A wing at the Winston Churchill Collegiate Institute in Scarborough will house the guidance, community partnerships and resources that the center’s director says are in high demand by staff and students. “I feel blessed to have really reached this point,” said Karen Murray, who also heads the TDSB for equality, repression and the early years. “Now, we’re spinning and trying to figure out how to maintain some of the amazing experiences that have allowed us to see the internet.” The center, which according to the board is the first of its kind in Canada, is part of its plan to dismantle racism against blacks after years of complaints from staff, students and families. It reached a tipping point last year when the board said in its annual report that it had a “serious racism problem” and that racism against blacks far surpassed all other hate incidents. Murray says the ultimate goal is to educate staff and students about racism against blacks, to help identify black students, and to give them the tools to advocate for themselves when racism occurs. so that “they know how to participate and respond.”
“A sense of relief”
Angelika Bell, a ninth-grader at a North York school, says she spends three to four hours a week on the center’s summer leadership program and the black girls’ book club for high school and high school dancing. The 15-year-old says that planning gives her the opportunity to learn new things and helps her fight against the stereotypes that are often addressed to black youth. “My reaction to seeing the Center for Excellence in Black Student Achievement was a sense of relief,” he said. TDSB student Angelika Bell says the Center for Excellence in Black Student Achievement is a good initiative for black youth. He will speak at the center’s physical revelation on June 13, 2022. (Submitted by Angelika Bell) “Having all these materials and events all in one place, easily accessible to black students really influenced me and really motivated me to apply to as many as I could.” He hopes that now that there is personal planning, all black young people at TDSB will still be able to participate in the center’s activities, no matter where they live.
The long-term impact has not yet been seen
Proponents say that while supporting the center, its true impact has not yet been seen. Debbie King is the co-chair of the Black Student Success Committee, a group representing parents interested in the well-being of black students in Parkdale schools. He says it ‘s nice to see anti – racism awareness, education and resources move away from conceptual discussions to something more “specific”. However, the team says the key to making lasting positive changes is how much funding the center receives and where resources are used. Debbie King, a member of the Black Student Success Committee, played a key role in raising awareness in 2020 about an anonymous letter threatening to “dismiss” a TDSB school in Black Teachers’ Parkdale. (Lorenda Reddekopp / CBC) CBC News asked the board how much it spends on the establishment and operation of the center, but has not yet received an answer. “I’m also interested in ensuring that it is maintained in a healthy way so that it can continue to grow so it can grow,” King said. The board says the doors will open for the unveiling on Monday at 5:30 p.m., with the live stream starting at 6 p.m. The festivities begin at 6 p.m. and will last until 8 p.m. Murray says more than 200 people have signed up for the web stream, with 100 in-person guests scheduled. Keynote speakers include TSDB leadership and storytellers, along with the revelation of art created specifically for the center. There will also be performances by TDSB students from the Africentric Alternative School, the Coco Collective and Randell Adjei, Ontario’s first award-winning poet, among other artists. For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians – from anti-black racism to success stories in the black community – see Being Black in Canada, a CBC project that Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here. (CBC)
