By Neil Armstrong
What former Ontario Member of Provincial Parliament, government minister, bank executive, philanthropist, and current Chancellor of the University of Guelph, Mary Anne Chambers, has done in her new memoir is to share the successful path that she charted in Jamaica and here in Canada — all of this while supporting family, community, and being in public service.
In From the Heart: Family. Community. Service, the former senior vice president of Scotiabank, director, chair and member of various boards and not-for-profit organizations, and funder of many scholarships to students in colleges and universities recalls the agency that she has in her life. From Deanery Road in Vineyard Town to being head girl at Immaculate Conception High School to teaching in the JAMAL Foundation program in Jamaica to immigrating with her young family to Canada in 1976, to working in Corporate Canada and volunteering in many community organizations, Chambers highlights what service means to her — in her family, community, the province, and Canada.
There are many gems in the memoir published by Dundurn Press. She acknowledges her privilege while recognizing her advocacy for family, friends, members of her constituency, parents and students grappling with the education system, championing teachers, the Youth in Policing Initiative, challenging racism inside the boardroom and outside of it, and more.
"It is not easy being a minority in politics. We need to be very strong. We need to stay true to our desire to serve, and we need to avoid being overcome by a desire to feel accepted or popular lest we be inadvertently co-opted or submerged by the dominant culture in which we find ourselves,” writes Chambers in what could be considered wise counsel to racialized people in politics or those seeking to become political representatives.
An important revelation in the book is her expectation that her colleagues at Queen’s Park be conversant with matters pertaining to Black and Indigenous communities in the province.
"I do remember telling the premier that I had not realized I was Black until I arrived at Queen's Park. It was my way of saying I was more than that and expected him to recognize that I didn't simply see my role as the MPP or minister for Black people," writes Chambers.
Expanding on this assertion, she writes: “I didn’t appreciate being singled out as the person who absolutely had to represent the government at the annual Caribbean Carnival parade. I expected my colleagues to also care about issues like the over-representation of, and better outcomes for, Black and Indigenous children in the child-protection system; the difficulties faced by young people in underserved neighbourhoods seeking employment opportunities; and the challenges experienced by internationally trained professionals in becoming accredited to work in their fields of expertise.”
The storytelling recaptures vivid moments in her political life such as the day Denham Jolly — who was awarded an Order of Distinction (OD) in the rank of officer on August 6, 2022 by the Government of Jamaica — turned up at her campaign office to show his support.
"Community activist, businessman, philanthropist, and son of Jamaica, Denham Jolly, who lived several ridings away from mine, arrived at the campaign office one day, bearing dozens of Jamaican beef patties for anyone who happened to be there."
After serving as Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities and the Minister of Children and Youth Services, Chambers decided not to seek re-election but made every effort to ensure that a Black person would seek the nomination to represent the Ontario Liberal Party as her replacement in her riding. She was content with her tenure in the Ontario government and wanted to ensure that representation matters in the political system and in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Queen’s Park.
"I arrived at Queen's Park with my integrity intact and left Queen's Park with my integrity intact, content that in my four years there as an MPP and a cabinet minister, I had served the public good," she writes.
The memoir also references community figures and stalwarts such as Lillie Johnson, Alvin Curling, Lincoln Alexander, Zanana Akande, Beverley Salmon, Ron Fanfair, Margarett Best, Paulette Senior, Joan Lesmond, Mitzie Hunter, Dr. Wendell Nii Laryea Adjetey, Dr. Carl James, Margaret Parsons, Michael Thompson, Dr. Mavis Burke, and others.
Throughout the book, readers hear about her husband Chris, sons Nick and Stefan, and their partners, her granddaughters, parents, and siblings. Chambers enfolds them with love and shares how they have contributed to her quest for lifelong learning, paying it forward, and their collective contribution to humanity. The memoir is worth the read; one gets a sense of what drives Chambers and what her hopes are for now, and for the years to come.
In her projection of a way forward, she notes that: “It’s important to believe in ourselves and to take personal responsibility for our actions and the achievement of our goals. When I tell young people to dream big, I am telling them not to settle for the easiest path or the path that others might define for them. Most importantly, I am hoping that they will realize that their destiny is what they aspire to for themselves. I tell them they are the ones who should be determining their future, and how successful they will be. I advise them to take charge of their lives.”
Chambers acknowledges her “few secret weapons” that have helped her thus far, including the love and high expectations of her parents — “I came from a supportive environment where any barriers to my success resided primarily with me.”
 |
| Photo credit: Sophia Findlay Mary Anne Chambers speaking at the gala celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Jamaican Canadian Association and Jamaica's Independence |
The book launch will take place on Thursday, October 20, 6:00-8:00 p.m. at Blackhurst Cultural Centre, 777 Bathurst Street in Toronto, Canada. The author will be in conversation with veteran journalist Ron Fanfair.
No comments:
Post a Comment