Reimagined Play Looks at the Impact of Colonialism on the African Continent

 By Neil Armstrong

Photo contributed      Mumbi Tindyebwa Otu, director of "Three Sisters" by Inna Ellams after Chekhov

Aficionados of theatre will have a chance to see a reimagined play with a 12-member Black cast on stage at the Soulpepper Theatre, starting today.

The adaptation of Russian author and playwright Anton Chekhov's play, “Three Sisters, which was written in 1900, and reimagined in 2019 by Nigeria-born, British poet and playwright, Inua Ellams, will be showcased in a collaboration of Soulpepper Theatre and Obsidian Theatre.

The play, first performed in 1901 at the Moscow Art Theatre, has been recreated to locate the iconic characters in Owerri, Nigeria, in 1967, on the brink of the Biafran Civil War. 

A year has passed since their father died but the three sisters – Lolo, Nne Chukwu and Udo – are still grappling with his loss. What’s more, they’re stuck in a small village in Owerri, Nigeria and are longing to return to the cosmopolitan city of their birth, Lagos. What they don’t know is that the Biafran Civil War is about to erupt and change their lives and their country. Chekhov’s classic play is reimagined to explore the devastation of colonialism and a fight for emancipation through the lens of a family and love, notes a synopsis of the play.  

Mumbi Tindyebwa Otu, artistic director of Obsidian Theatre Company, is the director of “Three Sisters” by Inua Ellams after Chekhov which opens on March 7 and runs until March 24 at Soulpepper Theatre in the Distillery District, with a few previews starting February 29.

A decade ago, she was at Soulpepper Academy, a training program for theatre artists, when she first experienced “Three Sisters” by Chekhov. It was produced by Soulpepper, and actor d’bi.young was the only Black person in it. Tindyebwa Otu was mesmerized by her presence and performance.

She felt a personal connection to the story and was asked in a scene study to play one of the sisters. As one of three sisters and a brother, she felt a connection to the Russian family — their longings, disappointments, joys and failures.

“But I am looking at it inside my own body as an African woman and as an immigrant. The characters in the play are longing for home, a place that used to be home that is no longer, and there is this desire to go back to that place.”

When she was appointed as the new artistic director of Obsidian in August 2020, this was one of the first plays she read, and she was fascinated to see Ellams’s reimagination of it in this context of an African country in the 1960s. 

Tindyebwa Otu said it was telling a story about a part of African history that very few people in the west knew and it did so in an epic dramatic way.  The play also has an all-Black cast which was thrilling and something rarely seen. 

After talking about it for a couple years, she and Weyni Mengesha, artistic director of Soulpepper Theatre Company, decided to make it happen. “It came together from the desire to do something meaningful and epic together,” said Tindyebwa Otu.

She said assembling the team was a big part of the production and it was exciting “to be able to see, wow, we have such a breadth of Black talent in Toronto who can tell this story and do it well.”

The cast includes Akosua Amo-Adem, Virgilia Griffith, Daren A. Herbert, Sterling Jarvis, JD Leslie, Tawiah M’Carthy, Ngabo Nabea, Makambe K. Simamba, Tony Ofori, Oyin Oladejo, Ordena Stephens-Thompson and Amaka Umeh.

Tindyebwa Otu said the play is humorous and relatable because it focuses on human beings going through their journey, “but they look like you, they may sound like you, they may remind you of someone who looks like you or sounds like you.” 

At the heart of the play is a look at the impact of colonialism and neo-colonialism on the African continent.

The artistic director said there are also plans to have an African marketplace and more surrounding “Three Sisters” during its run.

Black Opera About Nova Scotian Contralto Portia White ‘A Love Letter to Black Women’

By Neil Armstrong

Photo credit: Librettist/Director HAUI      The three Aportias, left to right, Neema Bickersteth, Adrienne Danrich, and SATE

The upcoming world premiere of “Aportia Chryptych: A Black Opera for Portia White” is considered a “love letter to Black women” by Haui, the director and librettist, as it sets out to reclaim the Black Canadian contralto’s story, evoking memories of the past as a form of political resistance.

On June 14, 15 and 16, it will be presented at the Canadian Opera Company Theatre on Front Street in Toronto, the city in which White lived after moving from Halifax, Nova Scotia, and died of cancer on February 13, 1968, at age 56. 

White, who was born in Truro, Nova Scotia, was the first Black Canadian concert performer to achieve international fame in the mid-20th century, touring North America and performing in Europe while being hailed as the best classical voice of her generation. Yet despite such artistic accomplishments, her story has been erased from Canadians’ collective memory.

For Haui, it is poetic justice to share White’s work in an artform that rejected her.  It is a recovery of what she did in her lifetime as someone who walked the streets of Toronto and Halifax and tells her story not just as an icon, but also an individual who faced struggles and battled breast cancer, said Haui, who also describes White as Black royalty.

Spoken word, rap, folk songs, hip-hop, R&B, and classic opera repertoire collide in an explosive score that seeks to break down musical silos and unite artistic and cultural communities.

Sean Mayes, composer, said it was important to include the various genres of music to showcase the Black culture from which White came. Evidence of that creativity was showcased on February 20, at “A Musical Scripture,” a preview of the Black opera, at the Free Concert Series in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre in the Canadian Opera Company’s opera house, Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts.

The sneak peek included sopranos Neema Bickersteth as Portia Body, SATE as Portia Soul and Jonelle Sills (standing in for Adrienne Danrich who is based in New York City) as Portia Spirit accompanied by pianist Joy Brown, percussionist Matthew Machanda, and assistant director/assistant producer Sheree Spencer.

“It is February 13th, 1968, the night of Portia White's death. Portia lifts the veil, stepping over into the spirit realm, where she is fractured into her Body, Soul, and Spirit. Within the Bardo (the crossroads between life and death), memories compound as Portia revisits pivotal moments in her past. A figure from her former life begets a maelstrom of memories, fragments of her family, and echoes of her earthly existence, which Portia must decode and decipher. As Portia contends with letting go, she must learn to reconcile in the hopes of ascension. Is it better to be remembered; or is it how we live that truly matters?” That synopsis captures the quandary in which White finds herself as she contemplates her mortality.

In her career, there is a pivotal decision she is forced to make, a life of music or motherhood at the age of 24.  “Portia must leave her son Gerald/Jimmie to fend for himself. The figure of the boy returns, who Portia now understands is the lost soul of her son. In her defense, she imparts knowledge mother to son, justifying that life is not easy and that her child must keep on climbin'. Thinking she has made amends, Portia sends her son on his way to fend for himself, enduring the secrets of his past and never to say a mumbalin’ word,” notes the synopsis. 

In Act I, White finds herself once again at the crossroads between life and death, where she encounters her "rival," Marian Anderson. “Portia must wrestle with understanding the history and future of racial barriers, the heartaches of a promised land uncharted, and a rebirth for black equality while contending with her overwhelming desire to find inner cohesion in her fractured state. She can finally break bread with Marian; however, she is once again faced with the form of her son.”

In Act II, amidst the Bardo, Portia Spirit and Portia Body urge Portia Soul to ride on and continue through the intermediate realm to deal with her unfinished business. Portia encounters the echoes of World War Two and the effects on women in the workforce. These memories parallel her recollection and climb to international success as she prepares for her New York premiere amidst the growing racism from the American South.

The opera includes a vignette of White and Viola Desmond, “her dearest comrade, and they discuss the legacy of blackness. They find strength together through their sisterhood and feminine power, unknowingly conjuring the spirit of a lost lover.” 

“Portia is faced with the pressures of her performing for Queen Elizabeth I of England. Yet, unbeknownst to those around her, she continues to battle the pains of her illness. Portia wonders if royalty is all it is cracked up to be. Rather than conforming to history's pressures, Portia bends time to redefine what might have happened had she been able to step into her fullest blackness as "the Daughter of Destiny.”

“As she shakes time, her father reappears to her. She spends one last moment with the whole world in her hands. Portia realizes her past actions do not define who she was; instead, it is how we live that truly matters,” notes the synopsis.

Mackenzie Morgan, right, Director, Community Partnerships & Programs, with the some members of the cast and creative team, left to right: composer Sean Mayes, soprano SATE, soprano Neema Bickersteth, soprano Jonelle Sills, director and librettist HAUI, pianist Joy Brown, percussionist Matthew Machanda, and assistant director Sheree Spencer at the Free Concert Series on February 20, 2024, where a musical scripture preview of the opera was presented

The cast and creative teams are composer Sean Mayes with Haui; director and librettist Haui; assistant director Sheree Spencer; dramaturg Neema Bickersteth; conductor Sean Mayes; set & projection design Laura Warren; lighting design Bonnie Beecher; costume design Diseiye Thompson; sound design Wayne Hawthorne; stage manager Kat Chin; and choreography & intimacy director Aria Evans. The three sopranos are Neema Bickersteth as Portia Body, Adrienne Danrich as Portia Spirit, and SATE as Portia Soul.

Haui is an award-winning mixed-media artist who defies categorization. Haui's work explores themes of race, gender, and orientation, shedding light on stories often relegated to the peripheries of history while blurring lines between theatrical mediums. To date, Haui has worked as a director, designer, and deviser of new work for theatre, film, opera, and visual arts working for Canada's leading arts organizations, including the Canadian Opera Company, Stratford Festival, National Arts Centre, Shaw Festival, Canadian Stage, Luminato Festival, Black Theatre Workshop, and more.

Recently Haui was associate director on the Toronto production of "Choir Boy" by Tarell Alvin McCraney. In 2023, Haui directed "Private Flowers," an exploration of queer history produced by Toronto History Museums, supported by the National Ballet of Canada's open residency program and the Ontario Arts Council. Later this year, Playwright's Canada Press will also publish his writing/poetry as part of an anthology of works exploring Black history.

A roundtable chat with the creative team of Aportia Chryptych: A Black Opera for Portia White after a preview of it was presented at the Free Concert Series in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto

Mayes, who was born in Toronto and based out of New York City, enjoys an active and varied career internationally as a conductor, music director, orchestrator, arranger, composer, author, and educator across North America and Europe, with his work spanning numerous musical styles and performed in some of the world’s largest theatres and concert halls, moving between Broadway, theatre, opera, classical and pops.

In New York, he shares his time as conductor for two Tony Award-winning Broadway productions, the new MJ: The Musical and Hadestown. At home in Canada, he was music director and conductor of the all-Canadian premiere of The Color Purple in 2019, for which he was awarded the Merritt Award for Outstanding Musical Direction.

At the media tour held just before the preview of the opera about Portia White, Al Ramsay, a director of the COC’s board and chair of the COC’s community partnership & programming team; Mackenzie Morgan, director, community partnerships & programs; and Avril Sequeira, director of public relations spoke of opera company’s initiatives to be more representative and inclusive of Canada.

In the Winter 2024 Program, Perryn Leech, COC general director, notes that for the month of February the lineup for its Showcase Series focuses on performances and programming from African and Caribbean artists. He also highlighted the Free Concert Series on February 20 as an “exclusive first listen to the music of Aportia Chryptych: A Black Opera for Portia White” describing its premiere in June as “a major milestone in this project’s journey.”

Al Ramsay, a Director of the COC and Chair of the COC's Community Partnership & Programming Team with arts patron Kamala-Jean Gopie and soprano Jonelle Sills

The Showcase Series features artists and creatives from the Asian, African and Caribbean, and Latin American diasporas, to celebrate and amplify voices of colour through creative expression, storytelling, and cultural participation. Performances are free but require registration.

Meanwhile, the Free Concert Series in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre is “committed to removing barriers to support access for all attendees. In line with this commitment, admission is free to all performances, and we invite our attendees to embrace a spirit of inclusion for their fellow concert-goers.”

 

Apart from the Free Concert Series and Showcase Series, the relatively new Community Partnerships & Programs department of the COC includes initiatives such as Opera Makers Programming, COC Summer Opera Intensive, and COC Teen Council.

 

The department is committed to making opera accessible and dedicated to providing diverse access points and opportunities for the next generation of creatives.

 

It connects young people, parents, educators, and communities with meaningful and experiential learning opportunities. “Our programs are designed to spark creative power through culturally responsive and engaging learning opportunities,” notes the department.

 

Some members of the COC Teen Council engaged members of the creative team of “Aportia Chryptych: A Black Opera for Portia White” in a roundtable chat after the preview on February 20.  Their questions were insightful, and the discussion provided an opportunity for members of the public who were curious about the opera to ask questions and hear directly from the creatives.

Al Ramsay, a director of the Canadian Opera Company's Board and Chair of its Community Partnership & Programming Team makes a presentation with Avril Sequeira, Director of Public Relations

Kamala-Jean Gopie and soprano SATE, who plays Portia Soul, in the opera

The Canadian Opera Company will celebrate its 75^th anniversary in 2025.

 

Black Canadians Welcome Mandatory Black History Learning in Ontario

By Neil Armstrong

Patrice Barnes, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Education, Government of Ontario

 

Several figures in the Black community have welcomed the recent announcement by the Ontario government that it will be introducing new mandatory learning in Grades 7, 8 and 10 history classes on the exceptional contributions and history of Black Canadians who helped build Canada.

Starting in September 2025, students in these grades will learn that Black history is Canadian history and find out about the various Black communities that emerged, developed and contributed to the development of Canada, including pre- and post-Confederation.

Over the next year, the ministry will consult with historians, educators and the Black community, which will inform the new learning.

“It’s important that all students learn about Black communities in Canada and their enormous impact on the growth of our country. Black people have been a part of the Canadian story since the 1600s,” said Patrice Barnes, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Education. 

“And that’s why we aim to deepen students’ understanding of our country’s diverse and vibrant heritage by embedding this mandatory learning. It highlights the numerous significant milestones, which will help students develop a greater understanding of our country’s rich heritage.”

The government also said it is continuing its work on a modernized and up-to-date curriculum to ensure students graduate with real-life job skills and knowledge that they need to succeed – in the classroom and beyond. With the expedited growth in technological advancement and rise in entrepreneurship, the province is introducing updated curriculum starting in the next school year that prepares students for the jobs of tomorrow, it said.

“Black history is Canadian history,” said Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education. “By mandating learning on the contributions Black individuals made to our country’s founding and success, the next generation of Canadians will better appreciate the sacrifice, patriotic commitment and long-lasting contributions Black Canadians have made to Canada. As the economy and technology continue to change, we will continue to modernize curriculum, with an emphasis on STEM education, so students have the skills and confidence to graduate into good-paying jobs.”

Reacting to the government’s move, the Ontario Public School Boards' Association (OPSBA) Black Trustees’ Caucus (BTC), which has been advocating for this change in the curriculum since its inception, said it is thrilled that it has come to fruition.

 

“The minister has said it before, and BTC strongly affirms, Black history is Canadian history. The Canadian identity is not a singular story. Learning about Canada's Black communities and Black leaders will help all students be prepared for a future that is not limited to the confines of their immediate surroundings, but one that encompasses an appreciation of how this country's rich heritage was formed,” said Kathy McDonald, Chair of Black Trustees' Caucus.

 

She said learning about the Black experience, both past and present, will help all students move beyond the awareness that celebrating Black History Month entails. “In strong public education systems, students learn their true and full histories, they recognize how lessons from the past can help create better futures, and they understand how diverse historical and current perspectives help build strong foundations in democratic societies.”

 

McDonald said the BTC is grateful that the ministry will continue to modernize Ontario's curriculum through consultation and engagement with Black communities as it is vital for a range of voices and perspectives to be honoured and valued in the creation of this new curriculum.

Kathy McDonald, Chair of Black Trustees' Caucus, Ontario Public School Board's Association

The OPSBA represents public district school boards and public school authorities across Ontario, which together serve more than 1.3 million public elementary and secondary students. It advocates on behalf of the best interests and needs of the public school system in Ontario.

 

"OPSBA welcomes this announcement, which is an important moment for all Ontarians. Embedded curriculum will help ensure our students learn about the history, contributions, and excellence of Black Canadians,” said Cathy Abraham, President of the OPSBA.

 

Shernett Martin, CEO and Executive Director of ANCHOR Canada, said Black history is Canadian history. 

“From coast to coast to coast, the Black experience permeates throughout our communities. This announcement slated to include Black Canadian history for Grades 7, 8 and 10 will ensure that students across Ontario will be introduced to stories and profiles inherent to our Canadian identity that celebrates history, diversity and culture. Minister Lecce’s commitment to expanding the Ontario curriculum is another important step in making Ontario’s curriculum a curriculum for all."

In the meantime, the Peel District School Board (PDSB) said it is well positioned for the recent announcement about mandated content on Black history in the curriculum. 

 

It said Black history is Canadian history and has already been integrated into the design of classroom learning across many schools in the PDSB. The Board’s theme this year for Black History Month is “Afrofuturism: Examine the Past, Question the Present, Imagine the Future.” 

 

In a media release, the PDSB noted that according to the Smithsonian Magazine, Afrofuturism expresses notions of Black identity, agency and freedom through art, creative works and activism that envision liberated futures for Black life.

 

Developing an understanding of Afrofuturism allows students and staff the opportunity

to explore the past, present and future significance of Black culture and its contributions

to our everyday lives. 

 

During Black History Month, schools across the Peel District School Board will participate in several activities that recognize and celebrate the rich heritage, history, culture and contributions of Black Canadians as well as Black communities from around the world.

 

“As we participate in festivities and events over the course of this month and beyond, we take the time to recognize the outstanding achievements of Black Canadians in all

areas of Canadian life including in science, technology, media, the arts, sports,

education, law, healthcare, military services, financial services and more. PDSB’s “We Rise Together 2.0: Black Student Success Strategy” is an example of our commitment to amplifying the contributions of Black Canadians in all areas of the curriculum,” it said.

 

Lisa Hart, Superintendent, Equity, Indigenous Education, School Engagement and Community Relations, said the PDSB is committed to ensuring equitable outcomes for African, Black, and Afro-Caribbean students through meaningful opportunities to engage with authentic and rich content. “Our work is grounded in an ethic of care that celebrates Black excellence and brilliance all year long.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on the Emancipation Day Underground Freedom Train Ride organized by Blackhurst Cultural Centre in Toronto on July 31, 2023

 

On February 7 — one day before the Ontario government announced mandatory Black history learning in those grades in schools — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau revealed in Ottawa that the federal government will extend its observation of the United Nations (UN) International Decade for People of African Descent, 2015-2024, to 2028.

“Black Canadians have helped make Canada the country we love. From groundbreaking trailblazers in halls of fame and history books to unsung heroes in communities across the country, Black excellence is all around us. However, as we grow and become more diverse, Canada’s painful history of anti-Black racism continues to impact Black communities, preventing many from reaching their full potential. We can – and we must – do better,” notes a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.

It noted that the UN Decade “helps us build inclusive programs to empower people of African descent and advance our work to combat racism, discrimination, and xenophobia faced by people of African descent in Canada and around the world. While the UN Decade ends this year, we are reaffirming our support to Black communities.”

The prime minister said this will be an extension of the federal government’s efforts to promote equality and empower Black Canadians. Using the frameworks of the UN Decade, this extension will support Black Canadians and strengthen their leadership in business, social justice, and community, it said.

“Diversity is a fact, but inclusion is a choice. By extending our efforts under the International Decade for People of African Descent in Canada, we are reaffirming our commitment to support Black Canadians. Using the frameworks set out by the UN, we will invest in Black-led programs, advance racial justice, and ensure Black Canadians have the opportunities they deserve to reach their full potential,” said Prime Minister Trudeau.

The government said it has made transformative investments to empower Black communities across the country. “Since endorsing the UN Decade in 2018, we have committed up to $860 million to Black-focused initiatives – from racial justice to entrepreneurship to economic dignity. Through the Supporting Black Canadian Communities Initiative, we have invested in more than 2,300 projects to grow charities and non-profit organizations, for Black Canadians, by Black Canadians.”

Last year, the government selected the Foundation for Black Communities to manage the Black-led Philanthropic Endowment Fund. The Fund will provide long-term, sustainable funding to charities and non-profit organizations fighting anti-Black racism and improving social and economic well-being in predominantly Black communities. 

“With the Black Entrepreneurship Program, we are helping thousands of Black Canadian business owners and entrepreneurs start up, scale up, and succeed,” noted the statement.

“The UN Decade has been an important roadmap to help us recognize the distinct rights, culture, and accomplishments of the more than 1.5 million people of African descent living in Canada today. But just as the contributions of the Black diaspora to this country have endured for generations, so too must our commitment extend beyond the bounds of any single decade. I remain committed to supporting recognition, justice, and development for Black communities across Canada through 2028 and in the years beyond,” said Kamal Khera, Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities.

The principles of the UN Decade continue to guide Canada in its efforts to combat anti-Black racism and remove systemic barriers for marginalized communities, the statement noted.

In 2018, Canada endorsed the UN International Decade for People of African Descent, which runs from 2015 to 2024. In so doing, Canada became the first country belonging to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development to formally recognize the UN Decade.

 

 

‘WORD, SOUND, POWER’ Celebrated Artistic Expressions and was Incisive Too

By Neil Armstrong 

Photo credit: York University     Dr. Jean Augustine speaking at "WORD, SOUND, POWER: An Annual Celebration of Black Artistic Expression" held at York University to celebrate Black History Month

The annual celebration of Black artistic expression, “WORD, SOUND, POWER,” organized by the Jean Augustine Chair in Education, Community and Diaspora to recognize Black History Month showcased some brilliant performances complemented by intriguing food for thought. 

 

Held at Tributes Communities Recital Hall on the Keele campus, many gathered for the solo performances, including song and instruments, dance and spoken word, from students across Greater Toronto Area school boards and from the university community.

 

Hosted by Dr. Andrea Davis, a professor in the Department of Humanities and chair of the Senate Academic Policy, Planning and Research Committee, it provided an opportunity to hear from Robert Savage, dean of the Faculty of Education, who brought greetings on behalf of the university, Dr. Jean Augustine in whose name the Chair is endowed, and Mark Beckles, vice president, social impact and innovation at RBC.

 

Reflecting on what it took to get Black History Month officially recognized in Canada, Dr. Augustine spoke of persistently standing outside offices and in the corridors of the House of Commons with copies of the Black History Month motion to win the support of fellow politicians. Parliament voted to officially recognize the month as such in 1995.

 

Emphasizing that Black History is Canadian History, she underscored the importance of allies who understand and do their homework to become effectively so — “We need to know each other’s stories and history,” she said.

 

Beckles said the issues that confront the Black community transcend ideology and require of everyone a certain urgency and new forms of collaboration.

 

Although he has held senior positions in financial services, worked with Nelson Mandela and met public figures from around the world, Beckles said that in looking back he could have done a lot more with the right support and access to opportunities.

Noting that access to opportunity is still denied to many people, the RBC executive said he has witnessed “the economic subterfuge, coerced sabotage, social subordination, happening in symmetry and with symphonic precision behind the smiles of individuals who were too often complicit in that endeavour.”

“I see bold commitments, like RBC’s actions against systemic racism, challenged by a constituency that accuses us all too often of being “woke” and pandering to a DEI [diversity, equity and inclusion] cabal. A constituency that would be opposed to us supporting the Jean Augustine Chair. And while standing here I cannot help but think of Dr. Claudine Gay and the undoing by stealth of her achievements and legacy at Harvard University, which happens to be my wife's alma matter, as well,” he said.

Beckles noted that there is a view that to be a champion, or a beneficiary of DEI, “means that you are part of this woke cabal, part of a band of cowards, or pander to the ultra-left wing and that any progress made as a diverse person is nothing but symbolism and is not the result of hard work, nor achieving. And thus, since you are hired for symbolism, you should also be fired for symbolism. 

“Left to some, many here would still be on the other side looking in, instead of on the inside, inviting others. So, let's agree that there's an accepted and taxing everyday racism, the polite kind that racialized people have come to accept, and which we live with as a natural course of life.”

 These are manifested in the strange reactions to people of colour who are smart, the microaggressions, the exclusion from business and social circles, the views that “we are statistics of some kind; we are at risk and predisposed to social and economic failure. The kind that creates and invites a missionary mindset among the privileged and one that perpetuates itself. The subtle questions of belonging spaces that pretend to be inclusive and never-ending strategic efforts to make them so, but where inclusion, actually, recedes as the system reasserts itself.” 

Beckles was critical of self-proclaimed allies, champions, who sacrifice very little in the service of others, and referenced kind and unkind examples of racism that exist.

He cautioned about the status quo that prefers to remain intact and pushes against the inclusion of Black Canadians in various spheres.

“Notwithstanding the talent and resilience and capabilities, and despite their best efforts, there always seems to be an orchestrated mechanism that knows when to push back. And it is invisible in the shadows but it’s there. We call it a system because we can't see whose hands are on the till. A system that finds social preference and hierarchy that asserts institutional memory and then allows the elastic to snap back to its original preferred and exclusive form. And no sector is immune from that elastic snapping back, not even education,” he said.

Photo credit: York University    Mark Beckles, Vice President, Social Impact and Innovation, RBC, speaking at "WORD, SOUND, POWER: An Annual Celebration of Black Artistic Expression"

Using the analogy of an elastic band, Beckles posited that in the aftermath of the murder of African American George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota in May 2020, many governments, corporations and foundations introduced measures to address social equity issues, but these will recede if sustained efforts against the status quo abate. 

“I am concerned that as the narrative focuses away from diversity, equity and inclusion, those exhausted champions of ours will redirect their funding and their efforts to work of other interests. That presents a significant risk not only to new organizations I should say, and to their causes, but also those that have carried for some time and sometimes to this day struggle to raise money.”

With all the investments in near-term commitments, he asked — “Are we better off? Are the barriers to inclusion and access sufficiently removed that we have disproportionately and incrementally more opportunities than we did three years ago?”

Miss Steppers Dance Group at "WORD, SOUND, POWER."

The York University R&B Ensemble at "WORD, SOUND, POWER."

Beckles said there is a natural tendency for elastic to return to its natural state if not for sustained tension, and if there are no efforts to break its memory, it finds its way back to its original form. Sometimes it snaps back, sometimes it is gradual, but the net result is the same. Those on the margins looking in today are on the margins looking in tomorrow. And so, we have to be thinking about how we manage that, he said. 

“The question that needs to be asked is, how can we quickly accelerate past the progress that you've made, leveraging existing community assets and building upon that to support a healthier, less vulnerable community. How do we focus our efforts on wellness indicators that ensure that we enjoy the place in society, whether defined as quality education, housing, health, justice, justice and safety, political engagement, all of which drive toward social inclusion? How do we in the name of family give effect to community's strategic goals like economic and economic and educational capacity, civil rights and engagement and community health and sustainability and safety? How do we work with allies who are genuinely committed to social justice, and who can recognize that they too have a role in breaking down barriers and creating space for others?”

Beckles said the reality is that “we have more wealth and influence in our communities than we have ever had in history, but in order to make sure that the social equity gap does not get wider, the urgency of now demands more of us, future generations demand more of us and perhaps, unfairly so, society demands more of us.” 

He noted that artistic expression is critical to the effort. “Word sound, power, gives effect to the clarion call that the work of inclusion is not over. Artistic expression reminds us that we are all created equal,” he underscored.

Spoken word artist Ian Kaman performing at the annual celebration of Black artistic expression, "WORD, SOUND, POWER."

The evening featured performances from the Oscar Peterson Jazz Ensemble, York University R&B Ensemble, artist and designer Ian Kamau, York University Gospel Choir, and an Afro-Caribbean dance performance by students from nearby James Cardinal McGuigan Catholic High School in the CIBC Lobby during the welcome reception.

 

 

 

 

Bob Marley Day Humanitarian Awards Honour People Who Make a Difference

By Neil Armstrong

Photo credit: Graeme Mathieson       Jay Douglas and Mayor Olivia Chow at the 2024 Bob Marley Day Humanitarian Awards at City Hall in Toronto

The annual Bob Marley Day Humanitarian Awards were presented to nine individuals and one organization at City Hall, a day before Bob Marley’s birthday and the City of Toronto-declared Bob Marley Day, February 6.

Lawyer and founder of the Bob Marley Day Committee and awards, Courtney Betty, said thirty-three years ago he was a crown attorney working in the Department of Justice and part of his responsibilities included prosecutions. He observed that most individuals with challenges were coming from the Black community and so he felt that he was caught in the middle.

Betty said he began working with Lance Ingleton, the late well-known reggae promoter, and they talked about using Bob Marley Day to build bridges between the police and the Black community. That was the genesis of the first Bob Marley Day thirty-three years ago.

“Since then, we’ve recognized many individuals from all walks of life. It’s never just been about the Black community; we’ve got members of different communities and many others that we’ve honoured. For me, it’s been a great privilege to be able to provide a platform for these individuals that are already achieving so much.”

Betty also recognized Raymond Perkins of Roots who has been supporting the initiative over those 33 years by creating jackets that were gifted to the awardees.

Among past recipients are entrepreneur Michael Lee-Chin and Ontario’s first Black lieutenant governor Lincoln Alexander, who Betty said was advised that he could not accept the award because he represented the queen, but he went against the advice and invited them to Queen’s Park where he accepted the award. 

Veteran musician Jay Douglas and former university professor and the first president of the Jamaican Canadian Association, Roy Williams, were the recipient of lifetime achievement awards.

Nicholas Marcus Thompson, co-host of the event, said Douglas exemplified a profound commitment not only to his craft, but also to the communities he has touched. 

“Jay’s influence extends beyond his dynamic performance as the frontman of The Cougars and as a celebrated soul artist gracing stages worldwide. His involvement in critical projects, like the “From Jamaica to Toronto” concert tour, showcases his dedication to preserving and promoting the rich heritage of Jamaican music in Canada, making significant cultural contributions that resonate deeply within the community.”

Thompson noted that the musician’s presence in Toronto is immortalized through iconic murals in Reggae Lane and on Yonge Street marking him as a central figure in the city’s cultural narrative and a symbol of the enduring cultural ties between Jamaica and Canada.

“Music is the only international language of joy,” said Douglas, after quoting the lyrics of Bob Marley — “One thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.”

Jay Douglas, Mayor Olivia Chow, Courtney Betty, Nicholas Marcus Thompson and others at City Hall

Douglas said his mother, Noreen Pinnock and his aunt came to Canada as domestic workers under the West Indian Domestic Scheme in 1955. They were followed shortly after by his uncles who came as police officers. 

Sharing a story about one of the uncles, who once visited Jamaica and upon his return to Toronto asked Douglas to pick him up at the airport, Douglas said that uncle expressed his disappointment in being on a flight with many Rastafarian men. Unbeknownst to him was the fact that Bob Marley was one of the passengers. Douglas introduced his uncle to the legendary Jamaican musician. 

Marley did not remember Douglas who reminded him that they went for auditions at Studio One in Kingston, Jamaica, on the same day. 

Douglas said Marley was on his first world tour and his first stop in Toronto was at Massey Hall. 

He said when The Soulettes — a vocal trio consisting of Rita Marley, her cousin Constantine Walker, and her friend Marlene Gifford, founded in the early 1960s — came to perform at the Royal York Hotel, his band, The Cougars, backed them. 

Douglas said Bob Marley visited Club Jamaica on Yonge Street after his performance and when the excited band members left the stage to greet him, the reggae icon told them that they should go back on stage to finish the “people’s work.”

“Right there and then, he told them about accountability and who we are. And this award that you gave me, I’m accepting it on behalf of the kids, they are the gem of the future. We have to teach them and teach them well.” 

On February 18, Douglas will be presented with the Mabel-Helen-Rose Foundation Stone Award by Verity Centre for Better Living for his outstanding contribution to Toronto’s musical landscape.

This award recognizes those African Canadians whose contributions have been a cornerstone to building community and lifting consciousness in Toronto.

Meanwhile, Douglas will be featured in a documentary that will examine how Canada became an important hub of Jamaican music.

Play it Loud! is a feature documentary that tells the remarkable story of how Jamaican music came to Canada as part of a social and cultural migration that had a seismic impact on Canada, helped transform this country into a modern nation, and make it a mecca for Jamaican music.  We tell this story primarily through the life, music, struggles, and triumphs of Jamaican Canadian singer Jay Douglas. Jay is both a witness and participant in the stories we tell - the 1950s’ birth of Jamaican popular music; the early 1960s’ Jamaican migration to Canada; the flowering of a uniquely Canadian Black music culture that is now celebrated around the world, though still little appreciated here. Through Jay’s personal story, we tell a much bigger and largely untold tale of cultural transformation,” says Andrew Munger (Once Were Brothers, Carry it On) who is the producer. Ultramagnetic Productions is the production company, and Clement Virgo (Brother, Book of Negroes) is the executive producer.

 

Roy Williams, first recipient of the Bob Marley Day Humanitarian Award in 1991, was presented with a lifetime achievement award on February 5, 2024, at City Hall

 

Betty said over the duration of the awards, there have been only four individuals that they decided would be presented with the lifetime achievement award. The past recipients were politicians Lincoln Alexander and Alvin Curling.

“This individual, in my view, really represents not only everything that Bob Marley stood for many years ago, but all the things that we need to stand for here today,” said Betty.

He noted there that there was a lot of controversy regarding whether then mayor, Art Eggleton, should declare February 6 as Bob Marley Day in Toronto.

 

At that time, Roy Williams was a member of the Toronto Police Services Board — the first Black person in that position — and Betty’s decision to present him with an award “ignited a firestorm on many different levels,” according to Betty.

He noted that Williams went on stage and accepted the award, and encouraged the Black community to put together a legal fund to ensure that the issues in the community would be addressed. Betty said that statement cost Williams his job.

“I am proud to introduce Mr. Roy Williams, not just the hero but an individual who has always spoken truth to power irrespective of whether or not it’s going to cost him his job,” said Betty.

Williams, who was the first recipient of the Bob Marley Day Award in 1991, said he was happy to see Amber Morley as deputy mayor because back in the time he served on the TPSB, the Black community had to fight very hard to change the system. 

In an abbreviated version of his speech titled, “In Praise of Disruptors,” Williams included lawyer and activist Charles Roach and activist Dudley Laws “who stood up to disrupt, march, resist, and bring change to the city.”

“I would like to say that the system is always very resistant to making incremental changes. People in power do not quickly give up power,” he said.

Roy Williams and Courtney Betty at the 2024 Bob Marley Day Humanitarian Awards presentation at City Hall

The other recipients present at the awards ceremony were Amber Morley, Toronto city councillor and deputy mayor; Al Quance, community builder; Frances Delsol, vice-president, operations, national partnerships, outreach & procurement, BBPA; Clarence Ford, community builder; and the Black Talent Initiative, a social impact organization.

Morley was elected to represent Ward 3, Etobicoke-Lakeshore on Toronto City Council on October 24, 2022.

For over 20 years, she has been working on behalf of the residents of Etobicoke-Lakeshore, while pursuing advocacy at all levels of government. Morley has used her voice to bring attention to issues such as poverty reduction, youth equity, good governance and access to city spaces and services. As the director of the South Etobicoke Youth Assembly at LAMP CHC, she organized, advocated, and fought alongside local young people to advance the needs and aspirations of peers and neighbours in her community.

Morley, who is working to build an equitable and inclusive community for all, noted that there are deep histories in oppression and racism in society but she emphasized that communities and allies mean everything to her. 

Quance, a coach who developed a basketball tradition at Eastern Commerce and expanded it to Oakwood Collegiate Institute, said he considered his work his role and responsibility in society. He developed youth programs in the Oakwood and St. Clair area in the 1970s where he established a youth basketball drop-in centre on Tuesdays and Thursdays. He also initiated a Saturday morning youth basketball for the many Black girls and boys in the area who wanted to play the game.

In 2014, Ford, who has worked with Cirque du Soleil, founded Square Circle in Regent Park, one of Toronto’s first inner city social circus programs. It is described as “part of the global social circus movement that drives social change in communities by helping inner city kids realize their creative potential and learn invaluable life skills.”

Delsol said initially, she thought she was not deserving of the award, and will have to share the news with people from Dominica where she was born. “The work that we do is important,” she said, noting that her father was a police officer and her mother, a school principal.

“There is still so much to be done, the landscape is still not fair,” she said.

The recipients who were absent included Tyler Downey, secretary treasurer of SEIU Healthcare Canada; Matthew Green, member of parliament for Hamilton Centre; and Laura Mae Lindo, a community builder.