Alem Dechassa, a domestic worker living in Lebanon, died a week ago after being publicly abused by her employer. A video of the incident was posted on YouTube and has outraged people around the world, bringing further attention to the plight of domestic and migrant workers.

“When people told me it was impossible, I said, ‘With God, all things are possible.’ My faith in God helped me to never give up. A lot of people who were with me gave up. I’ve lost relationships, people turned their backs on me and, ultimately, a lot of people who were with me along the journey simply left. One of the few who stayed with me was Delford Blythe, who is now my vice president.”

“I am humbled that I am making history in this way,” says Meredith. “I’m glad that I can be joined up with Senator Anne Cools, the first Bajan to be appointed, and Nova Scotian senator Calvin Ruck and another Nova Scotian Donald Oliver, whose grandfather was a slave. It is historic that I’m aligning myself with these people who’ve stood the test of time as trailblazers.”

“After completing this project, I started obtaining opportunities to display my work all over Toronto, including City Hall,” she says. “I knew then that photography chose me as much as I had chosen photography, and so I branded the company Blair Photography.”

BBPA president Pauline Christian says she is very pleased with the organization’s continued impact in Black communities. But she is especially proud of the National Scholarship Presentation, in which 60 scholarships valued at more than $250,000 were offered to students of African descent.

The RPFYMAC was established through a provincial government initiative to support vulnerable communities in terms of health promotion. According to executive director, Adonis Huggins, a focus on the youth is what the Regent community wanted when the centre came into existence.

Keeping things close to home is just the sort of grassroots approach that Fung claims has given the festival a five-star rating with critics. Year-round community screenings at neighbourhood schools and an emphasis on local filmmakers has allowed the lens of the fest to remain focused on issues relevant to Regent Park residents.

The importance of education stuck with Morgan, and he aspired to be a teacher. But before that vision was realized, he discovered the world of athletics. “When you grow up in communities like Regent Park, extracurricular sports are a big thing.

Under her leadership, the JCA provides social services to the community at large including employment services as well as those geared to newcomers, seniors and women.

Working closely with CEO Julia Deans, founding chair David Pecaut and his successor, John Tory, she has been involved in developing initiatives that include Luminato, DiverseCity and the Emerging Leaders Network.