Connect with us

Community News

Former Senator Meredith disrupts Black History Month event

Published

on

BY SELINA McCALLUM

An event that set out to uplift and empower the black community for the start of Black History Month did not go as planned. The National Black History Month Expo took place in the Global Kingdom Ministries building on February 1st, 2020 in Scarborough from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., but there was a turn of events.

The four-part event’s purpose was to pay tribute to the legacies and accomplishments of black Canadians while encouraging cultural exploration, discovery and celebration.

The event opened with a sold out prayer breakfast and networking session. However, former senator Don Meredith’s appearance caused an uproar. Naturally, there were some upturned eyebrows from some formidable leaders in the black community.

Meredith resigned from the Senate of Canada a week after the ethics committee recommended he be expelled from the Red Chamber for his alleged relationship with a teen in 2017.

Farley Flex: Media Consultant, Music Promoter, Artist Manager, and Motivational Speaker, was disgraced at the fact that Meredith was given an opportunity to speak at the prayer breakfast.

“We need to move our community forward. You can’t advance if you’re not holding the people who are taking our community backwards accountable, especially if you embrace it or don’t address it,” said Flex.

Flex let his business partner, Rodrick Bererton, know he was leaving because he didn’t want to be in the same space. “If you don’t stand for something, in my opinion, you stand for nothing,” said Flex.

Bererton commends Kingsley Cato, the President of the BHM Expo, for hosting a positive event, but was disappointed when he saw that Meredith was scheduled to speak at the breakfast.

“When I saw former senator Meredith there, I was immediately appalled. As a father to daughters, and in my work capacity, somebody who comes into contact with young women (some who have been sexually assaulted), I have a lot of empathy and awareness in terms of the harm that people like former senator Meredith can do to people’s lives,” said Bererton. “It is nothing that we should be applauding or even condoning.”

The Senate Ethics Officer, Lyse Ricard, released a detailed report in March documenting Meredith’s relationship with a woman known as “Ms. M.” Due to the evidence, Ricard believes that Meredith and Ms. M had intercourse three times, including once when Ms. M was 17 years old.

“To my knowledge, this individual has never made a public apology for his actions that had him removed from the senate. He has never taken responsibility for that,” said Bererton.

Meredith has denied many of the allegations against him by the woman in question, but he admitted he had sexual intercourse with her on at least one occasion when she was over 18.

The President of BHM Expo and Samantha Bachan, the Corporate Sponsorship Coordinator were unaware of the former senator’s past.

Cato said that they were not expecting that reaction when they invited Meredith to speak at the breakfast. Once the men approached them and told them of Meredith’s history, they asked Meredith not to make his address.

Although the morning was sold out, the rest of the afternoon leading up to the concert was quiet.

The Canadian premiere of Kony, a feature film about two lovers caught in the conflict and the choice between love and duty, was delayed due to technical difficulties. The following Success Summit was cancelled.

Bererton was supposed to be one of those speakers, but he left the event. Robert Small an African-Canadian artist was one of the speakers. For 26 years, Small has created a poster called “Legacy” that features famous African-Canadians. Small has played a significant part in elevating the awareness of black history across Canada and internationally through his art.

“We need to take control of our own image, as well as our destiny,” said Small. For Small, Black History Month is about educating yourself on the great leaders of the past. “Black History Month is knowing your history, and knowing how it can empower you as an individual by showing that many people in the past accomplished great things, and you can accomplishment great things too,” said Small.

Small feels that Meredith’s presence is not what Black History Month is about.

“His actions are contradictory to the spirit of Black History Month. He made a mockery of what black men should stand for,” said Small. “It’s doing our community a disservice. We aren’t celebrating our failures; we’re supposed to be celebrating our victories.”

The Black History Month Expo ended the day with a concert that featured reggae artists, African artists and dancers. It is unfortunate that the appearance of one person seemed to have such an unfavourable effect on what could have been such a memorable event. This is a part of life; everyone has lessons to learn.

Selina is a recent Digital Journalism and Communication, Media and Film Graduate from the University of Windsor. While in university, she served as the Arts and Culture Writer for The Lance, as well as a writer, interviewing selected individuals for Street Voices Magazine. Her passions include: creative writing, film, and photography. Over the last four months, Selina has collaborated on a documentary exploring sex trafficking and the horrific elements that harbour the untold truths of human trafficking in Windsor/Detroit. She is a: hard working, responsible and caring individual who continues to seek new challenges.

Continue Reading
Advertisement
3 Comments

3 Comments

  1. Kenneth blandly

    February 5, 2020 at 12:53 pm

    The summit was not cancelled but delayed. Three speakers presented to rooms with much less than the 260 people that registered.

  2. John Franklyn

    February 5, 2020 at 3:27 pm

    The man in the picture is not Don Meredith? Who is he? There is no title. Should we not know the person photographed in such an inflammatory article?

  3. Brittney

    February 7, 2020 at 6:12 am

    John,

    Why would she put a picture of his face on the cover when you can easily do a google search of his face to see who he is and what he looks like?

    She is reporting on the event and by smacking a picture of his face on the front of the article, takes away from the actual event; therefore making it all about him when it shouldn’t be.

    The event was to celebrate Black excellence and Miss Selina was speaking her truth and reported on what she saw and what those around her were saying about having this senator in attendance.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Community News

Forgetting isn’t just something to be annoyed about, it’s a smart way to survive

Published

on

Photo credit - Press Foto

BY KHADIJA KARIM

Have you ever forgotten someone’s name, or where you left your phone and thought, “Why can’t I remember anything?” Forgetting might feel frustrating, but it turns out that forgetting things can actually be good for you. Experts believe forgetting might be an important part of human survival and could even have benefits.

You probably think that remembering everything would be better, right? If you remembered every tiny detail, like what you had for breakfast three weeks ago, or the colour of every car you saw today, you would be overwhelmed. Our brains are constantly receiving information, and if we didn’t forget some of it, we wouldn’t be able to focus on what really matters at that time.

Forgetting helps you clear out information you don’t need, and it helps your brain remember the most useful memories. Think about how hard it would be to focus on important things if your mind was filled with random thoughts. Forgetting helps you stay focused and keeps your mind from getting lost.

So, why would evolution make us forget things? Early humans had to deal with dangerous environments that changed quickly. They needed to remember things that helped them survive, like where to find food, or how to avoid predators. They didn’t need to remember every small detail, like what happened last week. Forgetting information, they didn’t need allowed them to make quick decisions based on what was most important at that moment in time.

For example, if you remember a recent storm, you might make sure to stay inside or find shelter. If you remembered every storm you’d ever seen, it would be harder to make decisions about the present. Forgetting irrelevant details helps you stay on your feet and helps you react faster to new situations. This ability to forget likely helped early humans survive and make better decisions in their everyday lives.

Next time you forget something, don’t be too hard on yourself! Forgetting is a natural part of how our brains work and can actually help you stay focused on the important things. It might seem annoying at times, but it’s helping you make better decisions. Forgetting isn’t just something to be annoyed about, it’s a smart way to survive in a world that’s always changing!

Continue Reading

Community News

Blink equity dives deep into the gap between people of colour and decision-making roles in Canadian law firms

Published

on

Photo Credit: AI Image

BY ADRIAN REECE

Representation in the workforce has been a topic of conversation for years, particularly in positions of influence, where people can shift laws and create fair policies for all races. Representation in the legal system is an even more talked about subject, with many Black men being subjected to racism in courts and not being given fair sentencing by judges.

The fear of Black men entering the system is something that plagues mothers and fathers as they watch their children grow up.

Blink Equity, a company led by Pako Tshiamala, has created an audit called the Blink Score. This audit targets law firms and seeks to identify specific practices reflecting racial diversity among them in Toronto. A score is given based on a few key performance indicators. These KPIs include hiring practices, retention of diverse talent, and racial representation at every level.

The Blink Score project aims to analyze law firms in Ontario with more than 50 lawyers. The Blink Score is a measurement tool that holds law firms accountable for their representation. Firms will be ranked, and the information will be made public for anyone to access.

This process is ambitious and seeks to give Canadian citizens a glimpse into how many people are represented across the legal field. While more and more people have access to higher education, there is still a gap between obtaining that higher education and working in a setting where change can be made. The corporate world, at its highest points, is almost always one race across the board, and very rarely do people of colour get into their ranks. They are made out to be an example of how anyone from a particular race can achieve success. However, this is the exception, not the rule. Nepotism plays a role in societal success; connections are a factor, and loyalty to race, even if people are acquainted.

People of colour comprise 16% of the total lawyers across the province. Positions at all levels range from 6% to 27%. These numbers display the racial disparity among law practitioners in positions of influence. Becoming a lawyer is undoubtedly a huge accomplishment. Still, when entering the workforce with other seasoned professionals, your academic accolades become second to your professional achievements and your position in the company.

What do these rankings ultimately mean? A potential for DEI-inclusive practices, perhaps? That isn’t something that someone would want in this kind of profession. This kind of audit also opens law firms up to intense criticism from people who put merit above all other aspects of professional advancement. On the other hand, there is a potential for firms to receive clientele based on their blink score, with higher ones having the chance to bring in more race-based clients who can help that law firm grow.

It is only the beginning, and changes will undoubtedly be made in the legal field as Blink Equity continues to dive deep into the gap between people of colour and decision-making roles in these law firms. This audit has the power to shift the power scale, and place people of colour in higher positions. There are hierarchies in any profession, and while every Lawyer is qualified to do what they are trained to do, it is no shock that some are considerably better than others at their jobs. The ones who know how to use this audit to their advantage will rise above the others and create a representative image for themselves among their population.

Continue Reading

Community News

“The Pfizer Papers!” Documentation of worldwide genocide

Published

on

BY SIMONE J. SMITH

We are living in a world where promises of health and safety came packaged in a tiny vial, one injection was promoted by powerful governments, supported by respected institutions, and championed by legacy media worldwide. Sadly, beneath the surface, a darker truth emerged.

Reports from around the globe began to tell a different story—one that was not covered in the news cycles or press conferences. Families torn apart by unexpected losses, communities impacted in ways that few could have foreseen, and millions questioning what they had been told to believe.

Those who dared to question were silenced or dismissed (the Toronto Caribbean Newspaper being one of those sources). “Trust the science,” we were told. “It’s for the greater good.” As time went on, the truth became impossible to ignore.

Now, I bring more news to light—information that demands your attention and scrutiny. The time to passively listen has passed; this is the moment to understand what’s really at stake.

I reviewed an interview with Naomi Wolf, journalist and CEO of Daily Clout, which detailed the serious vaccine-related injuries that Pfizer and the FDA knew of by early 2021, but tried to hide from the public. I was introduced to “The Pfizer Papers: Pfizer’s Crimes Against Humanity.” What I learned is that Pfizer knew about the inadequacies of its COVID-19 vaccine trials and the vaccine’s many serious adverse effects, and so did the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA promoted the vaccines anyway — and later tried to hide the data from the public.

To produce “The Pfizer Papers,” Naomi, and Daily Clout Chief Operations Officer Amy Kelly convened thousands of volunteer scientists and doctors to analyze Pfizer data and supplementary data from other public reporting systems to capture the full scope of the vaccines’ effects. They obtained the data from the Public Health and Medical Professionals for Transparency, a group of more than 30 medical professionals and scientists who sued the FDA in 2021 and forced the agency to release the data, after the FDA refused to comply with a Freedom of Information Act request.

It was then that the federal court ordered the agency to release 450,000 internal documents pertaining to the licensing of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. The data release was significantly and the documents so highly technical and scientific that according to Naomi, “No journalist could have the bandwidth to go through them all.”

The “Pfizer Papers” analysts found over 42,000 case reports detailing 158,893 adverse events reported to Pfizer in the first three months The centerpiece of “The Pfizer Papers” is the effect that the vaccine had on human reproduction. The papers reveal that Pfizer knew early on that the shots were causing menstrual issues. The company reported to the FDA that 72% of the recorded adverse events were in women. Of those, about 16% involved reproductive disorders and functions. In the clinical trials, thousands of women experienced: daily bleeding, hemorrhaging, and passing of tissue, and many other women reported that their menstrual cycle stopped completely.

Pfizer was aware that lipid nanoparticles from the shots accumulated in the ovaries and crossed the placental barrier, compromising the placenta and keeping nutrients from the baby in utero. According to the data, babies had to be delivered early, and women were hemorrhaging in childbirth.

Let us take us to another part of the world, where research has been done on other pharmaceutical companies. A group of Argentine scientists identified 55 chemical elements — not listed on package inserts — in the: Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, CanSino, Sinopharm and Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccines (according to a study published last week in the International Journal of Vaccine Theory, Practice, and Research).

The samples also contained 11 of the 15 rare earth elements (they are heavier, silvery metals often used in manufacturing). These chemical elements, which include lanthanum, cerium and gadolinium, are lesser known to the general public than heavy metals, but have been shown to be highly toxic. By the end of 2023, global researchers had identified 24 undeclared chemical elements in the COVID-19 vaccine formulas.

Vaccines often include excipients — additives used as preservatives, adjuvants, stabilizers, or for other purposes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), substances used in the manufacture of a vaccine, but not listed in the contents of the final product should be listed somewhere in the package insert. Why is this important? Well, researchers argue it is because excipients can include allergens and other “hidden dangers” for vaccine recipients.

In one lot of the AstraZeneca vaccine, researchers identified 15 chemical elements, of which 14 were undeclared. In the other lot, they detected 21 elements of which 20 were undeclared. In the CanSino vial, they identified 22 elements, of which 20 were undeclared.

The three Pfizer vials contained 19, 16 and 21-23 undeclared elements respectively. The Moderna vials contained 21 and between 16-29 undeclared elements. The Sinopharm vials contained between 17-23 undeclared elements and the Sputnik V contained between 19-25 undetected elements.

“All of the heavy metals detected are linked to toxic effects on human health,” the researchers wrote. Although the metals occurred in different frequencies, many were present across multiple samples.

I am not going to go any further with this; I think you get the picture. We have been sold wolf cookies, very dangerous ones. These pharmaceutical companies must be held accountable. I am proud of anyone who has gone after them for retribution, and have received it. Regardless, in many ways, there is no repayment for a healthy life.

REFERENCES:

https://ijvtpr.com/index.php/IJVTPR/article/view/111

https://news.bloomberglaw.com/health-law-and-business/why-a-judge-ordered-fda-to-release-covid-19-vaccine-data-pronto

https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender_category/toxic-exposures/

Pfizer’s ‘Crimes Against Humanity’ — and Legacy Media’s Failure to Report on Them

55 Undeclared Chemical Elements — Including Heavy Metals — Found in COVID Vaccines

 

Public Health and Medical Professionals for Transparency

FDA Should Need Only ‘12 Weeks’ to Release Pfizer Data, Not 75 Years, Plaintiff Calculates

Judge Gives FDA 8 Months, Not 75 Years, to Produce Pfizer Safety Data

Most Studies Show COVID Vaccine Affects Menstrual Cycles, BMJ Review Finds

Report 38: Women Have Two and a Half Times Higher Risk of Adverse Events Than Men. Risk to Female Reproductive Functions Is Higher Still.

 

Continue Reading

Trending