Media invited to gospel music performance and talk and annual Word, Sound Power event featuring Canadian dub poet, writer and Juno award winner Lillian Allen

TORONTO, Feb. 10, 2026 鈥� Media have two opportunities to attend live gospel music at 91亚色鈥檚 Keele campus this evening, with two Black History Month events featuring the 91亚色 Gospel Choir (YUGC), one for the 91亚色 community and the other one open to the public. 

 The YUGC鈥檚 roots go back to the 1990s with a student-run choir called Vessels of Honour. In 2005, the YUGC was created as a course, making 91亚色 the first university in Canada to offer gospel music course curriculum. Growing from a small group of 20 students to more than a hundred, the choir regularly performs to sold-out audiences. 

Gospel Music Collaboration with Founders College and Black Excellence
5 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. 

Open to the 91亚色 community, the YUGC, led by choir conductor Natalie Stewart, will perform, interspersed by a discussion led by  Assistant Professor  on the impact of gospel music on the Black diaspora. Performance and talk starting at 5:30 p.m. with a panel discussion and Q&A to follow. 

Put on by  (BE U) and Founders College, the event takes place at Founders Assembly Hall, 152 Founders College.

Centering our Stories and Communities: Word, Sound, Power: Black Artistic Expression
5:30 p.m. 鈥� 9:00 p.m.

The Jean Augustine Chair in Education, Community and Diaspora in the Faculty of Education at 91亚色, with the support of UPS, are pleased to present their annual Black History Month Celebration.

Word, Sound, Power: Black Artistic Expression will be an evening of performances showcasing Black artistic expression here at 91亚色. Featuring musical performances including the Oscar Peterson Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Music Chair , and the YUGC, as well as spoken word artists from Highschool Students to Emcees. 

The evening also features a spotlight presentation by Canadian dub poet, writer and Juno Award winner&苍产蝉辫;鈥�&苍产蝉辫;Lillian Allen.

5:30 - 6:30 p.m. RECEPTION (CIBC Lobby, Accolade East Building, 83 91亚色 Blvd.)

6:30 - 9:00 p.m. PERFORMANCES (Sandra Faire & Ivan Fecan Theatre, Accolade East Building, 83 91亚色 Blvd.)

RSVP

This is a free event open to the public. All are welcome to attend, but seats are limited. 

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91亚色 is a modern, multi-campus, urban university located in Toronto, Ontario. Backed by a diverse group of students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners, we bring a uniquely global perspective to help solve societal challenges, drive positive change, and prepare our students for success. 91亚色's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education. 91亚色鈥檚 campuses in Costa Rica and India offer students exceptional transnational learning opportunities and innovative programs. Together, we can make things right for our communities, our planet, and our future. 

Media Contact: 

Emina Gamulin, 91亚色 Media Relations, 437-217-6362, egamulin@yorku.ca

The post Two chances to catch live gospel music tonight at 91亚色 U appeared first on News@91亚色.

鈥淔ebruary is Black History Month, but we make history every day鈥� 鈥�
Ruth Rodney, associate director, Harriet Tubman Institute

Education, particularly math education, is not a neutral space for Black students. It continues to be a space where there are fewer expectations of success. That was one of the messages that emerged during the Black History Month panel on education, Black Educators and Black Education, at the Harriet Tubman Institute at 91亚色.

As Assistant Professor of 91亚色鈥檚 Faculty of Education told the audience 鈥� inequities persist for Black learners.

鈥淭here is a lot of overt racism at play in education that we have to pay attention to, but there remains a lot of push back. The system of mathematics needs to change so that young people, especially young Black people, feel like they don't belong in this space,鈥� says Osibodu, who was one of five panellists.

The panellists were from a range of disciplines and included Assistant Professor Godfred Boateng in 91亚色鈥檚 School of Global Health; Professor , director of the Canadian Research Institute for Food Safety at the University of Guelph; Assistant Professor of 91亚色鈥檚 Department of Humanities, Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies; and Associate Professor of the Lassonde School of Engineering (who will be in Ghana in March to do a STEM workshop with high school students) also participated.

One of the main messages was that structural change is needed to address the architecture that skews the playing field. While ending math streaming for Grade 9 students, particularly Black students, into the applied or academic level at high school is great, 鈥淏lack students need to feel welcome, they need to feel they belong in these educational spaces,鈥� says Osibodu.

Panellists also discussed how colonizers took credit for indigenous knowledge across their colonies. When the French and English first landed on the West Coast of Africa, Indigenous Black people taught them how to treat tropical diseases. In places such as South America, the colonists learned of an indigenous malaria cure 鈥� quinine 鈥� using the bark of the Cinchona tree, says Boateng. The colonizers later used that knowledge to create synthetic anti-malarials such as Chloroquine, which was then sold back to people in these colonies.

鈥淪ome of the things that were learned were not ascribed to the indigenous [populace]. It became sort of the property or the proprietary of those who came to the land. It was stolen, plagiarized.鈥�

A more recent example was the discovery of the Ebola virus, which should have been attributed to a Congolese doctor Jean-Jacques Muyembe, but was instead to Dr. Peter Piot of Belgium at the time, says Goodridge.

Biases also play a huge role in which diseases get funding to create vaccines. Boateng also takes issue with the huge influx of resources to create a vaccine for COVID-19. While he doesn鈥檛 begrudge a vaccine being developed for SARS-CoV-2, he does question the scale of worldwide resources dedicated to it when malaria has killed millions, more than 600,000 in 2022 alone, mostly in Africa, with 78 per cent of them children under the age of five, according to the latest World Health Organization (WHO) figures. The first malaria vaccine wasn鈥檛 recommended for public use by the WHO until 2021.

Many universities now have Black studies programs, including 91亚色, but Mohammed says the first Black studies department began at San Francisco State University in 1968, although informally it started years before and the work is also happening in spaces beyond academia. One of the questions Mohammed had is: 鈥淗ow do we organize to create more opportunities, not just for Black education, but for our community to learn and have the language and development to challenge and create change.鈥�

Despite everything, several panellists believe there is hope.

鈥淲hile the beginnings have not been that great. Today we can speak of black educators making an impact or having an impact in their field,鈥� says Boateng. 鈥淚 believe that if we are empowered, it becomes easier for us to tell you the story.鈥�

Banner photo by Shayne Phillips

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Now a prominent academic, 91亚色's Faculty of Education Jean Augustine Chair reflects on experiences of Black community in 1970s Toronto

It was at the now-closed Brockton High School near the new Dufferin Mall on what was then called Awde Street, where a young Carl James met with other community organizers on a September Saturday. That morning they launched the Caribbean Alliance Council (CAC) and that evening they celebrated with dinner and dance at the Soul Palace Restaurant, just north of what is now Sankofa Square.

Like other Black immigrants of his generation from Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Trinidad and Tobago and other Caribbean islands, James came to Canada in the post-1967 period after the state had removed race-based immigration restrictions.

While pursuing his education, James engaged in youth work, volunteering with organizations such as the Black Education Project. Located just north of Davenport on Bathurst, James describes the organization as 鈥渃entral鈥� to the education experiences of Black parents and students at the time. He also worked with Harriet Tubman Centre at St. Clair and Oakwood, which still operates today as the Harriet Tubman Community Centre close to Don Mills subway.

鈥淚 was at the time going through school, volunteering and working with the other volunteers 鈥� an adolescent working with younger Black adolescents,鈥� recalls James. 鈥淚 came to the work that I do through working on issues of Black life. The situation that I was observing and trying to understand with regard to Black youth informed my work.鈥�

Later, he worked in Regent Park, a neighbourhood located in Toronto鈥檚 east downtown that鈥檚 now a mix of condominiums and social housing. Back then it was exclusively a public housing project 鈥� Canada鈥檚 first and largest. Many of the youth with whom James worked saw their participation in sports as the key to their future success and were not often going into academic areas because of streaming practices in their schools. 

This inspired his early research at 91亚色. Today, James is a prominent academic who has dedicated his career to studying some of the very issues he first observed and experienced four decades earlier.

鈥淚'd been noticing that the education and schooling system had not been as helpful in educating or schooling Black immigrant students as we would have expected,鈥� recalls James. 鈥淭hat happens today; and happened then. So, I'm very interested in, well, 鈥楬ow can this change? If over and over again, we keep finding and seeing the same thing, what have we not been doing to change the situation?鈥欌��

In addition to being a professor in 91亚色鈥檚 Faculty of Education and an author of many books on race, education and immigration, James currently serves as the Jean Augustine Chair in Education, Community and Diaspora.

His 2017 report highlighted the systemic racism Black students face in GTA schools. This work helped to bring about an end to academic and applied streaming for Grade 9 students in Ontario, a decision that was announced in 2020.

Current include community outreach, such as the Day at 91亚色 programming that helps Black high-school students see themselves in post-secondary, the Jean Augustine Mentorship program that pairs Black students at 91亚色 with those entering the university, and Word, Sound, Power, a free annual event that takes place during Black History Month with dance, music and spoken word performances. It also includes partnerships with Black researchers across Canada that will serve to create better data on race and education, and collaborations with health science researchers looking at the health conditions and needs of Black individuals.

James is also , commenting on recent news headlines from the renaming of Dundas Square, to new rules banning the N-word from use at several school boards, diversity in the city鈥檚 emergency services, and the provincial government mandating Black history in the Ontario curriculum.

However, it is not about him, James insists, nor the research, but working in the interest of community and using advocacy work to address and bring about the wider changes needed.

鈥淚t is not about research for research鈥檚 sake, but to inform action,鈥� says James. 鈥淐ommunity is often a central feature for those who have been marginalized. Of course, I think you can鈥檛 think of someone independent of their communities. And I'm thinking of communities not only in geographic terms, but as ethnic communities, gendered communities, class communities, and how all these might be operating in individuals鈥� lives.鈥�

I'd been noticing that the education and schooling system had not been as helpful in educating or schooling Black immigrant students as we would have expected. That happens today; and happened then."

Professor Carl James, commenting on his early experiences working with youth in Regent Park

James adds that community is often a central construct of how Black youth imagine their future lives.

鈥淵ou might find them highly represented in social services, social sciences, and education because they are 鈥榞iving back鈥� to community,鈥� he says. 鈥淭hey feel an obligation to respond to the needs of the community that has supported them. So, it's understandable that Jean would think that community is central to the work that鈥檚 been done through the Chair and for the Chair to engage community.

鈥淓ssentially, the idea is for us to work with community, and invite them to do the needed education work together.鈥�

One of his current research projects looks at how individuals鈥� social capital 鈦犫�撯仩 racialized individuals in particular 鈦犫�撯仩 mediates access to employment, careers and occupational mobility once they land a job. Like much of James鈥檚 other work, the study follows research participants over a number of years, with a particular focus on periods of transition.

鈥淚'm very interested in the differences between transitioning through high school to college and/or university, or from university to college, and to work,鈥� says James. 鈥淎ll those permutations are very useful to look into in order to capture the ways in which young people are navigating life and negotiating the world around them.鈥�

The Chairship is of course named after Jean Augustine, Canada鈥檚 first Black woman Member of Parliament, who made the motion that was unanimously passed in the House of Commons in 1995 for Black History Month to be officially recognized in Canada. She later established the Chair in her name at 91亚色. James became the second Chair after the role was restructured and reimagined from the original framing of 鈥楨ducation in the New Urban Environment,鈥� which was held by . Thanks to a combination of a $1.5 million gift from the federal government and grassroots funding, the Chair is now fully endowed. (Her actual, physical chair, that she once sat in as an MP, now sits in the Dean鈥檚 Office at the Faculty of Education). 

James鈥� initial connections with Augustine go back to his early years in Toronto and their mutual involvement in community organizations such as the CAC.

Some documentation of this can be found in the Jean Augustine collection hosted through the at 91亚色鈥檚 Scott Library, such as a letter regarding the founding meeting, written and signed off by James on behalf of Augustine, then the secretary of the CAC. At that meeting, James asked the group about working with high school students and recommended a summer research project looking into the experiences of immigrant children from local communities.

James is being celebrated in two pieces of art this Black History Month 鈥� one by 91亚色 alumni Robert Small as part of the Legacy Collection, and the other by Mya Salau as part of this year鈥檚 Toronto Transit Commission鈥檚 (TTC) Black History Month campaign, Salau鈥檚 piece can be seen on an oversized mural at the 91亚色 TTC subway station, a wrap on Bus #3349 that operates on various lines deployed from the Queensway Garage, and on subways across the city.

A lot has transpired in the decades since James began his work, but it was in those early experiences with Black communities in Toronto that set him on his life path.

鈥淚 always say, suppose I never worked with those downtown youth. Would I have been able to think of the questions I have today?鈥� he reflects. 鈥淪uppose they never answered my questions, or even sat with me for half an hour to share their experiences.

鈥淪o, while I look earnestly at the people who have worked with me, and given me mentorship, I have to also remember the research participants or even those who just simply entertained my conversations and my questions to think through more of what I might want to eventually contribute to life.鈥�

James is not the only member of the 91亚色 community to be celebrated by the TTC as part of Black History Month. Honorary Doctor of Laws degree recipient Itah Sadu, is also featured in a mural at Bathurst station.

Jean Augustine's story teaches us about Canada's domestic workers鈥� scheme

Augustine had come to Canada as a domestic worker from Grenada during a time of political upheaval in her home country, with Grenada achieving independence in 1974. These early days are documented in the hosted through the Clara Thomas Archives at 91亚色鈥檚 Scott Library located at Keele Campus.

The first item in the archive is a pamphlet entitled Advice to West Indian Women Recruited for Work in Canada as Household Helps. A lot of the space in the pamphlet is devoted to advice on what behaviour is expected: Be truthful, courteous and polite at all times in your dealings with your employer and their children; unmarried women who get pregnant in their first year could be deported and may never be able to return.

鈥淭he women who have been sent to Canada in previous years have not let down West Indian womanhood and it is confidently expected that you will do the same,鈥� a passage reads.

The pamphlet also contains practical advice on life in Canada: While it is easy to get credit, it is also easy to get in trouble with it if you can鈥檛 keep up with payments; bring warm clothes, but no more than is needed as it will be cheaper to purchase winter clothes after you arrive; if your lips get chapped, try Vaseline or Camphor Ice.

There are warnings of 鈥渦seless correspondence courses,鈥� especially in nursing, that will take large sums of money, but won鈥檛 be of any use either in Canada or back home.

Canada needed more immigrants in the post WWII period when Europeans were staying home, and it was in that context that the Canadian government allowed workers from certain territories in the West Indies entry to Canada beginning in 1955, and the total lifting of race-based immigration restrictions in 1967. Caribbean domestics came to Canada to take care of other people鈥檚 children so those people could go to work, explains James. And people like Augustine who were teachers back home, not only provided domestic duties, but also the socialization of Canadian children.

鈥淏eyond simply thinking of Jean coming here and becoming a Parliamentarian, what does Jean's story also tell us about Canada? To me, it's a big or national story,鈥� reflects James.

鈥淗er story represents Canada鈥檚 relationship with the Caribbean, and Caribbean women鈥檚, and people鈥檚 contributions to the social, cultural, economic and political development of Canada. Her story is important; and there are many things we can learn from it.鈥�

Members of the 91亚色 community and public can access the Jean Augustine collection by appointment by contacting the Clara Thomas Archives and Special Collections at archives@yorku.ca.

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Harriet Tubman was an abolitionist, a freedom fighter, a spy, nurse and conductor on the Underground Railroad and although there is a lot written about her movements in the United States, tracing her path in Canada has proven trickier. Painstaking, detailed work on a virtual museum to not only honour Tubman鈥檚 legacy but to trace her footsteps through southern Ontario is underway at The Harriet Tubman Institute for Research on Africa and its Diasporas at 91亚色.

Born enslaved in Maryland, U.S., Tubman lived nearly a decade in St. Catharines, Ont. after escaping slavery in 1849 and where she regularly ushered slaves to freedom through a perilous journey ending in what was then called British North America. The virtual museum, in partnership with , hopes to offer visitors a chance to walk in Tubman鈥檚 footsteps as she advocated for an end to slavery and freedom for her people.

鈥淥ne of the things that our virtual museum is trying to highlight is the importance of Canada in her walk. Americans think she is all theirs, but we were also part of her journey, her legacy,鈥� says the Harriet Tubman Institute (HTI) Director Assistant Professor Omosalewa Olawoye, who took over the directorship in the summer. 鈥淯nlike her journey in the U.S., there isn鈥檛 a whole lot documented on her path in Ontario. We are doing that research now.鈥�

The film, Harriet, brought her history to a wider audience, but details on her travels through Ontario were scant. What is known is that Tubman鈥檚 legacy continues today by inspiring students, faculty and staff at 91亚色 to learn more about their heritage and how they can influence policies toward furthering social justice and equality. Just as Tubman provided safe passage for fellow enslaved Africans, the HTI is what Olawoye calls a safe space for academics and community members to do research on topics some might find uncomfortable. It鈥檚 work that can at times delve into the heart of colonialism and its enduring ripples to uncover treasure troves of truths.

The recently opened resource centre at the HTI in 91亚色 Lanes allows for a continuation of that safe space and research, individual and collaborative. Most of the books that line the walls of the centre, including several first-editions, as well as the artifacts on display, are donated. There are also archival documents, and audio and video tapes. It鈥檚 a growing collection that may soon spill out of its allotted space.

As part of its mandate, the HTI encourages the study of pre-contact cultures and the histories of Africa, slavery and colonialism, but also current struggles in the lives of African peoples and diasporic communities, including contemporary forms of exploitation.

鈥淲e are also building up our research clusters to encourage scholarly discussions and enrollments, not just in STEM [science, technology, engineering and math]. We like to put an 鈥楢鈥� in there for the 鈥榓rts鈥�, so it's STEAM,鈥� says Olawoye. The HTI is also partnering with other organized research units at 91亚色, such as the Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research, the Robarts Centre for Canadian Studies, as well as the Department of Dance and external organizations.

The HTI has continued to evolve since its officially opening at 91亚色 in 2007 as the Harriet Tubman Institute for Research on the Global Migrations of African Peoples (changed to its current name in 2013) by Canada鈥檚 then Governor General Micha毛lle Jean. It fittingly coincided with the 200th anniversary of the British abolition of the slave trade.

One of the things that I personally have realized is that a lot of these discussions shape how we think and even helps how we teach our classes.

Omosalewa Olawoye

Last year, the HTI Journal of African and African Diasporic Studies, an international, peer-reviewed and bilingual journal, published its first issue. It鈥檚 part of what Olawoye of 91亚色鈥檚 Department of Social Science in the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies calls an expanding and broadening of the institute鈥檚 reach and influence.

Oddly enough, it was the pandemic with its lockdowns that helped make that happen. Because of the lockdowns, the HTI started holding talks on Zoom which allowed dialogue and engagement from people around the world, including Africa and the Caribbean. The online model was so successful that the HTI decided to continue to hold their Thursday talks in a hybrid format going forward.

鈥淲e've had people from South Africa, from Cameroon and Ghana giving engaging talks on Africa and its diaspora,鈥� says Olawoye. 鈥淧eople can come together, give feedback, and it strengthens the research that is produced at the end of the day.鈥�

Those discussions can also influence education. At the HTI鈥檚 recent joint conference in Dakar, Senegal, there were conversations about decolonizing education.

鈥淚t was really interesting to see the differences and similarities, and perspectives from those in the diaspora and those within the African continent, people鈥檚 ideas on what they thought about decolonizing education and what it meant,鈥� says Olawoye. 鈥淥ne of the things that I personally have realized is that a lot of these discussions shape how we think and even helps how we teach our classes.鈥�

RESEARCH EXPLORES MONETARY POLICY AND BANKING IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

Those discussions also influence her own research into sustainable economic development, monetary policy and banking in Sub-Saharan Africa, which she approaches by first learning about people鈥檚 cultural views on money. With her bachelor鈥檚 degree in English literature and a PhD in economics, she finds herself looking for clues to monetary policy even in her favourite novels like Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe about pre-colonial life in what is now Nigeria.

鈥淲hen I read books, I try to pick up monetary elements to understand the system of banking and money usage before the formal banking that we know today. It helps me with understanding how monetary policy works in these regions, whether it's in the way that mothers viewed money in communal societies or something else,鈥� says Olawoye, editor of .

In a way, it鈥檚 unsurprising as novels are studies in human nature and she is most interested in how the average person living in Sub-Saharan Africa views money 鈥� usually as an IOU, a placeholder for an acknowledged debt. A lot of these cultural variances on money are often ignored in mainstream European banking systems and monetary policies.

鈥淢oney is different for different people and different communities, but one of the things that I have learned from my research is there are cultural views of money. Money can represent freedom to some. What I'm trying to trace is how these views would be influenced by the central bank setting policies. It's those different understandings that could affect the kind of monetary policies brought in. There is no one-size-fits-all monetary policy,鈥� she says.

鈥淲hat I try to do is highlight the African story in a bottoms-up approach in understanding money, especially the endogeneity of money.鈥�

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91亚色 expert available for comment during Black History Month

TORONTO, Feb. 10, 2021 鈥� Canada likes to believe it鈥檚 different from its neighbours to the south, that there is less systemic racism, but 91亚色 Professor says the Black experience tells a different story.

Canadians may be more polite about anti-Black racism, but it鈥檚 still there in abundance. For instance, Black Canadians are twice as likely to suffer unemployment as white Canadians, and they make up 3.5 per cent of the Canadian population but comprise 8.6 per cent of those incarcerated in federal prisons as of 2017.

鈥淐anada is defined as a raceless or post-racial society. That is the dominant cultural narrative,鈥� says Foster. 鈥淗owever, disparities in education, child services, the workplace, as well as the criminal justice system, continue unabated.鈥�

A professor in the School of Public Policy & Administration, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, Foster is studying how social, political, and economic factors are shaping the Black Canadian experience through his Blackness in Canada national research initiative. A comprehensive web-based survey, expected to go out later this month, will be the first step in gathering these experiences and perspectives. The research will eventually help inform effective policy and find solutions to dismantle systemic racism.

鈥淩acism is so enmeshed in our society, the structure of our workplaces and schools, that it seems normal,鈥� says Foster, who is a professor of public policy and human rights, director of the Institute for Social Research, and co-editor of the book, .

On Thursday, Feb. 25, from 12:30 to 1:30 pm, he will deliver the McLaughlin College Black History Month Lecture via zoom on 鈥�

Foster can comment on the following:

• What does it mean to be Black in Canada today?
• What are the historical disadvantages?
• Black History Month and the Black identity
• Systemic anti-Black racism
• Racial profiling, police carding, and data collection
• Public policy reform and workplace diversity

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91亚色听is a modern, multi-campus, urban university located in Toronto, Ontario. Backed by a diverse group of students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners, we bring a uniquely global perspective to help solve societal challenges, drive positive change and prepare our students for success. 91亚色's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education. 91亚色鈥檚 campuses in Costa Rica and India offer students exceptional transnational learning opportunities and innovative programs. Together, we can make things right for our communities, our planet, and our future.听

Media Contact:

Sandra McLean, 91亚色 Media Relations, 416-272-6317,听sandramc@yorku.ca

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91亚色 expert is available to explain gospel music popularity and history

TORONTO, February 10, 2020 鈥� Gospel music is so ingrained in pop culture today that gospel choirs are everywhere from the Superbowl and Grammys to detergent and car commercials, says Karen Burke, one of Canada鈥檚 leading authorities on gospel music鈥檚 history and performance practices.

, an associate professor in 91亚色鈥檚 School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design, will be among several gospel, spoken word, jazz and R&B performances at the Faculty of Education鈥檚 Black History Month event. The event, , will be held on Wednesday, February 12, 2020.

With musicians from pop star Justin Bieber to rapper Kanye West belting out gospel music, the origins of gospel music easily could be forgotten. Gospel music began as spiritual songs, sung by enslaved African Black people in the U.S. The songs were peppered with concealed messages of survival and plans to escape from the slave owners.

鈥淕ospel music is an important tool to understand the depth of Black history, and the gospel music community in Canada today is a big vibrant and diverse community,鈥� says Burke, who is organizing musical performances and directing the 91亚色 Gospel Choir at the event.

A singer, choral director and composer, Burke started Canada鈥檚 first university gospel music course at 91亚色 in 2005.

鈥淕ospel choirs are used all the time to emphasize important events, like at the Grammys or the Oscars or Meghan Markle鈥檚 wedding,鈥� says Burke. 鈥淭he hydraulic lift goes up and there鈥檚 the gospel choir hoisted in the air and the energy is electric.鈥�

The event is hosted by the听Jean Augustine Chair in Education, Community & Diaspora, currently held by Professor .

Of the event鈥檚 theme, James says gospel music is quite culturally relevant to Black history, adding that 鈥済ospel music was听central to the colonial project and hence听a part of life for enslaved African Black people in the West. But while the music is rooted in Christian spirituality, it鈥檚 important to remember that听Black people are not all Christians, so we will all have a different relationship to the music.鈥�

WHAT: Faculty of Education鈥檚 Black History Month event

WHEN and WHERE: Wednesday, February 12, 5:30 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. reception (Martin Family Lounge, 2nd Floor Accolade East, 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. performances (Tribute Communities Recital Hall, Accolade East Building, at 91亚色鈥檚 Keele Campus (see #92 on this听).

NOTE:听Members of the public are required to as space is limited. Members of the media should RSVP to the contact below.

91亚色 champions new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Meaningful and sometimes unexpected careers result from cross-disciplinary programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. 91亚色 students and graduates push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world鈥檚 most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. 91亚色 U is an internationally recognized research university 鈥� our 11 faculties and 25 research centres have partnerships with 200+ leading universities worldwide. Located in Toronto, 91亚色 is the third largest university in Canada, with a strong community of 53,000 students, 7,000 faculty and administrative staff, and more than 300,000 alumni.

91亚色 U's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education.

Media Contact: Vanessa Thompson, 91亚色 Media Relations, 647-654-9452, vthomps@yorku.ca

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91亚色 scholar available to discuss Blackness in Canada research project

TORONTO, February 6, 2020 鈥撎齀t鈥檚 no accident that Professor Lorne Foster 鈥� one of Canada鈥檚 top scholars on racial profiling and anti-racism laws 鈥� chose to kick off his research project exploring Black Canadian identity during Black History Month.

is a time to celebrate the contributions of Black Canadians and听learn how people of African descent have helped to shape Canada鈥檚 heritage and identity.

is leading a first-of-its-kind, national research project exploring what it means to be a Black Canadian man, woman or youth.

鈥淚n many communities across Canada, Black Canadians experience isolation, anti-Black racism, school disengagement, youth incarceration, racial profiling, gun violence, poor health outcomes and greater levels of unemployment and underemployment,鈥� said Foster. A professor in the Department of Equity Studies, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, Foster also serves as the director of 91亚色鈥檚 Institute for Social Research.

鈥淭o address these barriers within Canada鈥檚 Black population, and to advance racial equity in society, we need to study their first-hand-perspectives and listen to their diverse voices,鈥� he said.

The goal of the multi-year study is to investigate the Black Canadian population as a national ethno-racial identity and explore how the experiences of Black Canadians are shaped by social, political and economic factors. The study also seeks to find the most promising ways to alleviate anti-Black racism.

Part of the Blackness in Canada project will involve a national survey of thousands of Black Canadians who will be asked about 40 questions related to several themes including: childhood upbringing, demographic characteristics, and experiences with anti-Black racism and discrimination. The results of the study and survey are expected to be released in early 2021.

The project is being done through the , the country鈥檚 largest university-based survey research centre. The $291,072 study is being funded through a $199,980 Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Partnership Grant, with additional funding from 91亚色鈥檚 Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies, Institute for Social Research, Multicultural History Society of Ontario (MHSO)and Canadian Race Relations Foundation (CRRF).

Foster teaches in the areas of public policy, social justice, race and ethnicity and has written more than 200 published articles, journal articles, book chapters and books, including , released in 2018.

He can comment on:

• The Blackness in Canada project
• Black History Month and the Black identity
• Black Canadians in the human rights movement
• Racial profiling, police carding and anti-Black racism
• Public policy reform and workplace diversity

91亚色 champions new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Meaningful and sometimes unexpected careers result from cross-disciplinary programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. 91亚色 students and graduates push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world鈥檚 most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. 91亚色 U is an internationally recognized research university 鈥� our 11 faculties and 25 research centres have partnerships with 200+ leading universities worldwide. Located in Toronto, 91亚色 is the third largest university in Canada, with a strong community of 53,000 students, 7,000 faculty and administrative staff, and more than 300,000 alumni.

91亚色 U's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education.

听Media Contact: Vanessa Thompson, 91亚色 Media Relations, 647-654-9452,听vthomps@yorku.ca

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91亚色 hosts Black History Month Symposium

TORONTO, February 6, 2019听鈥撎齌he voices of some of Toronto鈥檚 most recognized Black Canadian leaders in politics and social activism will be heard at a two-day symposium celebrating Black History Month at 91亚色 on Friday, Feb. 8 and Saturday, Feb. 9, 2019.

Desmond Cole 鈥� an activist, freelance journalist and former Toronto Star columnist 鈥� is working to bring attention to racial profiling and successfully advocated for the removal of a Toronto Police presence from schools in the Toronto District School Board.

Anthony Morgan, a human rights and civil liberties lawyer and activist, has advocated on the issue of anti-Black racism in Canada at various levels of court, including the Supreme Court of Canada, and before two United Nations human rights committees in Geneva, Switzerland.

Sandra Hudson, a community organizer and founder of Black Lives Matter Toronto, is an outspoken critic of anti-Black racism in policing who has demanded that police carding data be released and that the SIU be overhauled.

They are among a dozen speakers at , a two-day event at 91亚色鈥檚 Keele campus, which will听bring together community leaders, activists, academics and students to discuss the limitations and possibilities of political representation and social activism for advancing Black communities.

Cole, Morgan, and Hudson are speaking on Day 2 of the symposium on Saturday, from 1:45 to 3:45 p.m.

The event is organized by Faculty of Education Professor , who is the听, a role which aims to advance access, equity and inclusivity to education through community engagement and collaborative action. While some may be critical of the tactics of some Black Canadian activists, James believes different voices, approaches and tactics are needed to help advance Black communities.

鈥淎s we look throughout history, people have used different means to get the conversation going and to bring about the social change they need. The Black community is not any less in doing so,鈥� explained James. 鈥淥ur community is diverse with people having different political approaches to issues. We need to engage everyone and accept the fact that there are different approaches to get where we need to go.鈥�

Day 1 of the symposium

When: Friday, Feb. 8 from 5:30 to 9 p.m.

What:听Opening reception听at 5:30 to 7 p.m.听followed by a conversation听from 7 to 9 p.m.听about how听Black leadership has evolved in relation to the social, economic and political conditions of Canadian society. This conversation will be with听professors David Austin (John Abbott College, Montreal) and Amoaba Gooden (Kent State University, Ohio), facilitated by Professor Tamari Kitossa (Brock University, St. Catharines).

Where: Accolade East building, Keele campus, (reception in Martin Family Lounge followed by conversation in Tribute Communities Recital Hall.)

Day 2 of the symposium

When: Saturday, Feb. 9 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

What: Two panels will feature invited community activists and organizers.

Panel 1, on Black Leadership and Partisan Politics, 10:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. featuring: Tiffany Gooch (Public Affairs Consultant and Public Opinion Columnist), Yafet Tewelde (Community organizer and PhD Candidate, 91亚色), Wendy Vincent (Director Communications, Operation Black Vote Canada), Adaoma Patterson (President, Jamaican Canadian Association), moderated by Yolande Davidson (Director, Jamaican Canadian Association).

Panel 2, on Black Leadership and Social Activism, 1:45 to 3:45 p.m. featuring: Cole, Morgan and Hudson, along with Valerie Steele (Activist, Black Action Defence Committee), moderated by Sam Tecle (PhD candidate, Sociology, 91亚色).

Where: Founders Assembly Hall, 152 Founders College, Keele campus,听

NOTE: Space is limited for both days of the symposium so members of the public are required to . Members of the media should contact Media Relations (see below).

91亚色 champions new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Through cross-disciplinary programming, innovative course design, diverse experiential learning and a supportive community environment, our students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Located in Toronto, 91亚色 is the third largest university in Canada, with a strong community of 53,000 students, 7,000 faculty and administrative staff, and more than 300,000 alumni. 91亚色 U's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education.

Media Contact: Vanessa Thompson, 91亚色 Media Relations, 416-736-2100 ext. 22097,听vthomps@yorku.ca

The post Top Black Canadian leaders to speak on politics and social activism appeared first on News@91亚色.

TORONTO, February 13, 2018 鈥� Three noted leaders from different walks of life, but sharing the same goal of activism against racism, will engage in a conversation at the Black History Month event hosted by 91亚色 at the Tribute Communities Recital Hall, February 15.

The event, 鈥淓veryday Activism, Critical Resistance: A Conversation with Angela Robertson and Robyn Maynard facilitated by Dionne Brand,鈥� organized by the Jean Augustine Chair in Education, Community & Diaspora in the Faculty of Education, is sponsored by Unifor.

鈥淭hese important conversations will reflect on the ways in which people of African descent resist the daily acts of gendered, classed and sexual racialization in Canadian society,鈥� said 91亚色 Professor Carl James, lead organizer, and Canada鈥檚 prominent researcher in the areas of equity and racism.

WHAT:

WHO: Literary personality , social justice activist , and writer and community organizer

WHEN: Thursday, February 15, 2018, 7pm-8:30pm

WHERE: Tribute Communities Recital Hall, Room 120, Accolade East Building, 91亚色 Keele Campus, Toronto (building number 92 on the )

91亚色 champions new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Meaningful and sometimes unexpected careers result from cross-disciplinary programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. 91亚色 students and graduates push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world鈥檚 most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. 91亚色 U is an internationally recognized research university 鈥� our 11 faculties and 25 research centres have partnerships with 200+ leading universities worldwide. Located in Toronto, 91亚色 is the third largest university in Canada, with a strong community of 53,000 students, 7,000 faculty and administrative staff, and more than 300,000 alumni. 91亚色 U's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education.

Media contact:
Gloria Suhasini, 91亚色 Media Relations, 416-736-2100 ext. 22094, suhasini@yorku.ca

The post 91亚色 hosts Black History Month event: Everyday activism against racial bias appeared first on News@91亚色.