Along with the reports and headlines’ domination of the marked rise in violence on Montreal streets, comes the tired narrative that combating the problem requires greater funding for police and more law enforcement. Running the gamut from public officials to talking heads, detractors, all have all been too eager to lay the blame on incorrect justification. However, there is a way forward, one that the City of Montreal would be well suited to adapt, given the violence that now plagues the streets. For years, local leaders have implemented community-led strategies aimed at halting violence before it even starts, in addition …

Pervasive in the imagination of most Canadians is the legend of the Underground Railroad, and the image of Canada as a promised land for American slaves. From stories to television vignettes, Canada’s proud heritage as a refuge for fugitive slaves, terminating in the arrival of up to 40,000 fugitives in Canada, is often told. Little is also told or discussed regarding the experiences of these people once they arrived in Canada. The discrimination they faced in their daily lives and their exclusion from social institutions such as churches and schools is in great part ignored or misrepresented. One facet of …

Vaccination is defined as “the act of introducing a vaccine into the body to produce immunity to a specific disease.” And vaccines are products that produce that immunity. Amidst all the clamour and seeming glamour, the name and the fame that accompanied the recent devastating spread of the Coronavirus, it was the lifesaving vaccination that somewhat turned the tide. But the science and practice was unknown in the New World until it was introduced to America by a Black slave named Onesimus (late 1600s to 1700s). His birth name is unknown. His birth name is unknown. What is known is …

In Canada Tim Hortons is ubiquitous. It is roughly three times more numerous than Mc Donald’s with a total of 4,300 branches. And Tim Hortons is watching. According to Statistics Canada six million Canadians out of an adult population of 31 million, use the Tim Hortons app to order their drinks. About 80% of Canadians stop by at least once a month. And believe it or not Tim Hortons is watching. One of those affected by the tracking app was Financial Post’s journalist James McLeod. In a story in 2020 McLeod found the Tim Hortons app had been tracking his …

Parents be wary about the school “label” that says your child is not learning capable. As a retired adherent of the pedagogical profession especially at the secondary school level, I had put to rest some practices that were rife during my active years. However, my recent exposure to classroom teaching and parental involvement jolted me back to a negative entity still existing within the Black community… school-imposed labeling. The practice of labeling in schools– particularly when describing a student’s academic ability, behavior or character– is not new, and is considered innocuous. The label indicates that the child is not learning …

Although I intended this message to be for everyone, it is tailored specifically to suit the Black leaders. On a cautionary note, Black leaders are herein defined as more than just elected officials. Black leadership includes those individuals who hold a position that serves the needs of the Black community be it elected, projected, appointed, pinpointed, business, non-profit, civic, public sector or religious. Why? Simply put, because within the Black community the leadership has the capacity, the resources, the expertise and the ability to develop and organize a plan of action to save our community. The question for everyone then …

Last week Toronto’s Police Chief James Ramer apologized to the public, following revelation of the police’s own analysis, and what has been known to all and sundry from time immemorial—the bias in policing, and disproportionate targeting of people of color. The chief called it a disturbing trend. From a civic stance I dare to digress as the word trend is blatantly inapt, and should be replaced by culture. According to the lexicon “culture” is a word for the way of life of groups of people, meaning the manner in which they do things. Culture is a reflection of a community, …

With Father’s Day fast approaching, it is important that fathers are once more made aware amidst the challenges and struggles, the importance of a father’s role and the joys of being a father. The importance of a father’s role in shaping his children’s self-esteem is often underestimated .The raising of children can be very demanding, especially when the father has them early in his life, has not even got his own life in order, and possess limited to no resources. Preaching about not having kids until you are financially stable, or married does not help those who are already in …

America will suffer pain again and again as long as she chooses to willfully ignore the impact of white supremacy and the easy access to arsenals and ammunition. A plethora of reasons and excuses ranging from the vacuously inane to the morbidly insane have been proffered for the school killings that have become an all too common part of the American news cycle. In the wake of the recent school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, President Joe Biden said: “When in God’s name will we do what we all know in our gut needs to be done?” The correct question that …

Mental Health Week recently concluded. What has been done in schools, colleges and universities regarding the mental wellness of students? Canada has recently celebrated Mental Health Week, May 2 – 8. Every year since 1951, the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) has hosted Mental Health Week in the first full week in May, making 2022 the 71st year. It is a Canadian tradition, with communities, schools and workplaces rallying to celebrate, protect and promote mental health. Prior to the onset of the pandemic in 2020, suicide was the leading cause of death among students between 15 – 20 years of …