The sheer notion of picking up and leaving Canada to work in Europe is a mere dream for some. However, the government is now making this dream a reality for many young Canadians through Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada.

In a span of over 2.5 years, I was living and working in Europe.  It all began on a cold winter day watching the Canadian cooking show with David Rocco running around Florence, Italy, experiencing food and culture. Little did I know in just a few months I would be off to Italy to do the same.

My time in Italy and Germany was very rare and unique. I was considered unusual in Italy, as not many black Canadians from Caribbean heritage can be found in Italy. I was considered unique in Germany for just being an educated  black Canadian woman.

Italy

In Italy, as a new foreigner, every immigrant is registered at the local police station and obtains an Permesso di Soggiorno ( residence permit). When I went to the police station in Rome, I was amazed at the amount of black African migrants present trying to obtain this permit. It was a long line up of people pushing and shoving one another just to get a number to be in the queue. By virtue of my passport nationality, I was placed into another line up and served immediately.

Many applications for a Permesso di Soggiorno require migrants to provide their fingerprints. I often wonder if this process were to happen in Canada, would this deter future new Canadians.

While at the Questura (police station) I overheard the African migrants voicing their concerns among themselves on the multiple occasions they were told to come back to the office day after day and not being served. Many of these migrants have applied under refugee status, which is a long process if the migrant is coming from a Non EU country.

In Italy, I would often see migrant men selling counterfeit designer goods from purses to shoes and migrant women cleaning public and restaurant washroom facilities with trays expecting to be tipped. I would often wonder if these were the kinds of opportunities they expected when arriving in Italy.

I was intrigued by the large amount of African migrants in Italy, but given Italy’s geographical location, it is the gateway to Europe for most.

In a small town called Rosarno, violent clashes erupted over the presence of African migrant workers. Many of these migrant workers are employed into extremely low wages working in factories and on farms and placed into deplorable living conditions.  A few local residences viewed these migrants as a drain on the economy resulting in violence and massive evacuations.

In Italy, I also saw the celebration of an black women’s beauty from an entire edition of Italian Vogue magazine dedicating articles and  photography  of the world’s top black models to major advertising campaigns from Yamamay Lingerie featuring an model by the name of Jessica White.

It was a surreal experience  to see this  celebration, but I also was disappointed to witness a lot of the African migrant women prostituting around major central train stations and streets.

Teaching in Italy and ACLE summer camp in Castlemaggorie

(To learn more about teaching in Italy go to www.acle.org)

Unbeknownst to most first generation Canadians, just to be born in Canada and given citizenship is a privilege to itself. I met foreign couples whose children were born in Italy; however their children are not considered Italian under Italian immigration laws and were given the nationality of their parents. Not until the child turns 18, can he or she try to seek Italian residency status.

For especially determined foreigners, gaining Italian citizenship is possible, however it can only be done after living legally in Italy under these examples listed below

• An immigrant can live one year if they have formerly held Italian citizenship
• three years for foreigners having native-born Italian parents or grandparents
• four years for foreigners from another EU country
• ten years for foreigners of a non-EU country

During my time in Italy I was able to teach at a design school in Florence and I’m happy to know I have motivated students from different parts of Europe to study, live and work in Canada.

Teaching design in Florence, Italy

A time to say goodbye

Italy showed me beauty in art and in life and the importance of love, family and spirituality. To not only gaining life long friendships I have learned to speak the Italian language with plans to improve my vocabulary.  I would never think my life would end up in Italy but I’m glad I was able to go an experience the Dolce Vita life.

Natasha Semone Vassell is a web and graphic designer. She has also worked in the film and commercial industry in Toronto and is currently working on a few private projects sharing her ideas and experiences in International employment.

L to R, Jury Martinez, Nana Aburam, Teacher Greg Birkett and Khalid Samatar

By Dayo Kefentse

The N-Word.  In spite of its controversial use and ancient roots, the word’s branches blend into present day culture with no hint to it ever being cut.

But instead of locking the N-Word in the past, Greg Birkett is using it to engage his students so they can learn more about the word, and themselves.

In a recent Sway article, political activist Gary Freeman shared a historical view of the N-word.  That piece helped spark more flames of the heated debate that already burns in Mr. Birkett’s classroom at Nelson A Boylen Collegiate.

“In my high school experience in the ‘90’s, topics such as the N-word were never discussed in classrooms.  I didn’t encounter academic exploration of the term until university. I found it fascinating and couldn’t get enough of it,” says Birkett, who teaches English and history.

“For me, teaching the N-word was a no brainer.  If its use still sparks controversy and stimulating discourse in the world of academia, in media, and on the streets, then I would be doing my students a disservice if I did not provide them with the opportunity to voice their opinions and engage in deep critical thinking.”

In his four years as a teacher at the school, Mr. Birkett who is the school’s Assistant Curriculum Leader of Student Engagement, has challenged hundreds of teenagers to explore their views about the N-word.  Despite his discomfort, Khalid Samatar believes this class has had an impact.

“As a black Canadian male, the word nigger conjures up within me hate, hostility, violence, oppression,” says Samatar, who is in Grade 12.  “I was raised around a lot of people who used the N-word.  Most of my friends would say it’s a term to call someone and greet them.  I say, it is a derogatory remark used by black people to retain and exploit their ancestors past as slaves.”

Osman Ahmed is also in Grade 12.  “I feel the N-word is a negative word because of its history; nobody should be saying it now because of the way it was used back then,” he observes.  “Think about it: someone was using a word to degrade a fellow human a few hundred years ago and now you are using it as a substitute for brother/friend?”

The students’ conversations about the N-Word are guided through discussions and activities in the classroom.  Mr. Birkett focuses on the definition and history of blackness and identity.  When he asks which word or insult is the most widespread and most controversial, the N-word takes the top vote.

Students are then challenged to gauge opinion beyond the classroom by going around the school with video cameras to record reactions of students, teachers, support staff and administration.  Although it’s a word most would rather whisper, Mr. Birkett has been complimented on the innovative way in which he tackles the N-Word in an engaging way.

Taneil Stephenson is in Grade 11 at Nelson A. Boylen Collegiate.  Although she’s not used to these kinds of discussions at her former school in Jamaica, these conversations have altered her approach to the word.

“I would probably be using it because of the lack of knowledge that I would of have had,” says the 16 year old.   “If this word was not openly discussed there would still be a form of mental slavery that would defeat the whole purpose of dark people having a right to express their feelings, thoughts.”

Mr. Birkett, who is also a published author and poet, is glad that his students feel free to share their feelings about the N-Word.

“I do not believe that it is my job to impose my thoughts and opinions about the N- word on them, nor do I believe that I should be constructing lessons, activities or exposing them to resources that present only one side of the issue or argument,” he says. “I want to equip my students to participate in those discourses creatively, intellectually, and honestly.”

Birkett started this exercise because he wanted to hear from black Canadian youth, hoping they may think a bit more critically about the N-Word once they had more background and education about its roots.   If his student Nana Aburam’s take away is any indication, it looks like Birkett’s goals were met.

“Black people cannot let the actions of the past dictate their future,’ says the teen and upcoming York University student, “I believe if lessons are taught in schools about the history of the word, most people will think twice before using it.”

A poem by Greg Birkett

What’s In A Word?

N-I-G-G-E-R, N-I-G-G-A

Nigger, Nigga, Nigger, Nigga – Nigger, Nigga

An opprobrium by any other name is still the same proclaims the old school

Young fools goin’ around talking ‘bout “Nigger this” and “Nigga’ that”

The same word that was used to verbally break their ancestors’ backs, – the

Grey ones sigh, seething as they watch them go by,

Every time the word is heard it starts to water their eyes, surprised that their progeny don’t know any better,

Standing firm that the term has been changed by changing a few letters,

Nigga, Nigger – NEVER!! I mean, they’re wrong, right?

Or might – we be making much ado about nothing?

Maybe these babies are crazy enough to be on to somethin’?

Runnin’ their mouths about empowerment and reclamation

Maybe making this word our own is the ultimate reparation

Sayin’ it time and again, orally or written by pen

The Neo-Negro nonchalantly now negates ‘nigger’s’ venom

Welcome to the new millennium my friend, or should I say “my Nigga”?

I figured you’d come around eventually

‘Bout time you join your brothers and sisters, oops,

I mean your ‘niggas’ in the 21^st century

Let it be- known that slavery is now a distant memory

Abolition, then civil rights fights like bus boycotts over where we could be seated defeated the enemy,

Now men, women, and children whose hues reflect the melanin in their skin can be

Actors, ballers, golfers, rappers, comedians, and other forms of celebrity

Essentially – what I’m sayin is, seein’ as we dominate the entertainment biz, the consensus is

we can shape and control social trends

Exploit’em to make amends for what we were denied

Now the power is ours to take a word like ‘Nigger’ and turn it into a symbol of pride

Upside down like bad used to mean bad but now means good,

This is the way we say N-I-G-G-A should be understood

But cats who feel arthritic pains and walk with canes, and live in nursing homes rub balding domes in exasperation

Would these young ones even care if we shared experiences from segregation? When-

We were called ‘Nigger’ more often in a day than the names our mammas gave us

‘Nigger you can’t drink from there!’ ‘Nigger keep your eyes down, don’t stare!’ ‘Nigger get to the back of the bus!’ Plus,

this may seem absurd but back then the word was viewed as verbal violence

violating victims who suffered in silence

Semantical slaps sent to serve the purpose of keeping us in check

‘Uppity Nigger!’ was the moniker bestowed on those who objec-ted against being incessantly humbled, and mumbled plans of revolutionary activity under their breath

But those were the ones often found days later with ropes around their necks

And next- to their limp lifeless bodies

the Grand Wizard and his band of sheet-headed soldiers would set the poor soul ablaze and repeat the phrase; ‘Burn Nigger Burn, Burn Nigger Burn, Burn Nigger Burn!’–

Are you willing to learn the word’s entire etymology?

Think that it might change or re-arrange your philosophy?

Honestly Young World, y’all seem to have all this knowledge,

Primary and secondary sources and courses in college

And although we acknowledge that this is your time,

we proudly decline your invitation, to partake in the re-creation of a word that currently bifurcates the Black nation

In this age of information, ignorance still reigns supreme

The phenomenon of this word in the lexicon of those who it defames can in no ways be esteemed

So now the iced out team in –sagging pants advance their argument by asserting explicitly,

That when the word is heard in the suburbs and ghettos attached to “good-byes” and “hellos”, it’s a symbol of street authenticity

Afrocentricity is by no means threatened or lessened, see,

If you’re – really down enough to give a pound and say ‘Wassup’ to the dreaded, braided, 360 waved, faded, afro-domed and fitted cap covered heads who moss on street corners,

Then we know you’re really real, and not really a performer,

In order to – join the ranks of the ruff and rugged street tried, and proved thugs its-a-must that you think, walk, and talk like us

On these evil streets, it’s only me and my ‘Niggas’ I can trust

My ‘Niggas’ for life, through pain and strife, and till I return to dust –

So understand old timer, ‘Nigger’ has been renovated, re-designed, remodeled, re-shaped It’s

Not what you grew up wid’,

Taunts and slurs from white kids,

The way we use it now rids – it of all negative connotations,

Freeing it from a nasty past, like a verbal emancipation

And so on the debate between the ages rages

Both sides standing steady still unpersuaded

Grandmas and Grandpas believing the juniors have been jaded by images paraded through phases of Blaxploitation

Then on to songs and videos in heavy rotation

History replaced by media sensations

Representations of our culture are the creations of vultures

who swoop down and prey on unconscious consumers for big paydays –

And in ways,

Old characters and caricatures have been resurrected – the Tom, Coon, and Bumbling Buffoon have been injected into movie scripts and comedy skits that inaccurately depict the everyday lives of our people

And we sit back and laugh as this hegemonic mind trick disguised as amusement and fun numbs our cerebral

Understand little man, little woman,

Nigger was used as shorthand, an emblematic stand in, expressing the qualities the African in diaspora supposedly possessed

In South Atlantic Caribbean regions and all throughout the U.S. – in – Canada and in Britain

The word spoken or written a billion times,

way before rappers placed it in their rhymes,

could not desensitize the subject to its sting – and – What’s really the worst thing that could happen if y’all stopped sayin it?

Come up with something fresher and better to replace it with

Black, White, Latino and Asian kids,

Could use a new term with which, no oppressive strings were attached –

Not naively ignoring the fact that – a rabidly racist ignoramus

would still try to shame us by employing the most famous racial epithet to keep us back but let – those narrow minded hard heads have the word to themselves

It’s old, tired, and impotent,

Can’t represent the magnificent beings the we be

It’s not worthy to mention as any dimension of our identity

New school pauses for a minute to see if they can get with it

Then a slew of analytic social critics

And professors of linguistics engage in deep dialectic sessions, dissecting the expression, and here’s the first suggestion:

‘Nigger’ is now a cultural phrase that transcends complexion.

Old conventions are irrelevant, and stagnate the development of progressive intelligence

The avant- garde can’t be barred or imprisoned by tunnel vision, and this further makes our decision final

On CD, MP3, DVD, and even vinyl,

For artists to flourish, they should not be discouraged by being censored

No disrespect old school, but old views are not the tools by which we feel to be mentored.

So I personally ponder if it’ll ever finish, this,

Old School versus New School scrimmage

that questions if ‘Nigger’ is just a word or an entire racial image

A percentage of me lies on either side, but if pressed I’d – naw, I’ll let you decide

© G. Birkett, April, 2005

Anthony Kisson, standing, with Junia T in the studio

By Fabien Alexis

“Their success is their own success. We put the onus on them, UforChange just facilitates the process,” Anthony Kissoon said in midst of the busy environment that comes to life at 5 p.m. Monday through Thursdays.

Frosted sliding doors and bookcases divide the main address into offices, a front desk and breezy studio. An emerald green wall reflects the welcoming atmosphere and volunteers behind the successful project.

UforChange, created in 2009 by the Wellesley Institute, primarily serves the St. James Town community and newcomers between the ages of 16-29. The program actively recruits over 100 participants for each six-month cycle, where mentees can choose between a variety of classes such as photography, beat production, fashion, journalism and rap writing.

“Our main goal: get them something that they like, bring them in, show them the professionalism behind it, teach them skills for six months and make them work ready. Phase two is where we provide employment, education and mentorship opportunities and support,” said Kissoon, a veteran in the mentorship game.

Kissoon confessed his love for rap – the poetics and mechanisms behind the art. At 16, the Guyanese-Canadian youth was writing his lyrics and performing. His passion for helping youth and experience teaching rap writing at St. Alban’s Boys and Girls Club, led to his initial position as the volunteer and mentorship director for UforChange.

“I was teaching rap writing and performance workshop at St. Alban’s when a friend said I have a rap writing position for you.” Kissoon remained director until early 2011 when he reluctantly accepted full-time employment elsewhere.

Anthony Kissoon leading rap workshop group in vocal exercises

“When the work is that rewarding, you don’t want to leave,” the instructor noted. He said fellow instructors encouraged him to follow the opportunity. However, Kissoon could not stay away and returned to lead the weekly rap writing workshops on Tuesday evenings.

“The possibilities with UforChange are endless: it’s amazing,” said J. “NitaBeatBlasted” Muwanga. As the only female enrolled in rap workshops, the 21-year-old knows what she wants from life and is determined to explore all avenues of interest to ensure she chooses the right path. The Alberta native spent her summers in St. James Town before finally moving to Toronto in late 2010.

Since then, UforChange literally pushed her into her dream career: music journalism. She chose to study rap writing, DJ arts and spoken word where she met Kissoon.

“He hooks you up with whatever you want. He asked me, ‘if you could do anything, what is it that you would want to do?’” NitaBeatBlasted explained.

Kissoon managed to connect the aspiring journalist with G5 Canadian Urban Radio, where

Anthony Kissoon going over lyrics with NitaBeat Blasted

she has her own segment “Stay Blasted” on Thursday evenings. The internship also opened doors for her to network with industry professionals and build a solid portfolio, before heading to school for journalism in September.

“Being involved in this program you can’t help but ask ‘what else do you do?’ well I’m also doing this and I’m also doing this,” she said enthusiastically.

“The program really instils community; it basically embraces your background, by throwing you in a melting pot within the program. At the same time when we come together we make this beautiful art because we’re so diverse. And they teach us to embrace that.”

“We encourage the youth to do something extra. It’s free school and you get paid for it”. Participants who successfully complete each phase of the program receive an honorarium paid out after completion.

“A lot of our youth are starting to stand out one way or another now,” said Kissoon. He went on to mention some of the youth’s achievements including successful placements with Good News Toronto.

What does the future hold for UforChange? “We’re hoping to get to the point where Scratch Lab is at now: where they are actually able to provide a partial credit, for their involvement. So we’re trying to structure the curriculum in that manner …that’s gradually what UforChange will be like, kind of like a mid-school,” Kissoon reveals.

517 Parliament St

And as long as there are willing participants and youth in need, the program will be in demand. “They keep coming back. They don’t stop coming,” exclaimed Canisia Lubrin. The St. Lucian-born spoken word instructor told Sway “the success of any program is marked by its growth.”

Lubrin recalls the early days of the program when dancers held one corner, the writing workshops were in another and the musicians and fashion designers all squeezed into one studio. “It was loud,” she yelled, compensating for the wailing saxophone across from us.

Today UforChange is evenly spread out along Parliament Street with four rented spaces filled with industry-standard equipment. Lubrin said, “We’re still growing.”

Participants are actively gearing up for several shows in June and then a cultural show in July where they will showcase their talents culminated in a variety of projects.

UforChange is currently accepting applications for the next cycle, beginning in September 2011.

Visit their website at uforchange.org for more information.

By Duane Watson

When the University of New Brunswick’s MBA program in entrepreneurship recruited Naz Ali from Trinidad and offered him a scholarship that would see him picking up and taking classes in Fredericton, you can understand his hesitation.

At the time, he wasn’t aware that he would eventually open an award winning, casual fine dining Caribbean restaurant in the Maritimes. Six strong years later, Caribbean Flavas has served countless Frederictonians and notable celebrities like Snoop Dogg, Russell Peters, opera singer Measha Brueggergosman and Canadian icon Leonard Cohen.

Easy it wasn’t. Part of Ali’s school project for his business degree was to develop a product or service for New Brunswick. After cooking for his study groups, working in the mess halls on campus and developing a reputation for his culinary skills, his proposal was to offer Fredericton a Caribbean dining experience.

“My professors didn’t really think the idea was great and I got a C+,” says Ali. “Their experiences with Caribbean restaurants were what they saw in Trinidad. While it’s somewhat shoddy, that’s our culture and they thought that’s what I was bringing to Fredericton.”

With a grade bringing down his GPA, he turned to the government officials and business development organizations that were encouraging international students to stay in Fredericton. While they were more than happy to invest in a Tim Horton’s, they weren’t interested, either.

Undeterred, Ali picked up the phone and called his family in Trinidad. “I told my folks I had a thorough business plan on how to open a Caribbean restaurant in Fredericton and asked them to help me start it up.” Ali’s mother asked how the weather was in September. “It’s sunny,” he responded.

His business forecast was also bright. Contrary to initial beliefs, Caribbean Flavas was met with instant success. “There was nothing like it in Fredericton,” Ali says. “People here are more open to culture and are very accepting of it. We have a lot of regulars.”

Voted New Brunswick’s Best Restaurant, Top 10 in eastern Canada and nominated for a Tourism Excellence Award, Caribbean Flavas’ hospitality, service and food are its keys to success. While popular dishes include curry chicken, jerk chicken and sorrel salmon, Ali emphasizes its uniqueness. “It’s a Caribbean fusion restaurant, but you still have those Caribbean flavours,” he says. “You don’t feel out of place as a West Indian coming to a fine dining restaurant. And you don’t feel out of place as a Frederictonian coming into a Caribbean restaurant.”

Now, in addition to the family-owned restaurant, Caribbean Flavas has extensive catering contracts that see Ali providing his takeout sandwiches and mini wraps to Irving, Petro-Canada and Ultramar gas stations.
While Ali travelled a challenging road to open Caribbean Flavas, it’s one journey that he admits without hesitation he would gladly take all over again.

Judge Irving Andre

Being born in Curaçao to middle-class parents as the fourth of seven children and then moving to the tiny island of Dominica could make life difficult for anyone. But for Irving Andre that difficulty was eased by one thing.

“I have been buffeted by the realization that it’s only through education that I can achieve anything,” says Andre, who is one of the first and few Canadian justices to hold a doctorate degree in law, a gold medal in English, an African Canadian Achievement award and a Queen’s Golden Jubilee award. His educational drive is also the reason he is one among only a handful of Black judges in the country.

Andre first left Dominica to gain an undergraduate degree in geography at the University of the West Indies in Jamaica, upon receiving a U.S. aid scholarship. He then moved to the United States to pursue a doctorate in history at the prestigious Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md., once again on a scholarship. “While there, I resumed a relationship with a young lady from Dominica, who would migrate to Canada,” Andre recalls with a smile.

So despite his passion for education, he discontinued his doctoral studies and moved to Canada in 1984, following his new wife. “I decided I should at least make an effort to resume studies,” he says. “It was logical for me to study law once I had acclimatized myself to the Canadian experience. Even as an undergraduate student in Jamaica, I was always very interested in studying law.”

Graduating from Osgoode Hall Law School (York U) in 1988 and specializing in labour laws, Andre went on to practice criminal law for nearly 10 years before he was called to the bench in 2002. He has been making a difference ever since by actively involving himself in several organizations, including the Sisserou Cultural Club, United Achievers Club of Brampton, the John Howard Society, the Kiwanis Club of Brampton, and the RESQ Youth Club. He has also authored or co-authored more than a dozen books on history, literature and economics.

Currently, Andre is updating the thesis that he worked on for his PhD, The Significance of Race in the Sentencing of Drug Couriers, in which he presents the case of many Black single mothers who have been enticed into becoming drug mules to the Caribbean. “There is a significant debate as to how these couriers should be sentenced,” he says. “Should they receive punitive sentences? Or should their impoverished or disadvantaged backgrounds play a more significant role in their sentencing? Hopefully, I can bring some insight into the issue and make a contribution to make it easy for courts to deal with this problem.”

The University of British Columbia Press is scheduled to publish the revised version as a book sometime later this year.

Sway Magazine will raise awareness April 13 with Santé Soirée, a blowout benefit that brings together some of Canada’s hottest performers in conjunction with Prostate Cancer Canada.  The star studded line-up will be co-hosted by the Juno Award-winning darling Divine Brown, and star comedian Trixx, known for his sell-out performances at Yuk Yuks and appearances on Much Music’s Video On Trial.

Santé coincides with the launch of Sway Magazine’s Health Issue and Publisher and Editorial Director Alan A. Vernon believes the time is now to raise awareness. “It is crucial that Sway be influential in raising a loud voice about this disease in Canada’s Black communities.”

Taking place at the Embassy Night Club in the heart of Toronto’s Entertainment district, the evening’s performers include rapper Silver (aka Solitair) responsible for the chart-topping Kardinal Offishal’s anthemic “BaKardi Slang,” powerhouse R&B songstress, Liberty Silver, who has had the honour of performing for Barack Obama and numerous other heads of state.  Also on the bill is Mac Graham, who’s current single, “Midnight,” has been receiving enthusiastic playback from radio stations across Canada.

“I am honoured to grace the cover of the spring issue of Sway magazine,” says Divine Brown.  ”Sway is a world-class publication representing our community.  I am proud to be associated with them in their effort to bring awareness about prostate cancer in our community.”

Rebecca Von Goetz, Vice President of Prostate Cancer Canada, is also proud to be in partnership with Sway. “Together we are making great progress in educating the Black community on the issue of prostate cancer–the most common cancer to afflict Canadian men. Black men are at a much greater risk of getting the disease and we encourage them to speak to their doctors about early detection.”

Doors open at 6:30pm for this mélange of intimate performances, with complimentary cocktails from Bacardi Rum, Lifford Wines and Molson Canadian, with Caribbean-fusion delicacies like ackee and callaloo spring rolls, being served by Chef Washington of Room Service Restaurant and Catering.

Tickets are $20, which also includes a donation to Prostate Cancer Canada and a one-year subscription to Sway. TO RSVP go to [email protected]

“Right from the outset, it has been a Sway tradition to stand behind the community on important issues both in editorial content and fundraising. We hope to bring together the community in this cause and break down the stigma associated with this disease,” concludes Vernon.

Ricardo Keane proposes school be named after Dudley Laws. Photo Keith Beaty

By Louise Brown, Education reporter, Toronto Star

Amid howls of protest Tuesday night from nearly 400 Oakwood Collegiate students, staff and parents angry at an Africentric high school, trustee Maria Rodrigues says she will recommend the proposal be put on hold until the public has more say.

Apologizing for a lack of public notice for the idea of opening the alternative program this fall at Oakwood, Rodrigues said she will propose the plan be deferred at a committee meeting Wednesday “until we have consulted more with the community.”

Students, graduates, parents and members of the black community packed the auditorium of the historic high school on St. Clair Ave. W. to discuss a staff proposal to open the alternative school in a bid to tackle a 40-per-cent dropout rate among Toronto’s black teens.

However most of the audience opposed the idea of an alternative program under Oakwood’s roof, calling it segregation and warning it would divide a school that is already highly diverse. Emotions have run so high since media reports of the proposal last weekend, that at least six police officers attended the meeting as a precaution after the school received several email threats Tuesday.

Student Tyler Stewart drew cheers when he asked board officials at the meeting: “Why can’t you just offer Africentric courses in history and literature instead of changing the whole feel of the school?”

Oakwood science teacher Magdy Abdelmassih also opposed the Africentric program, saying “at Oakwood we don’t build walls, we tear them down.”

The crowd went wild with applause when the teacher added, “Why don’t you take the $100,000 it will probably cost to set up the program and give it to Oakwood?”

However some argued passionately for the idea.

Kativa Turner is in Grade 12 at Malvern Collegiate, but said she would have repeated Grade 12 happily at the new school just to get a taste of the Africentric curriculum she said she has been “waiting for my whole life.

“I’m enraged at you guys for being against it — you have some nerve. It’s not white people dropping out, it’s blacks and it’s not our fault.”

Yet Oakwood students of all colours spoke against the proposal.

Education director Chris Spence was one of a number of officials at the Oakwood meeting who said he was there to “hear your concerns.

“It’s fantastic to see such a great turnout and ultimately the decision makers will be the trustees,” said Spence.

Board staff reported on the feasibility of an Africentric high school to provide a continuum for students enrolled in an Africentric elementary school launched two years ago at Sheppard Public School.

That school boasts high test scores, strong school spirit and an enrolment of 161 students from kindergarten through Grade 6.

The school has a waiting list of 55 students.

Many of the students live in the west end, which is one reason Oakwood was proposed as a site for the new high school.

In a letter to trustees, Spence apologized for having proposed a school site before they had the chance to discuss it in private.

The proposal will be discussed by the board’s program and school services committee Wednesday and could go to the full board for a final decision as early as April 13.

Originally published on thestar.com March 30, 2011

Viola Desmond

By Samuel Getachew

Black History and International Women’s Day were both recognized and celebrated at Ryerson University by the 3rd Annual Viola Desmond Day ceremony earlier this month.

The day is named for the late Viola Desmond, who was a black  businesswoman from Nova Scotia who refused to sit in the balcony designated exclusively for blacks. Often called Canada’s Rosa Parks, she was forcefully removed from the cinema and charged with tax evasion for not paying a one – cent difference in pricing between the two levels of seats.  She was put in jail, tried without council and convicted. She paid the fine of $26 and appealed to higher levels of the court system to no avail. Frustrated with the results, she closed down her business and moved to Montreal and then to New York where she died at the age of 51.

Before moving to Montreal, she set up a fund in support of the activities of the Nova Scotia Association for the Advancement of Coloured People. Since then, the Nova Scotian government has apologized and granted her a posthumous pardon, the first such pardon to be granted in Canada. Four women with connection to Ryerson University were honoured with an award that proudly celebrates and reflects on the journey of Viola Desmond.

The Black History Awareness Committee of Ryerson University, the force behind this effort, hopes these individuals will follow and be inspired by the courageous efforts of Ms Desmond in the pursuit of excellence. Among the four honourees is Shauna Bookal, Promotions & Athletics Events Coordinator with Athletics and Recreation at Ryerson University. She was honoured with the Ms Marie Marguerite Rose Award, another leading figure in Canada’s Black History.

Shauna Bookal

Congratulations, Shauna, on receiving the Ms. Marie Marguerite Rose Award. Tell us about Ms Marguerite and why this award is named after her?
Ms. Marie Marguerite Rose was a native of Guinea in Africa. Rose was a slave belonging to Louisburg officer Jean Chrysostome Loppinot. Purchased in 1736 , she worked in the Loppinot household for 19 years, helping to prepare meals and to raise 12 children, as well as her own son. After being freed in 1755, only two years before her death, she married Jean-Baptiste Laurent, a Mi’kmaq, and together they opened a tavern.

Although a slave for most of her life, Rose had acquired considerable business skills. As well as managing a tavern, she was a cook and seamstress, she could knit, dye, and iron clothes, and she made her own soap and preserves. An inventory of her possessions at her death is unique in Canada, since it tells the story of a recently freed slave woman. As a gardener, Rose, had vegetables worth 40 livres, the most valuable item in her estate.

Every year the names of the awards change to help educate people on strong Black Canadian Women whose life and work aided in moving forward the cause for Black women in Canada. This year, the Staff Award was named after Ms. Marie Marguerite Rose.

It must be an honour to be nominated for this prestigious award let alone win it. What does it mean for you and what responsibility would you want to carry forward?
To me, this award is an honour to have because I am seen as a leader among Black Canadian Women. It is very rare that Black Women get recognized; the fact that I have only been at Ryerson for less than a year and I won a prestigious award speaks volume to me.

The responsibility that I would want to carry forward is to educate young minority women that nothing is given to you in life; you have to work and fight for everything that you want. First, I would also educate them not to give up with times get tough (as they will get sometimes) and at the end of the day, all the sacrifices and everything will payoff! Second, I would like to open doors for young minorities in the sporting world the way they were opened for me.

How important is it to honour such a person in our Canadian history and when did you first discover the great story of Ms Marguerite?
It is extremely important to honour people in our Canadian history because it shows us why we have the freedom we have today. Sad to say, I did not know who Ms. Marguerite was until I received this award named after her. Everyday is a new day to learn something; the day I was told I received the Ms. Marguerite I learned of three (3) amazing strong Black Women (Ms. Marguerite, Ms. Kay Livingstone and Ms. Martha Jane *Mattie* Hayes).

As a young person, what message do you want to bestow to the young people who may want to follow in your footsteps?

As a young female working in the sporting world, I want to tell all the young women out there that anything is possible when you put your mind to it. Do not let someone tell you cannot do something because of your gender or because of the colour of your skin. It is okay to cry or get frustrated, but it is not okay to give up or quit. If you have a career in mind, go after it and do not stop until you reach it. Take it from me, it is rewarding once you get there and you are living your dreams.

Any parting words?
Everything I have accomplished in my life, I could not have done without my family. To my two grandmothers, Elaine Campbell and Ruby Dixon, who are looking down on our family; thank you for sacrificing everything when you immigrated from Jamaica to Canada. To my parents Yvonne Campbell and Sydney Bookal, thank you for helping me pursue my dreams and goals. I am very honoured and blessed to have you in my corner for life.

The Tower of Freedom monument in Windsor (only partially shown) depicts formerly enslaved African Americans rejoicing and celebrating their new found freedom in Canada.

By Takara Small

Today is the last day of February also known as Black History Month. For the last 27 days radio stations, TV programs and newspapers have bombarded us with information about the great things African-Canadians have contributed to our country for centuries.

You’ve heard about Harry Jerome, Elijah McCoy and Portia White — or at least you should have — for days on end, but what does Black History Month really mean? Should the month be judged simply by the number of black history references found in popular media or is it bigger than that?

The City of Windsor and the local tourism office want to help a lucky few find out by offering a tour of the very same streets Black Canadians once walked decades ago.

As one of the southernmost areas in Canada, Windsor was a well used entry point for Black refugees escaping oppression in the United States and, the memories and hardships seeped in every piece of stone, wooden house and monument you come across.

The opportunities afforded today’s African-Canadians can at times cloud over past hardships. The 48-hour adventure tour, by a select group of 20 to 30 Torontonians, inspired and reawakened the passion and respect for those who had come before them.

The lives of early Black residents is an important fact that Rosemary Sadlier finds hard to forget. As the president of the Ontario Black History Society, she is well acquainted with Black history and sees tours like this as important for all Canadians not just Black citizens. “This goes beyond race,” she says. “This is our history.”

When asked whether or not Black History Month, and to some extent tours like this, is still necessary, she sighs and settles deeper into her seat. “I’ve been asked this a fair bit,” she says, “especially a few years back. I think we’re not quite there yet; we still have places left to go so this is still very important.”

The group, which I am lucky to be a part of, ventured out to Windsor to learn more about Canadian Black history and along the way learned more about our country’s complicated past than we had ever hoped for.

Instead of the standard walk around with local guides, visitors were treated to an extensive tour that zigged and zagged across the city. There was no awkward silence; just the sound of our tour guides’ voices, the occasional song and the ever-present sound of camera’s clicking away.

Retracing the steps of slaves and seeing for ourselves what they endured at sites such as the Underground Railroad Museum was inspiring. Gwyneth Chapman, a host for Inspiring Youth Television, felt the same way and called the tour “a great opportunity for all Canadians.” Says Chapman: “After going [on the tour], I’m ready to explode in a positive way. It would be great even if you’re not African-Canadian.”

Although the tour itself went by quickly, it provided the group with an insight into Canada’s rich cultural past, identifying the pivotal role Canadians played in abolishing slavery here and in the U.S. One month isn’t enough to define black Black Canadian history, but it is enough to get people thinking about our diverse history, even if it’s only a few at a time.

For more information about the Underground Railroad Tour visit the Windsor Essex website.

Myth or Reality?

While on the train, passengers were treated to a little quiz to test their knowledge of Black history. Take the test and find out how much you know!

1. Africville was a town established by Black refugees in British Columbia.

2. John Newton, the author of the hymm Amazing Grace was a slave trader.

3. Abolitionists were people who believed in the institution of slavery.

4. Viola Desmond was a black anti-racism activist who resided in Nova Scotia.

Answers

1. b) NO: Black Refugees of the War of 1812 in Nova Scotia established Africville. These veterans had accepted an offer of freedom issued by Vice-Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane for their support of British interests during this conflict.

2. b) YES: John Newtown was an English ex-slave trader who in later years became a supporter of abolishing slavery and a clergyman. He wrote popular hymns such as “Amazing Grace” and “How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds.”

3.  NO: Abolitionists wanted to end slavery and were a part of the movement to end Black slavery. Some famous Black abolitionists include Olaudah Equiano, Frederick Douglass and David Walker.

4 b) YES: The NSAACP supported Viola Desmond, a Black woman from Halifax, in her case against a New Glasgow theatre where she was arrested for sitting in the “White-only” section, even though she was willing to buy the more expensive ticket.

Black Law Students Association of Canada president Keri Wallace

By Samuel Getachew

A year after The National Black Engineers Conference held the biggest black students convention in Toronto for the very first time, the Black Law Students Association of Canada (BLSAC) convention will also mark its 20th year as well as host their convention here in Toronto.

According to their manifesto, BLSAC “recognizes the essential role that we will play as lawyers in furthering the aspirations of our community and Canadian society as a whole. We are committed to supporting and enhancing the academic, professional and networking opportunities for black law students in both official languages. We also recognize the need to pay it forward and have a very active mentoring program for high school and university students interested in a legal career.”

With inspiration from the American National Black Law Students’ Association, the Canadian association received support from the Attorney General of Ontario, Toronto Race Relations and the Law Society of Upper Canada came in the form of funding and mentorship. Through it all, the association was able to produce well researched and well read documents on subjects such as on the Canadian Law School admission policies and access to the justice system.
High profile guests such as The Honourable Justice Romain Pitt of the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario, Rosemary Sadlier of the Ontario Black Historical Society and Ontario Minister of Health Promotion and Sport Margarett Best are some of the scheduled speakers. With topics such as racial discrimination and the effectiveness of the judicial system and human rights, equity and accessibility, the sold-out event is expected to be a memorable one. It is also hoped that is would be a mixture of networking and the building of a long lasting relationship between the future nation builders of Canada.

Keri Wallace is a third year law student at the University of Western Ontario as well as the current President of the Canadian Black Law Students. Sway caught up with her to discuss the importance of this association and the effects that two decades has had on society.

Why is BLSAC still important to black students and former students after all these years?
There are still systemic barriers to access to both a legal education and career. Our goal is to help and support current and prospective Black law students. This need is confirmed by the lack of representation of Black law students across Canadian universities. BLSAC events create a welcoming atmosphere where students feel comfortable to be themselves and speak with professionals about their experiences. Many leave the conference with life long friends. It means a lot to be in an environment with so many talented Black professionals who truly care about supporting the community. There’s a sense of empowerment at every BLSAC event and that is probably why our members develop such an attachment to the association.

Late last year, the Faculty of Law of the University of Quebec in Montreal became the first francophone chapter of the BLSAC. How important was that?
BLSAC is a national organization, so it is very important that we have an active francophone community. The French community experiences the same barriers and it is important that they are provided with the same support. We’re very excited about the current growth of BLSAC and hope to see more Quebec chapters joining.

Tell us about the mentorship program at the BLSAC
The mentorship program is one of the most important aspects of BLSAC. This year, our mentorship representative, University of Windsor law student Te-Anna Bailey, did an outstanding job mentoring students and matching undergraduate and high school students with mentors who are currently in law school. We hope that these relationships continue beyond the application process. Mentorship is an important start for law students. Mentors advise students on the rigors of law school, the expectation of the admission committees, and how a student can become a better candidate. Since there are few black students, black undergraduates and high school students may not know anyone in law school. Where other students have the advantage of having a family member or a friend who many have been through the process, not many blacks have this connection available to them. This is where BLSAC steps in, to provide those students with the advantage other applicants have. We hope that this leads to better candidates, which will increase the black student population at Canadian law schools.