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Google – Be the change

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BY: KATHY MCDONALD 

Black History Month has arrived, and it entered with great hoopla and fanfare. I attended several events that day and the sense of urgency and the call to action was evident in every environment. There appeared to be a dramatic shift from rehashing the atrocities that were committed against people of African descent to a deliberate, intentional effort to dismantle anti-black racism as well as all structures that stand in its way. With all the exuberance and the messages of hope, it’s important to remember that it is one thing to embark on an undertaking to dismantle systems, it’s another thing to change hearts and minds.

Beneath all the celebrations, discussions, presentations and partnerships formed, the simple truth still remains: “Culture eats strategy”. Mark Fields, the then president of Ford Motor Company popularized Peter Drucker’s phrase “Culture eats strategy for breakfast”.  Simply put if the culture of the organization does not change then the strategies will never be successfully implemented. At the Greater United Way Black Leadership and Recognition Breakfast this was one of the prevailing themes of the panel discussion. The moderator of the discussion, Nation Cheong, highlighted that words have to translate into action and that if the two are not in synergy then the chance of #systemschange being a reality is merely a pipe dream.

At the Peel District School Board (PDSB) the professional development on February 8th  will focus on “deepening our understanding of broader systemic issues that lead to inequitable outcomes for black students”. At last month’s Ontario Public School Board Association’s (OPSBA) annual Symposium, it was inspiring to see meaningful and deliberate steps being taken towards addressing systemic anti-black racism in school boards across the province. It is important to be mindful of how such efforts are packaged and marketed as this work should not be seen as a conversation about blame and shame. It is about having courageous conversations, it is about listening and it’s about deliberate meaningful actions of all levels of government and corporate structures. There were several creative, intentional and authentic initiatives that are being rolled out to sincerely tackle anti-black racism. Let me highlight the importance of just naming the problem. It is HUGE. The fact that directors of education and senior leadership have embraced doing the work. HUGE. The fact that the work is beginning to trickle down system-wide. HUGE.

I sat with pride in the conservatory of Brampton’s City Hall on Friday and listened along with hundreds of Brampton residents, city councilors, members of both federal and provincial parliament, as Mayor Patrick Brown read the Black History Proclamation. It was a beautiful thing to see a politician not just forget about his campaign promises but to witness his plan for the black community unfold. Charmaine Williams, the first black female City Councillor of Brampton, shared her story of faith, strength, and perseverance. The irony was not lost of the fact that the flagpole was frozen so the Pan-African Flag was presented inside and will be hung ASAP.  This emblem represents the African Diaspora and symbolizes worldwide liberation of black people.

One of the most harmful and oppressive characteristics of anti-black racism is the subliminal messages whether consciously or unconsciously perpetuated. It is in the preschool workbooks that are teaching kids basic writing skills that has a picture of a caucasian face and below the word happy then a black male’s image has below it, sad. The caucasian male has “proud” and the black female has “angry”. It is in the power points that perpetuate the negative stereotypes of our black children. It is in the flyer that goes home encouraging kids to enroll in STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) programs that have images that don’t include students of African heritage as our children’s faces are reserved for places of prominence on the athletic programs’ flyer. It is the Black History Celebrations that speak solely to the accomplishments of Barack Obama, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, Rosa Parks, and Harriet Tubman; as if to say these are the only black people that have made any significant contributions to Canada and the world. The irony of the fact that these individuals are not even Canadians (Yep! I know Ms. Tubman once called Canada home).

I would encourage everyone reading this to stop what you are doing now and Google “professional hairstyles” then Google “unprofessional hairstyles”……OK, now take a deep breath. Visit @TrusteeMcDonald and go on my Facebook page, Kathy McDonald. Retweet and Like spread to all your networks and join the petition to have Google put an end to this hurtful lie that they are perpetuating weather willfully or otherwise. Let us all implore Google to #Googlebethechange.

While there is not a single human being on this planet that was responsible for, or participated in the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade, there are several, thousands of people that can mitigate and alleviate its impact. Remember the words of Alexander Den Heijer “When a flower does not bloom you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower” I urge you to journey with me and hold Google accountable to the propaganda and all negative racist hurtful subliminal and overt messages that are being disseminated on their platform. Walk Good! Belle Marché.

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Youth Development

Understanding the multiple layers involved in navigating education spaces Parents of Black Children launch Navigating the Education System

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BY PAUL JUNOR

The work of the advocacy group Parents of Black Children (PoBC) has made a significant and revolutionary difference by bringing issues to the forefront that help Black families at all levels.

For over two years now, it has organized events, workshops and initiatives that have provided important information to the Black community to bring empowerment, knowledge and deep understanding of the multiple layers of the complex dynamics involved in navigating education spaces.

There are five core principles that underlie PoBC understanding of racism:

  1. Racialization
  2. Racism is about power
  3. Critical racial theory
  4. Our stories matter
  5. Racism is founded on White supremacy

On Tuesday, November 23rd, 2021, they launched the document Navigating the Education System,” which was a very empowering, enriching and inspiring tool for diverse Black families. Kearie Daniels, one of the cofounders of PoBC and author of the document, moderated the launch. Furthermore, Claudette Rutherford, one of the cofounders of PoBC and author gave an extensive presentation of the details of the document, sharing useful insights, practical knowledge and interesting information.

PoBC shared a pdf document subsequent to the launch, which provided additional details in a fifty-three-page package. It contained relevant, contextual and vital resources. PoBC’s Advocacy Team supported the document, which includes Charline Grant and Xavier McLaughin.

In the introduction to the document the mission of PoBC is to “Provide support to parents of Black children across Canada and the United States. We advocate and work towards change and concrete action in our education system and adjacent systems such child welfare and the justice system.”

The launch of this vital document is a culmination of all the advocacy and activist work that PoBC has been extensively involved in. It serves to remind members of the Black community that there are resources, tools and supports available to ensure that Black children are able to thrive academically, excel mentally and flourish intellectually in spaces that may not be welcoming to their presence.

The document states that the navigate guide is “Geared towards families in Ontario, but the information can be applied to any jurisdiction where there are Black children and families.”

The document “Table of Contents” is useful and helpful. There is vital information on:

  • School board terms you need to know
  • Education organization you need to know in Ontario
  • Black families and the Child Welfare System
  • Black families and the education system
  • Black students and Individual Education Plans (IEPs)
  • Black students in High School.
  • Developmental delays in learning exceptionalities
  • Supporting students with learning exceptionalities
  • Selecting a school system
  • System abuse

PoBC presented a webinar on “System Abuse”. The document states,

“The system is not neutral. These systems were designed as part of a colonial framework that must be dismantled.” Furthermore, the document “Serves as a means to demystify the pitfalls within the education system and light a path towards a decolonized education system.”

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Youth Development

Toronto prepares families for COVID-19 vaccination of children

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Photo by Charles Deluvio Library on Unsplash

BY PAUL JUNOR

There have been concerns, fears and anxieties as parents, caregivers and guardians anticipate the possibility of having their children under twelve vaccinated.

The Boston Globe reported on Friday, October 29th, 2021, that the FDA approved the administration of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to children between the ages of five to eleven. These children will receive one-third of the dose administered to teens and adults.

The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention met on Tuesday, November 2nd, 2021, in order to finalize details with respect to which children should be vaccinated first. In anticipation of these developments, Team Toronto has initiated a series of outreach and education sessions, as well as town halls in order to inform the Toronto community.

Parents of children between the ages of five to eleven who attend public schools will be receiving an email and an invitation to respond to a survey to “Support vaccine planning.”  This invitation will also be extended to parents whose children attend private independent schools as well. The survey will be administered by Toronto Public Health (TPH) and the City of Toronto VaxTO in order to “Better understand parents’ intent to vaccinate their children, how they would prefer to have their children receive their COVID-19 vaccine, and to obtain critical information on socio-demographic factors such as race and income.”

John Tory, Mayor of Toronto, is optimistic and positive about this development. He states in the press release, “While our work to get 90% of eligible residents vaccinated is continuing, we are also readying for when the vaccine will be available to protect kids five to eleven. We want to hear from parents, so we made sure we designed a vaccination program that works for kids and their families. This is just one more example of the outreach we are doing to prepare for this effort. This work is so important and will help us get kids vaccinated so they have the best protection against COVID-19 and so our schools can be as safe and as open as possible.”

Councillor Joe Cressy, Chair of Toronto’s Board of Health who has been at the forefront of advocating for the vaccination of margnizalied and at-risk communities is supportive of this campaign. He states, “At every stage of our immunization campaign, connecting with people on the ground has been critical to our success. Now, as we prepare for the rollout of vaccines to children aged five to eleven, we’re committed to engaging directly with parents, families, and community leaders to have active conversations about vaccinations for kids.”

In addition, Dr Eileen De Villa, Toronto’s Medical Officer of Health is a strong proponent of this campaign. She states,” When vaccines are approved for use and when we have supply we will ensure that we bring every resource to bear on this critical component of the vaccination campaign.”

The survey will be available as of Sunday, November 7th, 2021. It consists of fifteen questions that will be available online at s.tphsurvey.chkmkt.com in multiple languages. Parents and guardians will receive them from their children’s public school boards. In addition, there will be town halls for specified multilingual communities as well as neighbourhood-based telephone halls to ensure that the public has access to timely, necessary and relevant information for informed decision-making.

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Youth Development

Act as if what you do makes a difference. IT DOES

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BY SABRINA S. – 12 YEARS OLD

The school year is coming to an end, I’m sure that this year was hectic for everyone. Last year, we had a pandemic strike in the middle of the year and the world was sent into lockdown.

We didn’t get to go to school for the rest of the year.

Many students got to choose if they wanted to do school in-person or online, I chose online since I didn’t feel safe.

First day of school was very weird, most people don’t turn their cameras on, don’t even get me started on the wifi issues. I would lag out of the google meet many times and miss most of the instructions on the assignment. That is when friends come in handy, though I don’t get to see my friends that often, we still connect with some online games and phone calls through snap chat.

I don’t know where the time went, it just flew by. Last month was September and suddenly, I feel like we skipped eight months. I only have a week of school left! Because it is the last week of school, I have a lot of homework and final assignments to do but I know I’ll get through them and finish the school year.

I haven’t had time to go outside as well, I’ve been too busy with my assignments.

If my school year was this hectic, imagine the teacher’s year. I’m very grateful for everything my teachers have done for me and my classmates this year, they definitely deserve the three-month summer break. I’m sure my teachers doubted teaching online, but everything went okay and I learned lots.

“No matter how hard it is, or how hard it gets. I’m going to make it!”

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