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TD Leads the Way in Building Better Relationships with Black Businesses and Community Leaders

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BY SIMONE J. SMITH

One of Martin Luther King Jr’s notable quotes regarding wealth in Black communities is from his speech “Where Do We Go From Here?” delivered at the Southern Christian Leadership Conferences 11th Annual Convention on August 16, 1967. In this speech, he emphasized the importance of economic empowerment and financial equality for African Americans.

Unfortunately, over the years, financial inequality has become a complex and multifaceted issue that exists in various communities worldwide, including the African Caribbean community in Canada.

Historically, systemic discrimination and racism have limited opportunities for economic advancement within minority communities. Unequal access to quality education contributes to these economic disparities, as well as limited access to financial education and resources.

There is significant entrepreneurial enterprise among the African Caribbean community, and this prevalence is met with its own set of challenges that starts with securing funding or expanding your business; this is the first hurdle.

African Caribbean entrepreneurs face barriers in accessing traditional sources of financing due to factors such as: access to generational wealth, systemic biases, which in turn affect credit history. Availability and awareness of support programs, mentorship opportunities, and business development resources may not be equally distributed, and some entrepreneurs may encounter challenges related to regulatory processes and policies that disproportionately affect minority-owned businesses.

Addressing financial inequality in the African Caribbean community in Canada requires a comprehensive approach that includes: policy changes, anti-discrimination measures, educational reforms, and initiatives to promote economic empowerment. TD recognizes the systemic barriers faced by Black communities and is aiming to address systemic bias through its Black Customer Experience Strategy.

TD has had a long-standing history of supporting minority communities dating as far back as 2004, and in 2020, TD contributed $17.5 million towards anti-racism initiatives including $12.1 million in support of Black-led and Black-focused organizations throughout 2020.

Following the murder of George Floyd in 2020, TD accelerated its launch of the Black Customer Experience segment. It was an idea that was already in the works, but ​​George Floyd’s murder gave it the much-needed impetus and the segment was launched in 2021 with the mandate of delivering the entire bank – from everyday banking, to credit, wealth advice and financial literacy – to black communities across Canada.

In 2021, TD launched the Black Community Business Development team and in 2021, they supported the Black Opportunity Fund by committing $10 million over five years, while working with: Black business, philanthropists, and foundations to help address anti-black racism. Recently, TD launched the Black Entrepreneur Credit Access Program (BECAP), which provides access to credit to Black entrepreneurs to a maximum of $250,000.

I had an opportunity to discuss some of these initiatives with Clifton Flushy, National Manager, Black Community Business Development, TD Bank Group. In our discussion, Clifton went into detail about the role his team plays in working with African Caribbean communities, and the positive relationship that TD has developed with the African Caribbean community. My first inquiry was about the dedicated approach that TD has taken to better understand the nuances of African Caribbean businesses and communities.

“TD’s approach to building a better relationship with Black communities is rooted in its establishment of a dedicated team of professionals and the desire to improve financial literacy skills and equitable access to the bank,” Clifton shares. “Regional Managers across the country are focused exclusively on supporting the banking needs of members of Black communities across Canada. We want to help. TD has provided funding to several community organizations, like the Black Opportunity Fund, who then support to Black entrepreneurs.”

“What is one way that TD empowers the Black community to make better informed financial decisions?”

“Providing access to credit is a critical component of financial inclusion. Through the Black Entrepreneur Credit Access Program, TD’s aims to improve financial inclusion by providing access to credit for Black entrepreneurs. In addition, financial literacy and access to financial advice that makes a true difference for business owners, is a core tenant of TD’s Black Customer Experience Strategy.”

I was able to follow up this informative interview with a business owner who had an opportunity to successfully engage with TD’s initiatives.

Adeola Fatuga is the Director at HommeSpaFemme (http://www.hommespafemme.com/) a full-service salon specializing in men’s: urban cuts, loc creation and maintenance, natural hair care, colour, and hair extensions. She shared with me the positive impact TD has had on her business.

“My overall experience with TD in securing financial assistance for HommeSpaFemme has been positive. TD has shown a commitment to supporting my diverse business, and their initiatives have played a crucial role in the continued success of my salon.”

“Before this experience, can you share the unique challenges, or opportunities you faced as a Black business owner in the process of obtaining financial assistance?”

“There were many disparities in having access to funding,” Adeola explains. “My prior experience in the general banking space was always one that was met with systemic bias. Whether it was just depositing a cheque, or applying for a loan, there was always a hint of suspicion as to whether my motives were above board. The bias that I was met with impacted my ability to secure financing, thus inhibiting the growth of my business.”

“Could you share with our readers how you prepared for the application process, and what advice you would give to other Black entrepreneurs seeking financial support?”

“One of the first things that I did was ensure that my business documentation  was in order. I created a comprehensive business plan that outlined a pathway to success and the impact it would have on the community. My advice to other Black entrepreneurs seeking financial support would be to talk with your TD advisor, they will give you the road map needed to successfully secure funding. As well, be well prepared to articulate the value of your business, and do not be afraid to seek out mentorship from those who have successfully navigated a similar process.”

It is extremely important for banks to actively promote diversity and inclusion within their lending practices and business support programs. Besides it being ‘the right thing to do,’ it also makes both ethical and fiscal sense to bring unique perspectives and innovations to the market. Banks can play a crucial role in empowering Black-owned businesses and building stronger communities.

TD’s support of the African Caribbean community has become integral to fostering economic growth, reducing inequalities, and building a more inclusive and resilient society. Supporting the African Caribbean community is not only an economic necessity, but also a social responsibility. TD continues to have a positive impact by actively engaging in initiatives that address social issues and promote equality.

We, as humans are guaranteed certain things in life: stressors, taxes, bills and death are the first thoughts that pop to mind. It is not uncommon that many people find a hard time dealing with these daily life stressors, and at times will find themselves losing control over their lives. Simone Jennifer Smith’s great passion is using the gifts that have been given to her, to help educate her clients on how to live meaningful lives. The Hear to Help Team consists of powerfully motivated individuals, who like Simone, see that there is a need in this world; a need for real connection. As the founder and Director of Hear 2 Help, Simone leads a team that goes out into the community day to day, servicing families with their educational, legal and mental health needs.Her dedication shows in her Toronto Caribbean newspaper articles, and in her role as a host on the TCN TV Network.

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

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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!

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

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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.

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“The Pfizer Papers!” Documentation of worldwide genocide

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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.

 

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