On the Cover:

(From left to right) Sister Thea BowmanCharles RoachRosemary BrownPortia WhiteRosa ParksMary Ann ShadAlbert JacksonElijah McCoyMaya AngelouFr Augustine ToltonNelson MandelaPierre TousaintSister Antona Ebo SelmaRosemary SadlierViola DesmondAngela Davis

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About the Conference

Each February, the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board organizes Black Futures Symposium as a forum for all students to learn, celebrate and embrace the past, present and future contributions of Black communities in Canada.

This years Black Futures Symposium theme is “Igniting Hope in our Past, Present, and Future”, inspired by the 2020 Catholic Education Week theme “Igniting Hope”. The symposium seeks to call all people, especially our students, to be united in a mission of compassion and love for one another. Through this theme, our hope is that all our students will have an opportunity to gather in Christ’s presence in an atmosphere of trust and equality, to share and learn from the lived experiences of Black Canadians.The symposium is designed to commemorate the values of racial, social and economic justice and harmony encompassed by the mission of Christ and envisioned by our Holy Father Pope Francis. Through a keynote presentation and panel discussion, this conference serves to inform and empower all participants. By learning about and celebrating the contributions of Black Canadians, we hope to inspire students and staff to continue to develop their diverse gifts and talents to share with the global community.

In this package you will find the following items:

Welcome Letter Speaker Profiles

Agenda Media Consent Forms

Registration Form

Each school is asked to register 18 students. There is no cost to the school for the conference. Lunch will be provided. Coverage for 1 Teacher will be provided, please use CODE 59. Transportation is the responsibility of the school. In order to complete your registration, please:

Complete and submit the enclosed registration forms online at: https://forms.gle/z1yMJ7dweChXgBXL8no later than February 14th.

The Media Consent Form, which must be completed by each student, is attached to this e-mail. Please keep the forms at your school for your records.

Students must be in FULL UNIFORM and supervisors must accompany students throughout the entire day.

Should you have any questions or concerns please contact: Michelle Coutinho at michelle.coutinho@dpscdsb.org 905-890-0708 ext. 24405 (or) Joanna Newton at joanna.newton@dpcdsb.org ext. 24570

Thank you in advance for your participation, Michelle Coutinho – Principal of Equity and Inclusive EducationJoanna Newton – Religious Education & Faith Formation Consultant with a Focus on Equity & Inclusive Education

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Registration 8:30 am – 9:00 amWelcome / Land Acknowledgement / Prayer / Opening Remarks 9:00 am – 9:30 amKeynote Speaker – Father Tony Ricard & Students from St. Augustine High School in New Orleans 9:30 am – 11:30 amLunch 11:30 am – 12:15 pmStudent Voice + Panel Discussion 12:15 pm – 1:45 pm

Tuesday, February 25th, 2020

Pearson Convention Centre 2638 Steeles Ave E, Brampton, ON L6T 4L7

Agenda

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Father Tony Ricard

Keynote Speaker

We Have a Dream! Unity in a Diverse Community

On August 28, 1963, Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., delivered his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech to 250,000 who gathered in Washington, DC, USA. In his speech, Dr. King dreamed about the day when his “four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” Although much of Dr. King’s dream has indeed become a reality, there is still more work to be done.

In this awe-inspiring presentation, Fr. R. Tony Ricard and his students from St. Augustine High School in New Orleans, Louisiana, will explore Dr. King’s Dream and the modern dreams of our community. The presentation will be a mixture of humorous stories, spirit-filled songs and powerful testimonies. From the dreams of success to the fears of this modern world, they will touch on all the major topics that are affecting our world. No topic will be off-limits!

Fr. R. Tony Ricard is a Priest of the Archdiocese of New Orleans. He serves as the Pastor of St. Gabriel the Archangel Parish and as the full-time Campus Minister at St. Augustine High School. The three young men that are traveling with him are all published authors and have become renown speakers on issues that affect the world of teenagers. Their book, “Dreams I’ve Never ahd! Justice Denied/Justice Supplied” has been read in more than 10 different countries.These awesome young men have already wowed crowds in Los Angeles, New Orleans, Washington, DC, and Kauai, Hawaii. They are excited that they can now bring their gifts north of the border.

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About the PanelBlack Futures Symposium 2020: A Panel Discussion

Race, Black Identity and Black Consciousness: these words have been used interchangeably for years as they relate to “living the Black experience”. But what is the Black experience? Is it one size fits all? To answer these questions we are called to explore the lived experiences of individuals within the Black community. This will be the focus of a panel discussion with some of the GTA’s youthfully relevant artists, educators, thinkers and cultural figures who contribute to the vibrancy of the Black community in Canada. The panelists will share their insights on the realities of anti-Black racism, Black identity and its intersections, education, politics, Black repre-sentation in media and other timely topics. Panelists will share their personal stories to examine the narrative of Black experiences in Canada and the wider world. The panel will be interactive and students will have an oppor-tunity to engage in dynamic real-time discussions with panelists.

Panel Discussion

Eden Hagos Founder of Black Foodie | Food, Travel, Culture

Eden Hagos is a celebrated host, food writer, and founder of the media and events company, Black Foodie. She’s an Ethiopian Canadian with a passion for African and Caribbean cuisine and hosts unique food events throughout Toronto. Her work and notable mentions have been featured in: Chatelaine, Essence, Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, and CBC to name a few.

Panel Discussion Speakers

Zalika Reid-Benta

ZALIKA REID-BENTA is a Toronto-based writer whose debut short story collection FRYING PLANTAIN was longlisted for the 2019 Scotiabank Giller Prize. FRYING PLANTAIN has been on numerous “must read” lists from Bustle, Refinery29, Chatelaine Magazine, Toronto Star, Globe and Mail and more. It was also listed as one of Indigo’s 50 “Best Books of 2019”. Zalika was the June 2019 Writer in Residence for Open Book and she was listed in CBC’s “6 Canadian Writers to Watch in 2019”. She received an MFA in fiction from Columbia University, was the 2019 John Gardner Fiction Fellow at the Breadloaf Writers’ Conference and is an alumnus of the 2017 Banff Writers’ Studio. She is currently working on a young-adult fantasy novel drawing inspiration from Jamaican folklore.

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Lydia-Joi MarshallVice president of the Black Health Alliance

Lydia-Joi is the current vice president of the Black Health Alliance, a non-profit group working tirelessly to eradicate health disparities in the diverse Canadian Black populations.

Academically, she lends her expertise from her BSc. in Biology from Western University and her MSc. in Human Genetics from the historic Howard University in Washington, D.C where she continued to advocate for equity both in scientific research and social justice.

Lydia-Joi currently works for the Trillium gift of Life Network championing organ and tissue donations and facilitating recoveries across the province. She also serves as a medical adviser in creating educational and supportive tools for both caregivers and most recently diagnosed cancer patients.

She continues her promotion of total health and personal empowerment as an ambassador namely for the Toronto based wellness company Avazera and as a community volunteer for the Canadian Blood Services One Match program.

Lydia-Joi is a regular contributor to the progressive magazine and movement called FemEvolve, which seeks to bridge the gap between scientific knowledge and accessible healthcare.

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Additional Conference Supports

DJ O-nonymous, is a full time DJ, djing over 200 gigs a year and staying relevant withhis own “iamdjo” app. DJ O also stays busy throughout the week as a Music Director atToronto’s main source for urban alternative music VIBE105 FM. This is also home to hisweekly appearance on the morning drive time slot Vibe Over Breakfast and late nightslow jam show Nice & Slow.

Keeping his dream career in line with his personal belief that ‘the youth are the worldsgreatest natural resource’ He also directs his energy in the flightunit.com social enter-prise; where he helps to facilitate success workshops, forums & radio shows for variousschools across Ontario.

Grind. Hustle. Succeed.iamdjo.com

DJ O-NONYMOUS

Matthew-Ray Jones also known, as ‘Testament’ is a connoisseur of anything andeverything involving words. From poetry, spoken word and emceeing to facilitating,hosting and keynoting, Testament has been using his natural speaking abilities toinspire audiences for over 15 years.

Testament has performed and taught coast to coast nationally in Nova Scotia,Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Ontario, Quebec, Alberta, Nunavut, Nunivakand British Colombia. He has performed internationally in Venezuela and Italy, andhas travelled to 6 continents globally.He has recorded 3 albums to date and shared stages with the likes of: Talib Kweli,Naughty by Nature, Biz Markie, GZA, Kardinal Official, Saukrates, Rich Kidd, DamFunk and more.

He has appeared on Breakfast Television, CP24, Much Music, MTV and Rogerscable. He has been written about in Exclaim and Eye Weekly magazines plus numerous national and local newspapers. In addition Testament has done various radio station appearances and interviews.

A father, an artist, entrepreneur and revolutionary, Testament uses his passion forwords, art and life to motivate, inspire and lead. He trusts in the values of peace,love and unity as his guiding principles as he continues to spread his message allacross the world.

Testament Matthew Jones

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Registration FormDue: Friday, February 14th, 2020

Complete this registration form on https://forms.gle/z1yMJ7dweChXgBXL8

Black Futures Symposium 2020Date: Tuesday February 25th, 2020 (8:30 am – 1:45 pm) Location: Pearson Convention Center – 2638 Steeles Avenue East. Brampton, ON L6T 4L7

School Name

Staff Member Name & Email

Total Number of staff attending

Number of students attending: (Max. 18)

Do you require Parking for student transportation Y/N

Please indicate any accommodations that students or staff members may need on the day of the event. Students’ or Staff name Accommodation request

Please list any dietary restrictions for those students in attendance (on the day of the conference please connect with an organizer):Students’ or Staff name Dietary Restriction

Lunches will be set aside with student names in advance.

Please send this completed form to Joanna Newton at joanna.newton@dpcdsb.org or submit using the google form link above.

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Media Consent Form

School: _________________________ School Year: _________________________

To: Parent(s)/Guardian(s)/Student:

Schools cooperate with the media and other organizations, within reason, to promote the school board, schools, programs and student accomplishments. However, we recognize that there are instances where a parent/guardian may not wish their child photographed or recorded.

On Tuesday February 25th, 2020 representatives from the DPCDSB, TEN81 and Local Media will be in attendance at the DPCDSB Black Futures Symposium at Pearson Convention Centre – 2638 Steeles Ave E, Brampton, ON L6T 4L7, to film/photograph/videotape or make an audio or digital recording of our students. The purpose, use and disclosure of this collection of personal information is to: (be as specific as possible)

Highlight the participation of Dufferin-Peel students as part of the Black History Conference Please be advised that all or portions of the work referred to above will become part of the media organization’s database and may be adapted for other educational or non-educational applications, productions, broadcast, re-broadcast, published, exhibited, reproduced, and/or distributed in various media formats to a number of markets.

To: The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board

I HAVE READ AND UNDERSTAND THE INFORMATION PROVIDED ON THIS FORM. I VOLUNTARILY GIVE THE DUFFERIN-PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD CONSENT TO INCLUDE MY CHILD OR ME IN THE MEDIA COVERAGE AND ITS SUBSEQUENT USE DISCLOSURE AS DESCRIBED ABOVE.

I further understand that this consent is valid for the current school year and may be withdrawn by me at any time, upon written notice. This Consent form meets the requirements of the MunicipalFreedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and the Education Act for the disclosure of personal information.

I CONSENT TO THE ABOVE I DO NOT CONSENT TO THE ABOVE

Name of Student (Please Print) If over 16 years of age, Signature of Student Date

Name of Parent/Guardian (Please Print) Signature of Parent/Guardian Date