June Girvan

June Girvan has devoted her adult life to nurturing, protecting, affirming and giving voice to children and young people. After her retirement, she established the J’Nikira Dinqinesh Education Centre (JDEC), named for her children, in Ottawa, Ontario. The JDEC commemorates pioneers who championed anti-slavery, human rights and social justice in Canada, and bequeathed to us, our North Star legacy. The JDEC’s community is based on honouring and celebrating the moral compass of fellow Canadians for their efforts as Keepers of our North Star Legacy, and passing it on to new generations.

Kamala-Jean whose ancestors moved from India to Jamaica, was born in Jamaica and moved to Canada in 1963, after spending fifteen months in New York attending business.  While spending her formative years at a Quaker boarding school and an Anglican girl’s high school in Jamaica, she learned that equity and justice could be used as avenues to overcome discrimination and racism.   She holds a Bachelor of Arts (1975) and a Master of Education (1990), degrees from the University of Toronto.  She taught in elementary schools and was a teacher, librarian, consultant for equity in the curriculum and university lecturer before retiring in 1998. She is best known for her community activism within Toronto.

She served as President of the Jamaican Canadian Association from 1979 to 1980 and was a member of the Ontario Advisory Council on Multiculturalism and Citizenship from 1980 to 1984.  She later served as Chair of the Urban Alliance on Race Relations and was a founding Director of the Black Business and Professional Association in 1982.  In early 1986 she was appointed to the Ontario Housing Corporation and became Chairperson of the Harry Jerome Scholarship Fund for Black Canadian athletes. Later in the same year, she helped to organize a Toronto dinner for South African anti-apartheid leader Desmond Tutu.

Ms. Gopie served on the Ontario Race Relations and Policing Task Force in 1989. She has received several awards for her community activism, most notably the Order of Ontario in 1996.  She served as a Governor of the University in the 1990s and was appointed to the Federal Immigration and Refugee Board in 1998.  The University of Toronto offers a Kamala-Jean Gopie Award to Undergraduate students that have ‘demonstrated an interest in issues concerning women of Indian descent from or in the Caribbean.

Karine is Canadian born from Haitian parents and graduated from York University in 1990 with a Bachelor’s degree in Women’s Studies. At York University, she was very committed to the cause of Francophone minorities and took the lead to organize the International Women’s Week at the campus, the International Culture Annual Gala Event, and the very first conference on violence against women for francophone immigrant families and in so doing, created a safe environment for women to have exchange on their issues. 

She began her career at the Victim/Witness Assistance Program of the Ministry of the Attorney General, working mainly with immigrant women who were victims of Sexual Assaults and Domestic Abuse. She is proud to have participated in the implementation of the first Special Court to hear cases of abused children, a program that now exists throughout the province. She was the only person in Toronto to offer services in French to the victims and worked on many French trials. It was her first steps through the Canadian Legal System. 

With her ability to manage crisis situations, she also worked as a counsellor at the 1.800 Line for abused children, “Kids Help Phone”. She conducted key interventions, such as suicide prevention for young children and particularly young girls who were otherwise isolated in their community.

Lillie Johnson, Sickle Cell advocate, retired public health nurse and author, is a shining example of service to others and the community at large. Born in 1922 in Jamaica, Lillie learned early the value of education and helping others.  She started off as a teacher, like her parents and taught at the elementary level for seven years but she soon realized that she wanted to pursue nursing. She had the opportunity to go to Edinburgh, Scotland, where she spent three and a half years to acquire a nursing diploma. She said she was the only Black student in the program. After obtaining her diploma, Lillie went to the Hospital associated with Oxford University to become a midwife. She then returned to Jamaica, and took a number of courses at the University of the West Indies.  She later left Jamaica and went to New Jersey, where she worked at Beth Israel Hospital for two years. She subsequently migrated to Canada in 1960, where she secured a full time job in Ontario’s health care sector while furthering her nursing education. It was during these years she became aware of the negative health and social impact of Sickle Cell disease and she made it her life’s mission to raise awareness and build community support for affected individuals and their families. 

There is no surprise that Madeline is still in the Health Services field.  One could say she is a Health Services Professional Extraordinaire because of all the areas she has covered and the number of years she has spent in the field. She left Jamaica at age 16 for the United Kingdom and eventually pursued studies in Nursing, where she became a Registered Nurse. After five years as a State Registered Nurse and Midwife in England and Scotland, the healthcare practitioner packed her bags in 1965 and headed to Canada. She said, “Meeting people from all parts of the world in the five years in Europe piqued my interest and I decided I wanted to travel and see the world. One of my pals moved to Toronto and invited me to come here first and spend some time with her”.  While vacationing in the city, she met someone, fell in love and got married a few months later.  After being in the Nursing field for a while, she decided to expand her education by studying Teaching Techniques and then followed that by acquiring a Degree in Sociology from York University.  She still had a thirst for broadening her knowledge, so she pursued a Management Certificate in Business and also another in Dispute Resolution.

My greatest accomplishment is being able to impact the lives of others in a positive and meaningful way. I rose from poverty to educate myself and obtained a law degree, which allowed me the opportunity to engage in the community and to impact the lives of many. My extensive community involvement paved the way for my ascension into the political realm as a Liberal elected member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, a position in which I was able not only to impact the lives of my constituents, but also Ontario’s approximately 13 million people as the Minister of Health Promotion and Sports. This subsequently led to my re-election as MPP for Scarborough-Guildwood, making history as the first African-Canadian woman to be re-elected to the Ontario Legislature, blazing a trail for others to follow as a history maker, and continuing my journey in life to touch as many people’s lives as I can in a positive and uplifting way.

Marsha Brown is highly respected in her field, working over 20 years in the non-profit sector. She has committed her expertise, knowledge and resources to supporting marginalized youth and families fleeing violence or at risk of homelessness.  For the last 15 plus years she had a rewarding career at the YWCA Toronto, administering transformative programs to enhance the lives of women and girls.  Ms. Brown attributes the recognition she has garnered in her profession to a holistic approach to service delivery, which encapsulates tackling systemic issues such as racism, barriers to employment and services, and challenging patriarchal attitudes.  Recognized as a social justice advocate, Marsha is frequently sought after by community cohorts to collaborate on projects.  She has partnered with organizations such as Legal Aid Ontario, Toronto Community Housing (TCH) – Community Engagement and Development, United Way Toronto – participating in the Enbridge CN Tower Climb eight times – and YWCA to organize activist, fundraising and service-learning initiatives.

The Honourable Madame Justice Micheline Ava Rawlins was born in Montreal, Quebec in 1951 to Pearl and William Rawlins, both of whom had moved to Canada to attend McGill University.  Her formal early education there culminated in an undergraduate degree at McGill University in 1974. She moved to Windsor, Ontario to attend Law School in 1975, graduating with an LL.B. in 1978 and was called to the bar in 1982.

She worked as a defense counsel and part-time Crown Attorney in the City of Windsor prior to accepting a position, which she held from 1986-1992, as an Assistant Crown Attorney in Chatham, Ontario.  In October 1992, Justice Rawlins was appointed to the Provincial Court of Ontario (now the Ontario Court of Justice) sitting in Windsor, Ontario, as the first Black female Judge in Ontario and the second in Canada.  She also served as the Local Administrative Judge for seven years.

Prior to her appointment, Justice Rawlins served on many Boards and Associations, including the Girl Guide, Boy Scouts, Windsor Media Council, and the Race Relations Committee for the Windsor Board of Education and Christchurch Anglican Church.   She sat on the Board of Governors of the University of Windsor from 1985-87 and again from 1995-2004, was President of the Chatham Youth Soccer Association from 1990-1993, participated as an Assistant Hockey Coach from 1996-98 with the Windsor Minor Hockey Association,  achieving her Trainer Qualifications in 1998, travelled to Ottawa on behalf of the Judiciary, to sit on the Social Context Advisory Committee coordinated by the National Judicial Institute; and served as President of the North American Black Historical Museum (2003-07 and of the Association of Black Judges of Michigan.

Nadine Spencer is the CEO of BrandEQ Group Inc., a global agency specializing in marketing, communications and PR. Nadine has earned a reputation as an experienced professional who accelerates strategic growth and brand visibility for clients. Through her “People Matter” concept, she has expanded market growth and increased revenues for various multinational enterprises by amplifying their messages to a wider audience. 

Nadine has held a variety of senior positions throughout her career. Clients and partnerships include Burberry, Mercedes-Benz, Merchandise Mart, Four Seasons Hotel and Resorts, The World Bank, Ontario Justice Education Network – an initiative by The Law Society of Upper Canada, Jamaica National Building Society, and Holt Renfrew. Celebrity collaborations include Sean “P. Diddy” Combs, Colin Cowie, Art Smith (former chef to Oprah Winfrey), Chef Selwyn Richards, and Padma Lakshmi.

Recent projects include creating Canada’s first world class food event, the Delicious Food Show, securing the Food Network as media sponsor in its first year. She managed all aspects of the show’s production and strategic direction. The show was acquired by conglomerate Informa and is now the Toronto Wine & Food Show.

Nerene Virgin’s decades of work in television have established her as a role model and an inspiration. She is a journalist, performer, educator and presenter.  Nerene is guided by words her mother instilled in her as a child. “You come into this world owning your dignity and decency and you will leave with those traits intact unless you forfeit them along the way”. When few Black women were regularly seen on Canadian television, Nerene splintered barriers, railed against prejudice and stereotypes, plotting a course for others.

As a child, growing up in a white neighbourhood in Toronto, Nerene experienced the isolation and degradation of bigotry. Determined to seek solutions, she became a teacher, lending support and encouragement to children. She’s certified as a teacher of English as a Second Language and Special Education; the Intellectually Gifted, resolute that education is an underpinning of power. In 1980, she accepted a role that proved the most meaningful of her career-“Jodie” on TV, Ontario’s internationally acclaimed educational series, “Today’s Special” – watched by millions across Canada, the United States and globally.  Fans and mainstream through celebrities who watched as parents of children constantly approach Nerene to commend her as a role model and express gratitude for so many cherished memories.  Jodie represented strength, caring and integrity – qualities Nerene values. She is praised for instilling a positive perception of Black women in impressionable youngsters.

Nerene continued to play numerous principal roles in commercials, movies and television. In 1988, an executive producer recognized Nerene’s popularity with families and convinced her to join “Newsday” as Ottawa’s community reporter.  Her family stayed in Hamilton, but insisted she accept the challenge. Ratings tripled when Nerene arrived. Soon CTV-Toronto (CFTO) asked her to relocate and host “Eye On Toronto”. Many saw Nerene’s hiring as a breakthrough for a station lacking on-air diversity.  A boss later told her she was hired because she wasn’t really “Black”. This was repugnant to Nerene but she recognized it as an effort to erode her self-esteem. Two Black female co-workers shared painful stories of discrimination and eventually resigned. Nerene persevered, spurred by her mother’s words ‘Pick yourself up, dust yourself off and get back out there”.

Notisha Massaquoi is originally from Sierra Leone and has been an enthusiastic advocate for advancements in racialized women’s healthcare globally for the past 25 years.  Her early career in social services helped establish several organizations and programs which served the newly emerging African Communities in Canada such as Africans in Partnership Against AIDS, The African Resource and Communications Centre and the women’s counselling program of Harambe Centres Canada.   She is currently the Executive Director of Women’s Health in Women’s Hands Community Health Centre in Toronto Canada – the only Community Health Centre in North America, which provides specialized primary healthcare for racialized women.   She holds a BA in psychology from the University of Western Ontario, an MSW from the University of Toronto and is nearing completion of her Doctoral education in Sociology and Equity studies from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education/University of Toronto.

Her research and numerous publications have focused on women and HIV /AIDS, increased access to primary healthcare for racialized women and health promotion/education strategies for marginalized communities in Canada.  Her academic work has appeared in such journals as Canadian Woman Studies, Wagadu, The International Encyclopedia of the Social and Behavioural Sciences, Canadian Journal of Public Health, Social Science and Medicine; and the Canadian Journal of Infectious Disease and Medical Microbiology.  This work has been influential internationally and has often been used as an advocacy tool to address the intersectional nature of gender and race when looking at health disparities.  In 2001, she co-wrote the background paper on Racism as a Determinant of Health for the United National World Conference on Racism and helped to facilitate the addition of this language in the WCAR Conference Declaration in Durban South Africa.  In 2009, she wrote the background paper on Gender and the Global impact of the Healthcare Provider Shortage and presented at the United Nations Social Development Forum in Geneva, Switzerland. She has been a lecturer for the faculties of social work at Dalhousie University, York University and currently Ryerson University. Her latest book is a co-edited Anthology entitled Theorizing Empowerment: Canadian Perspectives on Black Feminist Thought. 

Patricia Bebia Mawa is the President of Planet Africa Group and is best known as the Host and Producer of the Planet Africa Television show, a weekly series broadcast across Canada on OMNI TV and syndicated to Europe and Africa. She is also the Editorial Director of Planet Africa Magazine, a publication on newsstands in Canada, the United States and in Africa. She serves as Producer of Arise on Vision TV.

Patricia is the Associate Publisher for Diversity magazine, a publication distributed free in the blue boxes across the GTA, as well as Destiny magazine, a Christian lifestyle magazine. In 2008, Silvertrust Communications, a company she co-owns with her husband Moses Mawa, introduced the Discover magazine series, which has since released several editions for many countries including Zambia, Nigeria, Kenya and Zimbabwe.

Patricia was the production coordinator for “Routes of Freedom”, a documentary film produced for the Government of Ontario by Planet Africa Group to commemorate the 200th year of the Abolition of the British Slave trade Act. She is the producer of the biography series; ‘Luminaries” and “Visionaries”. Prior to coming to Canada, Patricia was the Host of “Lunch Date” a daily talk show, and “Thinking About You”, an inspirational call-in show on DBN Television in Lagos, Nigeria. She is also the head of operations for the Planet Africa Awards program, the Leadership and Development Summit and Executive Producer of “Harambee: Pulling Together”, a documentary film on how the African Canadian community in Ottawa created positive change as a result of the Kasonde Tragedy.

Paulette Senior is the CEO of YWCA Canada, the oldest and largest multi-service women’s organization in the country. She is recognized as one of the most respected and vocal women leaders in the country. She has captured significant attention at home and abroad as a leader and advocate for women and girls – resolute to build a safe and just society where women and girls are equal and free from violence, poverty, homelessness; equipped with critical supports to be leaders in their lives and communities. 

Paulette brings a wealth of grassroots experience and sensibility to her role as CEO, spending several years on social and community development work. She has led, managed and operated shelters, employment programs and housing – helping women, children and youth in some of Toronto’s most economically disadvantaged neighbourhoods.

Her history includes Yellow Brick House, YWCA Toronto, Macaulay Child Development Centre, Lawrence Heights Community Health Centre and Central Neighbourhood House. She has held numerous volunteer and leadership roles and is currently Chair of Women’s College Hospital, Canada’s leading academic, ambulatory hospital in women’s health.