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Legacy Established – The 36th Annual BBPA Harry Jerome Awards; Understanding the Making of a Legend

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BY: SIMONE JENNIFER SMITH 

“Whatever you are looking for in life is looking for you too. Saul Williams

The glitter! The dresses! Men in three-piece suits! It was a lot to take in, it being my first time being at the Harry Jerome Awards celebration. It is something else to be a part of something big; it is even better when one is given the opportunity to witness an event, and to objectively observe the people, the sounds, and the sights. A person cannot deny the excitement that was felt upon entering the main doors. A sense of pride was shared by each and every guest that was a part of the night. You could see this in the way people were carrying themselves; the women were adorned, and the men were preened. Everyone there to honor a lifelong legacy; a legacy that unfortunately has not been passed on to the younger generation with the reverence that is must be. The Toronto Caribbean Newspaper would like to take this time to reintroduce a legend; the great Harry Winston Jerome.

The BBPA and its Connection to Harry Jerome

The Black Business and Professional Association is a non-profit charitable organization established on October 21, 1982. Black businesses were still addressing equity and opportunity issues when it came to business, employment, education, and economic development; so, Al Hamilton, Denham Jolly and Bromley Armstrong decided that it was time to take action and create something that would highlight the greatness of the black business community. Not too long after that original meeting, the steering committee decided to honor six African-Canadian athletes: Angela Taylor-Issanjenko, Ben Johnson, Mark McKoy, Milt Ottey, Tony Sharpe and Desai Williams. It is important that we recognize the genesis of the awards; all aspects of it will paint a clearer picture of the importance.

Harry Jerome’s name became forever fused with the BBPA because he was going to be invited as a speaker at their first awards dinner.  Unfortunately for all Canadian’s, and the world, we lost Harry Winston Jerome in December of 1982. It was decided that the best way to honor the amazing man that Harry Jerome was, was to name the award after him. It was Hamlin Grange, a media giant, who was the man responsible for naming the award, “The Harry Jerome Award.” It was only through extensive research and watching a documentary on Harry Jerome called, “Mighty Jerome,” was I able to truly see why this award is an award of excellence.

“If you feel something, you should do it.” Saul Williams

The first thing that was mentioned about Harry Jerome was that he had always been determined. He was that athlete who was relentless in his pursuits and did not take no for an answer. His struggles began early, as he was one of two black students at his high school and having mixed race parents did not make it easy. Harry adapted by staying focused on his goal of being the best sprinter in the world, and he proved himself over and over again in spectacular fashion. You see, sometimes people only see the awards and achievements on a grand scale; what people never account for are the struggles that come with that achievement, and Harry had them all.

The media can be cruel, and even though he achieved great things, people still found a way to degrade his efforts, insult his achievements and pass judgment on his actions. The documentary shows how quickly the media here in Canada were ready to jump on the Harry Jerome bandwagon, and then piss on his name if he did not win a medal or run a race the way that was expected. This must have been a lot of pressure for a young man. He began his career early, and he had to deal with this while he was a teenager, going into his 20’s. Somehow, Harry was able to handle most of the criticism with poise and dignity, all the while staying focused on his goal; being the best sprinter in the world.

Harry not only challenged his critics, he crushed them over and over again by achieving the unachievable. He won gold medals at the 1966 Commonwealth Games, and the 1967 Pan American Games. He broke the Canadian record in the 220-yard dash when he was just 18 years old, and set world records in the 60-yard indoor dash, the 100 – yard dash, the 100 m sprint, and the 440-yard relay. The most amazing part of his story is the part that shows what happens when life does not go the way that someone intends it to.

“I feel that people need to be jolted out of their comfort zones.” Saul Williams

At the height of his success, Harry received a serious blow that many did not believe he would ever come back from. Jerome tore his rectus femoris muscle, a muscle pull that required immediate surgery. After being written off, and told he would not run again, he forged a spirit of persistence that made him believe that he would run again. Dr. Hector Gillespie, a Vancouver surgeon is responsible for fueling Harry’s faith, by employing a new technique to reattach his quadriceps muscle to his knee. With a strong support team behind him, Harry came back and became the legend we all know and honor now. His greatest achievement after the injury was his gold medal win at the 1966 Commonwealth Games in Jamaica. After having to wait 42 minutes for a decision, he was determined the winner and this solidified his dream. He had pushed through and done the unthinkable, and no one would ever be able to deny him again.

Kien Crosse, Luke Welch, Rowan Barrett Jr., Lamont Wiltshire, and Odeen Eccleston, Superintendent Keith Merith, Mike Yorke, Jully Black, Floydeen Charles-Fridal, Caroline Marful, Pamela Appelt, Matt Galloway, Pauline Christian, Dr. Yabome Gilpin-Jackson, Jenny A. Gumbs, Nadia Hamilton, and Dr. Kwame Mackenzie have all become a part of the Harry Jerome Legacy. This year marked the 50th anniversary of his last Olympic Games, and hence why it was important to retell his story. The award must not be seen as the highest level of achievement, but the starting line of achievement. Harry Jerome was never satisfied with just achieving; he always aimed for excellence.

“I do not wish to lose my mind, only to find my heart.” Saul Williams

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Promoting economic inclusivity are ways to contribute to positive financial changes in the Caribbean community

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Photo Credit: Drazen Zigic

BY SIMONE J. SMITH

How much of a difference does your upbringing make to your life? It’s a question that’s been debated for ages and, in a world with a greater focus on equity, the wealth gap within society is under the microscope.

Compare the Market AU has done a survey of more than 1,000 Canadians to ask questions about their upbringing, financial education and habits, social class and home ownership. Now, I am not sure the demographics of this research, but it did make me think; how much are we (the Caribbean community) represented in these numbers?

The survey revealed a good degree of class mobility, with 32.8% of Canadians who said they grew up working class now identifying as middle class.

Additionally, younger generations were more likely than previous generations to say they were raised upper class. While only 0.4% of Canadians aged 58 and above said they had an upper-class upbringing, this rose with each subsequent generation up to 10.8% for 18–25-year-olds. Research indicated that:

  • Younger generations are more likely to be born upper class than older generations
  • Almost one third of Canadians consider themselves serious savers
  • Over 40% of half of upper-class Canadians own a home, compared to less than a quarter of the working class

Upbringing can have a big impact on how people handle money as an adult:

  • 6% received helpful lessons on money from their parents
  • 7% said their parents taught them, but it wasn’t helpful
  • 3% said their parents didn’t teach them and they had to learn in other ways
  • 4% never received lessons from their parents on money and they still struggle today

This is where we as a community really need to focus our attention. Today, almost 40% of Canadians say they budget to save and spend on what they want, while almost a third (32.3%) consider themselves serious savers, rarely spending money on things they don’t seriously need. Over one-in-ten were impulse buyers (12.0%). Worryingly, a further one-in-ten said they rarely had savings and spent beyond their means (13.2%).

When it comes to home ownership, just under 60% of our survey respondents who were 18–25-year-olds were non-homeowners while just over 41% were homeowners (either with a mortgage or owning outright), but this changed with over 50% of 26–41-year-olds owning a home vs 47% who didn’t. Older generations were even more likely to be homeowners, with over 65% of those aged 58 and above being homeowners.

Of course, on one hand, this is to be expected. The older you are, the more time you’ve had to save up money for a house. The problem is that house prices have outstripped wage growth, so those dreaming of owning a home are chasing a goal that’s getting further away from them every year.

This is where wealth (and family financial support) can make a big difference in home ownership. In Canada, 63.1% of the working class didn’t own a home, compared to 42.5% of the upper class and 37.5% of the middle class who owned, with a mortgage.

The data shows that many Canadians have been able to work their way up the social ladder by having helpful guidance in childhood or educating themselves about money, but it isn’t always easy. As Stephen Zeller, General Manager of Money at Compare the Market notes, knowledge can be the difference between sinking and swimming in an economy that seems to be set on inflation.

“There are some great resources out there to help people get a better understanding and manage their finances. Saving even just a small amount in terms of your interest rate can save you thousands of dollars over the course of the loan.”

Promoting financial literacy and empowerment within the Caribbean community can be a positive step toward fostering a healthier relationship with money. Encouraging open discussions about financial matters, providing access to education and resources, and promoting economic inclusivity are ways to contribute to positive change.

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Canada’s international students are being hustled; What you need to know about being a student in Canada

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Photo by Rdne-Stock-Project

BY MICHAEL THOMAS

“Expenses are getting higher; everything is getting more expensive. It’s so messed up. If I had known the ground reality, I wouldn’t have come.”

These are the words of Ravneet Singh, a student who traveled over 250 miles just to go to school. What would make an international student say such a thing about Canada? Let us find out.

East Indian students make up the majority of the international students coming to Canada to study and hopefully stay and work, but there is a hefty price to pay, and one these students never bargained for.

Canada’s present government has opened the door to international students through a foreign-study visa. These aspiring youngsters spend big bucks to come here with high hopes of making it big in cities like Toronto and beyond, but it is anyone’s guess if the College recruiters ever tell these poor foreign youngsters the truth about what Canada has become recently.

Many of the colleges due to the heavy influx of students have teamed up with so-called private learning enterprises and subcontracted the courses to the latter, and as a result, Immigration Minister Marc Miller called the education the students are lining up for, “Shoddy programs.” “People are being exploited,” Miller said in an interview with a reputable news source.

There is more; these students bring over $22 billion to Canada’s economy annually, not to mention cheap labor for places like the fast-food industry, yet they are being shortchanged on their education and milked by the colleges. These foreign students pay five times the tuition of Canadian undergraduates.

This is the reason why Singh, whom I mentioned in paragraph two, cannot afford the cost of rent near his school and therefore must start his day as early as 3:00 am just so he can reach his 9:00 am class.

Even immigration consultants are reporting that business is booming thanks to foreign students. Brampton immigration consultant Sandeep Singh confessed that students now form about 90% of his firm’s business.

The Trudeau government has decided to flood Canada with immigrants, students included. This move has tripled the number of foreign students to more than one million. Today, about 1 in 40 people in the country are on a foreign-study visa.

An Environics Institute poll found that 44% of Canadians said there’s too much immigration to the country, a stunning 17-point jump from the prior year – the largest change in opinion since the survey began in 1977.

Somehow Trudeau’s government seems to have forgotten that these students would need: housing, jobs, and lots more, so as we see, arriving here is the easy part.

Let’s revisit paragraph five: What Canada has become recently? These are some of the things the college recruiters and the Trudeau government need to let these international students know before issuing these visas, taking their hard-earned money, and leaving them up to their fate:

  • Lately, Canada has become a place where a one-bedroom apartment can easily cost upwards of $2000.
  • Lately, the cost of groceries has more than tripled.
  • Lately, even the average working Canadian cannot afford the staples of day-to-day living.
  • Lately, a lot of ordinary folks are living in their cars.
  • Lately, food banks have become the second home of a large number of Canada’s population.
  • Lately in Canada, free speech does not exist. It is now called hate speech with jail time attached, if things go according to “Uncle Justin’s” plans.

Here is an example of how bad things have gotten.

This is happening countrywide even as far as Sydney, Nova Scotia. At a Hallmark store, manager Tasha Myers receives about 10 to 15 resumes from students per day, forming a thick pile in a red envelope on her counter. “Yesterday, we had at least 12 students before noon looking for literally anything. They say, ‘Just give me three or five hours a week’ or ‘I’ll wash the toilets,’” she said. Yes, this is what foreign students are reduced to in Canada.

Some students are spending more time working, or hunting for work rather than attending classes, just to keep up with the cost of living here.

Many of these private-public schools focus on selling non-degree programs with easy or broad subjects, and classes two or three days a week. It is no wonder Canada’s immigration minister fears these students will end up driving Uber taxis as a profession.

In a move to do some much-needed damage control, the country’s Immigration Minister Marc Miller has announced a temporary limit to the number of student visas and is promising further measures soon.

It speaks volumes when an immigration minister calls out colleges for “Shoddy programs and sham commerce degrees.” I am just wondering if he and his government knew this all along while issuing those hundreds of thousands of student visas.

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The African-Canadian Advisory Committee disbanded during Black History Month

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BY PAUL JUNOR

The vote by trustees of the Toronto Catholic District School Board to disband the African-Canadian Advisory Committee (ACAC) during Black History Month brought shock and dismay to many concerned Toronto: Catholic parents, community members and students. This was truly not expected as expectations were high about its vital role.

The committee has been in existence since 1984, and many hoped that it would bring much needed and necessary changes to the largest Catholic school board in North America.

Details about the mission, vision and goals of ACAC can be seen in a report titled, “Black Voices Study” that was released in June 2023 by Brandy Doan-Goas and Natalie Young. The study aimed to bring awareness to the experiences of Black students, staff and families at the TCDSB in order to allow for increased awareness and understanding of how anti-Black racism is contextually prevalent within the TCDSB.

The ACAC was devoted to ensuring that the interests of all TCDSB members, students, staff, parents, and stakeholders are advanced within the African diaspora. It notes further that it endeavors to provide success in areas of Black student achievement and well-being, Black parental engagement, and Black staff development within the operations of Catholic educational service delivery, based on data that enhance culturally relevant and responsive pedagogical practices (TCDSB n.d).

The phenomenal work that ACAC has played in the TCDSB cannot be trivialized, devalued and underestimated since its inception. The appointment of Dr. Brendon Browne as Director of the TCDSB in September 2020 (who was hired from outside the board) saw him acknowledge the reality of anti-Black racism within the board. He was aware of the crucial role that ACAC played and the work of former Chair Kenneth Jeffers and Kirk Mark, former co-coordinator of Race and Ethnic Relations, Multiculturalism and Community Services.

The appointment of Derek Chen as Superintendent of Equity (who lacked any experience in equity work and initiatives) did not further the equity agenda. The subsequent resignation of Jeffers and Mark from the ACAC brought focus to inherent deficiencies and inequities within the board.

I spoke to Kirk Mark on February 21st, regarding the TCDSB’s vote to disband the ACAC. He said he was shocked and surprised that the board has made this poorly conceived decision in light of the many: challenges, issues and concerns that have been levied against it with respect to accusations of systemic racism, particularly anti-Black racism over the years. In his capacity as a senior administrator with the TCDSB he was aware directly of the: history, culture, issues, and challenges with respect to the implementation of programs, policies, and initiatives to tackle anti-Black racism.

In an article, Jeffers posed an illuminating question in light of the motion to disband the ACAC. He writes, “The immediate question lies in the area of why the so-called ACAC was not proactive in informing the community, and what was the rationale for such draconian action by the TCDSB in this global celebration of Black History Month.”

Jeffers notes further, “The fact that the TCDSB made this decision during the height of Black History Month with the prevalent award ceremonies and statements of recognition of everyone who has presumably contributed to the development of the community is mind-boggling but not unexpected.” Rather than focus on the disbanding of this committee, Jeffers sees a light at the end of the tunnel. He hypotheses, “However, if there is a positive aspect to this, it is the fact that the humiliation and disrespect of our Black community may motivate some to determine why successes in the past were not sustained and, more importantly, what we need to do now to address the fierce urgency to improve the life of our Black youth.”

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