.ca) and recently expanded to Montreal, and other community based events and organizations like the African Canadian Heritage Association (www.achaonline.org). The positive and uplifting people, young and old, that you meet at many of these events are a breath of fresh air and very far removed from the negative stories that we often hear about in the media and other influential institutions. People like playwright Andrew Moodie, Patricia Bebia & Moses Mawadi of Planet Africa Network, Mark Beckles, former leader of the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund and Wayne Purboo, the CEO of QuickPlay Media. It is their journeys, aspirations, contributions and ongoing support that have inspired me and other community members to ‘go for it’ and to ‘be the best that we can be’.
Alana began her career at very early age as a member of the Canadian Children’s Opera Chorus and the Toronto Mendelssohn Youth Choir, where she was quickly promoted to soloist. She has toured with jazz great Joe Sealy and his quartet, was a member of the Nathaniel Dett Chorale and was the voice for Toronto’s 2008 Olympic Bid Song. Her recent credits include In A Jam (CBC Television), Little Shop of Horrors (St. Lawrence Stage Company), Womens’ Blues Revue in Toronto and Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (Stage West). Alana is currently playing the role of the Killer Queen in the hugely successful musical 
Jackie Richardson is one of the most influential Canadian singers in my life. I used to sit with my mother and watch this wonderful woman sway with a choir in a show called “Hallelujah”. Her personality, her voice and her presence, all grand. My first professional concert out of University was the Women’s Blues Revue (1998). It was the first time I met Jackie in person. Jackie was so gracious. She took my mother and me out for coffee after the concert and spoke to me about the industry. She reassured my mother that my career would come together through hard work and a little luck. I will never forget that meeting. 
Now walking into arrivals in a new strange place, she ran forward with a familiar smile to welcome us. She was very tall, white, with graying hair and as soon as we entered the lounge, she scooped us up and hugged everyone individually. This person we had never met was our new family. Sydney Tebbutt, or Granny as we came to call her, heard of us through Amnesty International. All she knew was that we fled Uganda on foot and had been living in a refugee camp on the Kenyan border. Yet without ever meeting or speaking to us, she cared for our well-being and chose to sponsor us out of all the thousands in the camp. 
Education was always a priority. Previous generations did not have the opportunities most of us enjoy today. My parents ensured that both my brother and I completed university. They encouraged us to learn a second language and to travel. They knew that education is an enduring gift that challenges and enlightens the human spirit. Its benefits can never be taken away.
Over the years, I have been asked many times who has been my biggest inspiration personally and professionally and of course my Mother is at the top of that list. However lately I’ve had a lot of time to reflect on my life and being that my Mother has been inducted into my “Hall of Fame of personal inspiration” I am ready to open up my “Black Book” and share some more of the makings of me. 
Then there was Mr. Roy Greaves who accepted me into an already crowded enriched music program at Oakwood C.I. when he clearly didn’t have to. I took a bus a train and a streetcar everyday from Jane and Finch, mainly to attend that class. After almost failing the first semester he took me aside and let me have it. He didn’t care about how well I could mimic Whitney Houston or Aretha Franklin, I had to humble myself and learn music history as well as how to sing in Russian, and simply learn how to listen to the voices around me and sing as one. He was and still is my hero. And last year, on Oakwood’s 100th Anniversary I was able to reunite with him (he still teaches at Oakwood after 27 years!) and sing “At Last” with the school symphony. Talk about a full circle moment. 
Well it’s February 2009 and another Black History month is upon us. But for some reason with the January 20th inauguration of President Obama something feels different this time around. For one, my mother is an official Obama Mama. She has everything Obama, and I mean everything, right down to the earrings. Her fanatical excitement is infectious. When I watched the ceremony I couldn’t help but think about Obama’s story, his journey, his mother and how proud she must be even though she’s no longer with us.
What she did realize was that I had a deep passion for music. So at the age of 12 when I decided I wanted to be a professional musician her response was “ok so let’s make sure you’re the best musician you can be”. From that day on and over the next 6 years she bought me 3 electric basses, 1 upright bass, 2 bass amps, countless strings, music books, all the accessories I needed and paid for all the private music lessons she could afford. She came out and cheered with the declaration of “that’s my son” at every performance she was at. She didn’t have too, but she made sure I practiced everyday. I was in love with the bass. I played it for hours everyday and at ridiculously loud volumes. I never once heard my mom say, “Turn it down!!!” Her friend once asked her how could she put up with all the noise, all the time, and in classic mom fashion her response was “when I hear that bass. I know where Orin is, and that he’s doing something constructive, can you say the same for your son?”
Dr. Kenneth Montague is a Toronto dentist, art collector, curator and music lover. He received the 2006 SOCAN Patron of Music award, and recently established a scholarship for undergraduate Black students at his alma mater, The University of Windsor.
Who inspired me? My parents first and foremost, Joan and Owen Rowe, both of whom believed strongly in community service and voluntarism and passed that on to all of us. My mother is the one who raised us mostly as a single mother. Watching her struggle and sacrifice for us was a powerful lesson of dedication, determination, overcoming adversity, never being a victim, sucking it up and pushing through against the odds.
He got me fired up with his rhetoric, his anger, his fearlessness, his audacity, his intellect, commitment and spirit. He had the strength of character to turn his life around from street criminal to community leader, to educate and remake himself. He was a lightening rod that energized a revolutionary spirit in me. What resonated with me most was his refusal to accept the status quo, his determination to push the envelope and willingness to pay the price, to do what he felt was right “by any means necessary”. None of us were to play victim, and he urged us to take responsibility for our lives and that before we complained or pointed a finger, we should look in the mirror and ask first and foremost what we were doing to be part of the solution – empower from within.
In the commemoration of Black History Month, I reflect with humility on my own motivation to achieve a good education, and the role of education in actualizing aspirations and increasing the pool of talented Black Canadians The goal is to inspire in others the ability to develop their own talents and realize their aspirations.
Dawn P. Williams is the author of 
