Dr. Rita Cox Celebrated at School Named in Her Honour

 By Neil Armstrong

     The kindergarten choir at Dr. Rita Cox - Kina Minagok Public School in performance

 

A school in Toronto’s west end that has been in existence for 136 years now bears the name of Dr. Rita Cox, a retired veteran librarian, storyteller and icon of the Caribbean Canadian community, and “kina minagok,” an Indigenous phrase that translates to “all is growing well.”

 

On June 9, a renaming ceremony for the Dr. Rita Cox – Kina Minagok Public School, formerly Queen Victoria Public School, was held at 100 Close Avenue in Parkdale. 

 

Cox began her journey with the Toronto Public Library in 1960 as a children’s librarian before becoming the head of the Parkdale Branch in 1974.

 

While working at the library, she was responsible for numerous programs and initiatives that promoted diversity and literacy in Toronto. In 1973, Dr. Cox created the Black Heritage and West Indian Resource Collection which was later renamed the Rita Cox Black and Caribbean Heritage Collection in 2006. 

 

In expounding on the Indigenous phrase, the school notes that, “Each day brings a new opportunity to cherish those around us and learn from one another. Through language and understanding we celebrate out shared humanity and grow together, bringing us closer to one another.”

 

According to Henry Pitawanakwat, knowledge keeper and elder from Three Fires Confederacy, “The phrase stands as a metaphor for children as seeds growing in a well-tended garden. If you nurture the garden and you take care of your garden and you put your heart into it, you’re going to get a good crop.”

 

He and officials from the Toronto District School Board (TDSB), students of the school, and members of the community at large, including Dr. Jean Augustine, celebrated the occasion that included performances and speeches.

 

In May 2022, the decision to rename the school as Dr. Rita Cox – Kina Minagok Public School was made after the board of trustees voted in favour of it, and came after thorough community consultation and valuable recommendations put forth by the dedicated renaming committee. The committee was composed of students, staff, parents/guardians, members of the Black Student Success Committee, the Student Leadership Team, Queen Victoria school council members and Parkdale community members.

 

The suggestion to rename the school was brought forward to the board of trustees in May 2021 and the process was guided by TDSB policy and procedure, said Dr. Debbie Donsky, superintendent of education, in a letter to parents, guardians, staff and students last year. In December 2021, the School Naming Committee launched a call for submissions for potential new names to replace Queen Victoria Public School. There were more than 150 names submitted by the community for consideration and a shortlist was presented for feedback to the community during a town hall in February 2022. 

 

It was significant that a name was chosen that resonates with the values cherished by the school and the local community. “It’s a name that will capture who you are and reflect the school and the community shared commitment to education, growth, and inclusivity for all,” said Rachel Chernos Lin, Chair of the TDSB.

 

Describing Dr. Cox as a cherished community librarian and an advocate for children’s literacy and education who has left an unforgettable mark on the lives of countless students and staff, she said they were immensely proud to pay tribute to the community stalwart. 

 

Colleen Russell-Rawlins, director of the TDSB, said names have meanings and are not labels but symbols of hope and relationships. She said names have both meaning and power, and the name Dr. Rita Cox and everything that she symbolizes will provide an inspiration and a pathway for change in service to Black, racialized, and all communities and residents around the school.

 

In a message that was read in her absence, Bhutila Karpoche, Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) for Parkdale – High Park said the “new name was chosen by the community for the community.”

 

Debbie King, TDSB trustee for Ward 7 Parkdale – High Park said the community had a vision of change in 2020 and notions of solidarity that came about through the consultation process. The TDSB unanimously approved the name change one year ago. 

 

“Each of these moments was a beginning, a seed so to speak, and that idea of the seed fits well with the nature of inspired stories that we heard through the consultation process with our Indigenous community members.”

     Dr. Rita Cox speaking at the renaming ceremony

 

Tania Daley of the Roots and Culture Gardening Club said Parkdale is usually underestimated but the community is a powerhouse with a lot of potential in the children. 

 

Among the performers was Itah Sadu, co-owner of A Different Booklist, award-winning storyteller, and long-time friend of Dr. Cox, who spoke about the leadership of the veteran librarian at the Toronto Public Library whose work drew many people to events she organized there.

 

“We thank you for what I am now going to call the sunshine of inclusion that you brought from the great nation of Trinidad and Tobago.”

 

In her response, Dr. Cox said Parkale was a wonderful community and helped her to fight to build some of the services that were necessary.

 

“I am so grateful to have worked in this community and become part of it. It is my community; it’s where I spent the most of my adult life, my career. It’s where I was welcomed by the community and supported. It is where I found the place where I worship — my church — and their support, and I am still there. Almost every part of this community is supportive even when we’re mad at you.”

 

The Order of Canada recipient also thanked the Toronto Public Library and noted that it was her base and the administration encouraged, supported and fostered so many of the things that she was able to do at that time as head of the Parkdale library.

    Colleen Russell-Rawlins, TDSB director of education

 

She said when she was asked a couple years ago if she would give permission to have her name submitted for a school renaming she was overwhelmed, honoured, grateful, humbled, and a little bit afraid because this was something new.

 

When she was further asked if she would be willing to share the name of the school and realized what the phrase “kina minagok” meant, she gladly agreed as it was exactly what she has been doing all her life in the community.

Dr. Rita Cox with some of her friends who attended the renaming ceremony