Three Black Ontarians involved in the education sector discussed anti-Black racism during the second of a four-part Critical Conversation Series hosted by Niagara University in Ontario. The session was presented on July 14 via Zoom.
Moderated by Dr. Patricia Briscoe, associate professor in the College of Education’s leadership department, panelists Dr. Kimberley Tavares, Eleanor McIntosh, and Jody-Ann Robinson shared their experiences of being silenced, the actions they have taken, and their suggestions for creating more equitable spaces.
Dr. Tavares is a secondary school administrator, currently second to the Education Equity Secretariat in the Ontario Ministry of Education. Much of her work as an education officer sits at the intersections of developing curricula that affirm Black student identities and identifying and addressing systemic anti-Black racism. Dr. Tavares also teaches courses on equity, diversity, inclusion, and community interrelationships in Niagara University’s B.Ed. and M.S.Ed. programs.
McIntosh is a secondary school principal with the Durham District School Board. A 2017 graduate of Niagara’s M.S.Ed. program, she has been an administrator for 13 years.
Robinson is a storyteller and a grade 2 teacher in Poplar Hill, First Nations. As a new teacher, she believes her purpose in life is to live with integrity and to make a difference in the lives of students. She is a 2019 alumni of the NU BPS Ontario program and is currently completing her M.S.Ed.
Future conversations in the series include LGBTQ2+ on Wednesday, July 28, and Minoritized Parents in Education on Wednesday, Aug. 11. All take place from 3:30-4:45 p.m.