Aina-Nia Ayo’dele
2018 Honourees
Aina-Nia serves as a consultant and facilitator for issues within racialized, women and immigrant and refugee communities focusing particularly on issues of gender, racial equity and African spirituality. She was the Project Lead and Consultant for the Toronto Action Plan to Confront Anti-Black Racism which was adopted by City Council in late 2017. Aina-Nia was named one of the Top 100 Black Women to Watch in Canada in 2016 and she was recognized by the Ontario Government for her contributions to community in 2015. She was nominated as one of Toronto’s Most Inspiring Women in 2008. She has appeared in Canadian and U.S. media.
Professor Alissa Trotz teaches at the University of Toronto, where she is cross-appointed between Caribbean Studies Programme at New College and Women and Gender Studies (WGSI), Following a year of law school in the Caribbean, she completed her undergraduate degree in Political Science and Latin American and Caribbean studies at York University, her Master of Philosophy and PhD at Trinity College, University of Cambridge.
Dr. Trotz has received the Award for the Distinguished Contribution to Graduate Teaching at OISE (2007), the SAC-APUS Undergraduate teaching Award (2007) and the Faculty of Arts and Science Outstanding Teaching Award (2010).
Amah Harris, B.A. B.ED., MEd. , Dominican born, is most often identified as an anti-racist advocate, innovative educator, and champion of culture, who fosters the Harmonious Coexistence of Peoples. Amah knitted education and theatre techniques into a fabric of cooperative action, using elements of culture. This process evolved into education and theatre modules and techniques, which allow participants, whether students or performers, children, youth or adults, to actively engage with information, script development and performance.
“Amah is a pioneer in the field of Black Theatre in Canada,” said John Holland Awards co-chair, Evelyn Myrie (Hamilton Spectator 2014). She co-directed Black Theatre Canada (BTC) in the 70s and was contracted by them in the 80s. Her innovative experimentation had its first major forum at BTC. This experimentation reached its peak at Theatre In The Rough; a theatre founded by Amah in 1985. It was at BTC that she became a writer ‘out of need’. She explained, “Plays addressing the reality of the Caribbean and Black Experience in Canada seemed practically non-existent.” Out of this need her, “Kwakoo Anansi Series” was born. She adapted the traditional African figure into a ‘selfless’ problem solver leading progressive change, while retaining his cunning, fun filled personality. He uses wisdom, not violence, to solve problems.
Amoye Henry born of Caribbean parents in Kingston, Jamaica and migrated to Canada with her family. She was raised in Rexdale/Brampton, Ontario but now lives in Toronto. Amoye went to Etobicoke School of the arts specializing in Music Theory and Music Performance and is a classically trained (but not practicing) violinist and pianist. Later, she diverted from the artistic realm and was successful in obtaining a B.Sc in Political Science with a concentration in Communications at McMaster University in 2010. Amoye organically gravitates towards initiatives that focus on the advancement of women and children, globally. She has cultivated an interest in eventually pursuing the MBA, an academic program she believes would serve her launching pad for her aspirations in Healthcare Administration and Systems Management.
Dr. Andrea A. Davis is a Professor of Literary and Cultural Studies and Chair of the Department of Humanities at York University in Toronto, Canada. She holds cross-appointments in the graduate programs in English; Interdisciplinary Studies; and Gender, Feminist, and Women’s Studies. She is former Director of the Centre for Research on Latin America and the Caribbean (CERLAC), a current research fellow of the Harriet Tubman Institute for Research on Africa and its Diasporas, and a member of the Committee of Associates of the Jean Augustine Chair in Education, Community and Diaspora. She also sits on the Board of the Legal Aid Ontario’s Racialized Communities Advisory Committee.
Professor Davis’s research interests are in the intersections of the literatures and cultures of the Black diasporas in the Caribbean, the United States, and Canada. Her work encourages an intertextual cross-cultural dialogue about Black people’s experiences in diaspora
Angela Yvonne Clarke – has enormous talents and skills and loves to share with her community. She migrated to Canada in 1969, from the beautiful sunshine Island of Trinidad and Tobago, leaving a young daughter and a successful modeling career. In Canada, there were many opportunities from which to choose, so with purpose and drive, Angela decided to focus on continuing her education. To that end, she attended George Brown College, Seneca College and Marvel Beauty school. She accomplished all this, while working at Simpson’s Department Store. Her drive for success helped her to obtain Diplomas and Certificates in courses such as, Pattern Design, Drafting, Sewing, Tailoring, Bridal Design, Hair Design, Cosmetology and Floral Design. She continued learning through every and any opportunity that came her way. She advanced very quickly to realizing her dream and subsequently sent for her daughter in Trinidad.
Dr. Bailey is currently conducting research to unearth the debilitating grief and trauma impact on Black youth coping with their educational pursuits. In 2015, she established a scholarship programme in the Jane and Finch community, as part of her continuing commitment to reduce youth involvement in violence, and to support their educational endeavours. Since then several scholarships have been awarded primarily to Black youth.
Annie Kashamura Zawadi – born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, immigrated to Canada in 1999 with her five children and a $20 bill in her purse.
She holds an Honours Specialist Degree in Gender & Women’s Studies and a Degree in Political Science from the University of Toronto. Her thesis on Violence Against Women vs. Capitalism In The War Against The Congo won the Best Paper on Women’s Issues in the Global South Award. She taught the Gender and Neo-liberalism course at the University of Toronto.
In 2000, while pursuing higher education, she founded Arising Women Place, an organization supporting survivors and victims of domestic and systemic violence while educating men/boys and the public on the subject.
Belinda sees herself as a philanthropist and always tries to give back. In 2013-2015, she became a proud Honourary Member of the United Nations Women Committee Canada. There, she volunteered her time at their events singing and performing especially during International Women’s events. This included a performance with her band at the CBC. She was also proud to be invited to perform at the Aga Khan Foundation’s annual walkathon in Toronto and for three continuous years in Montreal. Belinda had the opportunity to perform in Dubai for a charitable organization to support Autism. In 2014, she was presented with an Award of Excellence by the African Women’s Leadership Organization at their annual conference in Atlanta, Georgia.
Dr. Beverley Noel Salmon was born in Toronto to a Jamaican father and a fifth generation Canadian mother of Scottish/Irish descent. Being the first baby born that Christmas morning, Beverley received a layette from the Victorian Order of Nurses. She later became a V.O.N. Throughout her childhood and before Canadian citizenship was official, Beverley self-identified as Jamaican and was teased and name called.
Bev was the first black woman elected to Municipal Council in Toronto, serving on North York Council 1985-88. Her first motion changed “Alderman “to “Councillor”.
Dr. Bukola Salami is aProfessor at the Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary. She received the Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing from the University of Windsor, and a Master’s and PhD in Nursing from the University of Toronto. During her doctoral program, she also completed Certificate Programs in International Nursing, Critical Qualitative Health Research, and a graduate equivalent Diploma in Health Service and Policy Research. Her doctoral work was funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) and the Ontario Graduate Scholarship.
Her research program focuses on policies and practices shaping migrants health. Between 2014 and 2019, she was involved in over 40 funded research projects. She is the lead on 20 of these projects with funding from national and international agencies. She has lead research projects on African immigrant child health, immigrant child mental health, access to healthcare for immigrant children, African immigrant youth mental health, migration of nurses as live-in caregivers, experience of temporary foreign workers in Alberta, downward occupational mobility of immigrant nurses and parenting practices of African immigrants. Dr. Salami has over 45 published scholarly articles in peer reviewed journals (with another 20 under review), 2 book chapters, and 8 reports. She represents the University of Alberta on the steering committee of the Worldwide Universities Network Global Africa Group. She founded and leads an African migrant child research network of 26 scholars from 4 continent. She is involved in several community volunteer initiatives including serving as a public member on the Council of the Alberta College of Social Workers. She has a solid track record of training students.
She has trained over 30 students, many of whom have received awards, including the Canadian Vanier Award and the International Development Research Center Doctoral Award. Dr. Salami has received several awards for research excellence and community engagement: 100 Accomplished Black Women in Canada; Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing Emerging Nurse Researcher of the Year Award; College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta (CARNA) Award for Nursing Excellence; and Alberta Avenue Edmonton Top 40 under 40. She has recently been selected as a recipient of the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame, the highest international research award in nursing.
Email: bukola.salami@ualberta.ca
Bukola (Oladunni) Salami, RN, MN, PhD, FCAN
Professor
Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary
Camille A. Mitchell’s childhood memories include a drafting board, parallel bar and a series of set squares in her family’s home in Hamilton, Ontario. Her father immigrated to Canada from Trinidad as a trained Draftsman and kept an office in the basement. Her mother was always astute to the latest trends in Interior Design. Consequently, Camille was aware of construction and shaping the built environment from early and developed an interest in an array of D.I.Y. projects. In school, she excelled with the visual arts and was strong in mathematics. She desired a career as an Architect to bring all these interests together.
Camille received Degrees from the University of Waterloo School of Architecture. This institution is a leader in design education and research and offers a full cooperative professional program. She was fortunate to work in World class cities such as New York, Paris, Rome and Montreal. Throughout her travels, she maintained connections with her hometown of Hamilton where she continues to be immersed in the city’s revitalization.
She joined the design team of KPMB Architects when she completed Graduate studies. She became fully immersed in the design of the New Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.
Candace Thomas is a proud native of East Preston, Nova Scotia and resides in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia with her husband, Lieutenant Commander Easton Dunkley (retired), and their daughter, Marguerite.
Candace is a graduate of The Fashion Institute of Canada, Saint Mary’s University and the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University. She is a partner in the law firm, Stewart McKelvey, Atlantic Canada’s first regional law firm with a distinguished heritage reaching back to Canada’s confederation. It is one of the 20 largest law firms in Canada with more than 200 lawyers in six locations in Atlantic Canada. Candace joined the partnership in 2005 and is the firm’s first Black female partner, following in the footsteps of Senator Donald H. Oliver (retired), who was the first Black partner in the firm’s history.
As a member of the Business Law Group, Candace has a diverse corporate-commercial practice, advising clients on matters ranging from mergers and acquisitions and financings to corporate governance and charity law. Candace was included in the 2017 and 2018 editions of The Best Lawyers in Canada for her work in Corporate Law. She received her Queen’s Counsel designation in 2017, an honour that recognizes exceptional merit on the basis of professional integrity, good character and outstanding contributions to the legal profession.
“Founding a registered charity Carion Fenn Foundation and ensuring that anyone diagnosed with Syringomyelia and Chiari Malformation doesn’t have to go through it alone. Hosting and producing a Television show, Health 180 with Carion Fenn on Rogers TV Durham. Becoming a Lakeridge Health Board of Trustee, Board Quality Committee Member & Co-Chair for Ajax Pickering Hospital Community Panel. Establishing a successful career as high profile interior decorator and designer. Receiving six awards for my community service work including the highest award from the Town of Ajax. My boys, Ron a Fire Protection Engineering Technology Student and Eithan, a competitive Gymnast.”
Carlotta Weymouth was born and raised in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia and a mother of six children. This unsung hero began her involvement with community service and labor movement when she decided to rejoin the work force after her youngest child entered public school.
Carlotta’s first job was a Counselor with Birthright, an organization that assisted women with their choices around birth. This was a pivotal moment in Carlotta’s life because her experiences with this organization made her realize that service to others was her calling; that being a voice for those who were not able to speak for themselves was something she was very passionate about. She also found it rewarding, especially knowing that she had effected change to better someone’s life.
Dr. Carole Chauncey born in Guyana, South America, holds an undergraduate degree in Biology from Richmond College of the City University of New York in 1971. She worked in the healthcare industry as a Medical Technologist for New York City Department of Health and Veteran’s Administration Medical Service Centre, Cleveland, Ohio. Carole decided to change careers and returned to graduate school after the birth of her daughters. After completing a Master’s Degree in Library Science, (M.S.L.S) in one year, 1980, she entered the doctoral program in Information Science, in 1987. Both degrees were completed at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. Carole was awarded two Higher Education Act Fellowships, while she was enrolled in both the graduate and post graduate programs.
Carole migrated to Canada in 1988, and worked for Baxter Corporation in the Systems Department. She was an Advisory Board Member for the Computer and Communications Network Degree Program, Centennial College. She was also an Advisory Board Member of the Global Partnership Literacy, School Net, Guyana Consulate General. She began teaching at the Ted Rogers School of Information Technology Management, Ryerson University, and taught there for twenty-four years during which time she served as Chair of the Equity Committee of the Ryerson Faculty Association. She was a member of the Status of Women Committee for the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations as well as other departmental and university-wide committees.
Carole founded and administered a mentoring program in Ted Rogers School of Information Technology Management.
Charmaine Althia Crooks, C.M, OLY was born in Mandeville, Jamaica, immigrated to Canada at a young age with her parents and siblings. She is a five-time Canadian Olympian and Olympic Silver Medalist (Athletics), a Member of the Order of Canada (C.M), entrepreneur, speaker, and a long serving advocate for sport, community and Athletes. She was the first Canadian woman to run 800 meters in under two minutes. She won gold medals at World Cups, the Pan-American Games and the Commonwealth Games and was named Flag Bearer at the Opening Ceremony of the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games, held in Atlanta, Georgia.
Charmaine is a resident of West Vancouver, and is the Founder and President of NGU Consultants Inc. (1994), a global strategic marketing, management, production and corporate consulting company, which provides strategic cross-sectional advisory and business development services to a variety of national and global sectors, from technology, sports, to major events. She is a Corporate Director, serving on a variety of profit and non-profit Boards, including the national Board of The Heart and Stroke Foundation and currently, 365 International Sport Foundation (co-founder), Big Sisters BC Lower Mainland, Canucks Autism Network and a global champion for Peace with Peace and Sport.
Charmaine Headley Co-Founding Artistic Director of COBA, Collective of Black Artists, Charmaine Headley is a champion of Africanist dance. Through her work as an artist, choreographer, teacher and mentor she advocates for the recognition and inclusion of the contributions of ethno-cultural dance practices in Canadian dance history and culture today. Headley pushes for a broadened societal appreciation of these art forms and advocates for reflexivity within Canadian curricula.
On leave from her PHD Studies at OISE, University of Toronto, Headley’s focus is on the contribution of Black Dance on the concert stage to Canadian Dance History. A graduate of the School of Toronto Dance Theatre and a strong believer in the healing power of dance, she holds an honours diploma in Gerontology/ Activation Coordination and has created a movement-based senior’s program for her Master’s thesis at York University. Headley implemented and ran an intergenerational program in collaboration with Malvern Family Centre and COBA, where seniors and elementary students in the Malvern area are brought together to explore and share their story through dance.
Amongst the greatest was my involvement with the cross-cultural exchanges of students across Canada for which I received the SEVEC award. My involvement with The Congress of Black Women (KW Chapter) has enabled over thirty young people to further their education at the tertiary level through The Chloë Callender Award established since 2002. Another accomplishment was my work with The Waterloo Region Catholic School Board which effected changes in Race Relations in schools and the community at large.”
Dahlia Bateman is a successful lawyer who started her own law firm in 2006 with a general practice including Criminal Law and Mental Health Law. Not long after, she won a major decision in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice involving a patient’s right to refuse medication – a decision which has been cited in several cases. Over the last nine years, Dahlia made the transition to Corporate Law providing legal services to small and mid-sized corporations.
Dahlia is now a leading lawyer in the Food and Hospitality Services Industry. As General Counsel for the Dana Hospitality Group of Companies, she was integral to the Corporation’s successful bid for providing food services at the PANAM Games in Toronto in 2015. She crafts deals with national and international brands such as Tim Hortons and Starbucks to manage and establish restaurants across Canada.
Dr. Delores V. Mullings’ community based experience is located in hostels, shelters and sexual assault centres working primarily with and for women who are survivors of partner assault, street involvement and/or homeless. She was instrumental in providing leadership to implement healing programs for women who experienced trauma in their lives. Her frontline experience included advocacy, court accompaniment as well as group and individual peer counseling. Her journey of working with and supporting women and girls continued in child welfare agencies where she supported women and their children whose homes child welfare agencies disrupted. She was a Board member of a regional child welfare agency as well as the President and Vice President of the Foster Parent Association in the same region. In those capacities, she contributed to the agency’s knowledge, understanding and practice modalities of critical race social work practice specifically towards mothers and children of African descent inclusive of their lived experiences and complexities.
Denise has worked, and continues to work, as a consultant in a number of private sector companies (such as Imperial Oil Limited, IBM, Sun Life Canada, Hewlett Packard, Toronto Dominion Bank, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, OMERS, Bell Canada, SOCAN, SpaMedica Cosmetic Surgery, Kasten Chase Applied Research, and Media Synergy 3D and Virtual Reality) in the area of Business Analysis, Process Analysis, Documentation Specialist, IT Service Management, Training and Train-the Trainer, Test Manager and Quality Assurance.
In 2018, she was appointed to the Advisory Committee of the TD Downtown Jazz Festival; served as VP Education and VP of Marketing of the Canadian Society of Special Event Planners (CanSPEP); the first African-Canadian to sit on the Board of Brampton Board of Trade; Member of the Black Business and Professional Association; helped to raise over $1,000,000 for Helping Hands Jamaica Foundation Canada Board, in its 12 years, and built 17 schools across Jamaica.
Dr. Denise O’Neil Green, whose leadership and advocacy have helped to establish Ryerson University’s reputation for excellence in equity, diversity and inclusion, was recently appointed Ryerson’s first Vice-President, Equity and Community Inclusion.
Dr. Green has a deep-rooted passion for the advancement of diverse classrooms and inclusive campus climates and has championed organizational change on university campuses, both in the USA and in Canada, for over 25 years. She is an inclusive, strategic leader, under whose direction Ryerson has been recognized as one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers for each of the past three years.
She migrated to Canada from the United States in 2012 and joined Ryerson as the inaugural Assistant Vice-President/Vice-Provost EDI. She holds extensive academic and administrative experience and has served as Associate Vice President for Institutional Diversity, a professor, and director for student success programs.
Diane Walters Working tirelessly for those who are homeless or marginally housed and witnessing the fruits of my labour being the successful creation of permanent and transitional housing units. Being the first Executive Director of Margaret’s Housing and Community Support Services and growing the agency to a multi-service agency serving individuals who have mental illness and living with a substance use issue and those who are homeless or marginally housed. The creation of a support Group for Parents of children of African descent. The creation of Margaret Trudeau Mental Health Advocacy Award – given out at the Mad About Margaret Annual event. Being mother to my daughter Nefisa!