2010-2011 Events

DIASPORA VOICES, NEW DIRECTIONS: CARIBBEAN STUDIES STUDENT CONFERENCE

Presented by the Caribbean Studies Student Union

Saturday, March 5, 2011
Multi-Faith Centre, Koffler House, 569 Spadina Avenue
9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

This is student organized Caribbean Studies Conference aimed at bringing together students from the GTA to present and share their academic work. Presentations take on a variety of disciplines and bring together students and community members from a variety of academic and cultural backgrounds to share their academic work.

 


 

LEADERSHIP: WOMEN ACROSS FAITHS SHARE SUCCESSES, CHALLENGES AND STRATEGIES

Co-Sponsors: Status of Women Office, Ecumenical Chaplaincy, Multi-Faith Centre, Anti-Racism & Cultural Diversity Office, Hillel

Monday March 7, 2011
Multi-Faith Centre
5:30 – 8:30 pm

Women are warmly invited to join us at the Leadership: Women Across Faiths Share Successes, Challenges and Strategies dinner on Monday, March 7, 2011 at 5:30- 8:00PM. This is an informal dinner for women students across faith traditions. This is a opportunity to share successes, challenges and strategies as leaders or leaders-to-be in diverse communities. Three panellists will share briefly from their experience: Carla Wittes, program director with the Canadian Centre for Diversity, Lois Wilson, former Canadian Senator, and Inbul Marcovitch, a student.

 


 

FILM SCREENING & DISCUSSION: “SHADEISM”

Sponsors: The Status of Women Office and The Anti-Racism & Cultural Diversity Office

Thursday, March 10, 2011
Multi-Faith Centre
2:30- 5:00 pm

Whiter is beautiful and darker is ugly? Or is it all in the eye of the beholder? What if the beholder is a “shadeist”? The negotiations with our skin tones speak volumes about our standards of beauty, our identities, and our relationships with each other. Add your voice to the critical dialogue about the experience of “shades” and join us for the screening of the made-in-Toronto student documentary, “Shadeism”.

Please RSVP to equity.women@utoronto.caby March 7th

 


 

FILM SCREENING: FREEDOM RIDERS

Written, Directed, and Produced by Stanley Nelson

Thursday, March 10, 2011
Innis Town Hall, 2 Sussex Ave., University of Toronto
7:00 – 9:00 pm

Co-sponsored by Caribbean Studies, New College; Centre for the Study of the United States; Cinema Studies Institute, Innis College; African Studies; Sociology and Equity Studies; Diaspora and Transnational Studies; Department of History; and Canadian Studies, University College, at the University of Toronto.

Powerful and often harrowing, Freedom Riders dramatically captures the journey that changed America forever. In 1961, more than four hundred activists risked their lives by traveling together on buses and trains through the Deep South to end segregation. Filmmaker Stanley Nelson interviews many of the surviving riders whose non-violent beliefs were sorely tested by hostility, mob violence, and virulent racism. This ultimately triumphant story features testimony from the Riders themselves, state and federal government officials, and journalists who witnessed the rides firsthand.

Director Stanley Nelson will be in attendance.

See more information about Marcus Garvey & Freedom Riders.

 


 

FILM SCREENING & DISCUSSION: MARCUS GARVEY: LOOK FOR ME IN THE WHIRLWIND

Friday, March 11, 2011
Sidney Smith Hall, University of Toronto
100 St. George Street, Room 2102
6:00 – 8:00 pm

Directed by Stanley Nelson
Co-sponsored by Caribbean Studies, New College; Centre for the Study of the United States; Cinema Studies Institute, Innis College; African Studies; Sociology and Equity Studies; Diaspora and Transnational Studies; Department of History; and Canadian Studies, University College, at the University of Toronto.

Marcus Garvey: Look for me in the Whirlwind uses a wealth of archival film, photographs, and documents to uncover the story of this Jamaican immigrant, who between 1916 and 1921 built the largest black mass movement in world history. It explores Garvey’s dramatic successes and failures before his fall into obscurity. Among the film’s most powerful sequences are interviews with people who were part of the Garvey movement decades ago. These interviews communicate the appeal of Garvey’s revolutionary ideas to a generation of African Americans, and reveal how he invested hundreds and thousands of black men and women with a newfound sense of pride.

Followed by a Panel Discussion with:
Stanley Nelson, Director
Robert Hill, Professor of History, UCLA and Editor, The Marcus Garvey and UNIA Papers

See more information about Marcus Garvey & Freedom Riders.

 


 

“WHAT‘S RACE GOT TO DO WITH IT?” JUST A JOKE? YOU DECIDE.

Presented by the Anti-Racism & Cultural Diversity Office

March 17th, 2011
Mulifaith Centre, Multi-Purpose Room
3:30 – 5:00 pm

Are jokes always harmless? When does satire cross the line and become hateful? What are the implications of “racebending”? In this next session of our “What‘s Race Got To Do With It?” discussion series, we will continue our discussion of race and creed in popular culture. Our critique will focus on comedic entertainment media that engages with notions of race, creed and diversity. We will discuss the complexities of satire as a mechanism for undermining and excusing racism while questioning what role comedy can play in anti-racist work. Is it satire or racist? You decide.
Discussion includes: Modern Family, The Office, Family Guy, Youtube sensation Reckless Tortuga and many more…

 


 

DECOLONIZING OUR MINDS CONFERENCE 2011: NARRATIVES OF CONSTRUCTED IDENTITIES

Sponsored by: Caribbean Studies Students Union, Equity Studies Students Union, Women and Gender Studies Students Union, Transitional Year Program, the Arts and Science Students Union, New College Principal, Dean’s Initiative Fund.

March 19th, 2011
Multifaith Centre (569 Spadina Avenue), Suite 309
10:00 am – 6:00 pm

Panel 1: Narratives of Queerness in Caribbean Culture(s)

This panel will address the role of colonialism in shaping institutionalized homophobia in the Caribbean as well as within the Caribbean diaspora in Canada.

Panel 2: The Politics of Diaspora in the Canadian Nation-State

This panel will examine the ways in which various diasporic communities are affected differently by system of citizenship in the Canadian nation-state.

Panel 3: The Intersection of Race and Disability in the Education System

This panel will investigate crucial barriers that racialized, disabled students face in public and tertiary-level institutions of education.

Panel 4: The Politics of Sex Work in Canada
This panel will address how racialized female sexuality has been historically and socially constructed as perversion through legacies and realities of capital-driven colonialism and racism of the Canadian nation-state.

 


 

YOU HAVE INFLUENCE: USE IT! INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR THE ELIMINATION OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION

Students, Faculty & Staff are invited to an event being held in recognition of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on March 21. The theme of this year‘s event is “You have influence…use it!
*Please RSVP by March 15*.

March 21st, 2011
East Common Room, Hart House
12:00 – 2:00 pm

Description:
How can you use your influence to eliminate racial discrimination on campus and beyond? Join the conversation and show solidarity with fellow students, staff and faculty as they share how they are making a difference in our community.

Don‘t miss the feature musical performances by critically acclaimed multi-instrumentalist, composer, vocalist, producer and film maker Waleed Abdulhamid Kush and special guest.

Guest Speakers:
Dr. Arnold Itwaru, Dr. Louise Cowin, Simone Seaforth, Avi Shack, Tal Shachar, and Ishraq Alim.

Performers:
Desmond Watt, Desmond Miller, Yusra Khogali and featuring Waleed Abdulhamid Kush

Event sponsors:
The Anti-Racism & Cultural Diversity Office, Hart House, The Multi-Faith Centre, The Centre for Integrative Anti-Racism Studies at OISE, and The Status of Women Office.

 


 

9. CULTURE SHOW: CARIBBEAN RIDDUMS

Presented by the Caribbean Studies Student Union, co-sponsored by the Anti-Racism & Cultural Diversity Office

Friday 25th March, 2011
William Doo Auditorium
7:00 pm

Art exhibits, dancers, spoken word, live musical performances and more! The showcase will celebrate Caribbean talent and highlight Toronto as a hub for the Caribbean Diaspora

 


 

THE FACE OF GENOCIDE: SURVIVOR STORIES

Thursday March 31st, 2011
Robert Gill Theatre, 214 College Street, 3rd Floor
6:00pm – 8:00pm

Presented by the Armenian Students Association, the Anti-Racism & Cultural Diversity Office, Hillel, Students Taking Action Now: Darfur (STAND)

Join us for an inspiring and enlightening evening, as both survivors and survivor descendants from various communities gather to share their personal and poignant narratives of how genocide has impacted their lives. In bearing witness to these diverse accounts, we may acknowledge the shared sense of pain and horror in response to crimes against humanity and feel empowered to act on the promise of “Never again”.

Speakers:
Leo Kabalisa fled Rwanda just before the genocide. Shyrna Gilbert, a Canadian teacher and Jew whose grandparents fled Nazi Germany, helped him get to Canada. But Kabalisa lost close to 100 extended family, including four brothers and his father. Now a teacher for the York Region District School Board, Kabalisa believes that education is key to the prevention of future genocides. Kabalisa and Gilbert have co-founded the Hope for Rwanda’s Children Fund foundation for Rwandan orphans.

Raffi Sarkissian is a Master‘s candidate with York‘s Department of Education. His thesis focuses on the importance of genocide education, a topic he has direct experience with as he teaches the Toronto District School Board‘s Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity course. His most recent speaking engagement was as a panelist during the November 2010 Holocaust and Genocide Education Week in Toronto. He is a second-generation survivor descendent of the Armenian Genocide.

Sally Wasserman During the second world war 1 .5 million Jewish children were murdered by the Nazis. Sally Wasserman is one of the 10% of Jewish children who survived, Sally survived because two very brave and courageous gentiles risked their own lives to hide her, protect and love her. Sally arrived in Canada on February 1947 as a 12 year old war orphan. Her father Izak age 36,her mother Toby age 33 and her 6 year old brother Vovek did not survive the Holocaust; they were murdered in Auschwitz a Nazi death camp located in Poland

Elder Cat Criger is a Cayugan from the Six Nations and a Traditional Teacher. The son of a residential school survivor, Cat has spent the past 20 years counseling Residential School Survivors. He is grateful for the opportunity to share his stories and talk about the impact that genocide has had on him and his community.

Moderator:
Carson Phillips is an Educator with the Sarah and Chaim Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre, UJA Federation of Greater Toronto; he is also a PhD candidate at York University in the Humanities division. In 2005 he graduated from York University with a M.A. in Humanities. His MRP was entitled “The Transmission of Holocaust Narratives Through Stories, Fables, and Tales”. In 2004 and 2006 he received the Berek and Regina Gertner Bursary in Holocaust Studies from the Centre for Jewish Studies at York University. Previous academic pursuits include a graduate diploma in Holocaust and Genocide Education from the University of Toronto. Active in the field of Holocaust Education, Carson has interned at the Auschwitz Jewish Centre in Oswiecim, Poland, and studied at the International School for Holocaust Studies in Jerusalem, Israel, and at the Holocaust Education Foundation Institute of Northwestern University in Evanston, IL.

 


 
Black History Month

BLACK HISTORY MONTH (FEB. 1ST – 28TH)

Tri-campus events for the entire University Community including:

UofT Mississauga

Remembering Roots: Black History Month Opening Ceremonies

February 1
Student Centre presentation room
5 pm – 8 pm

Sponsors: UTMSU, Caribbean Connection, ECASA, and UTM Black History Month Committee, The Anti-Racism & Cultural Diversity Office


Open Mic Night

February 7
Mist Theatre
5 pm – 9 pm

Sponsors: UTMSU, Caribbean Connection, ECASA, and UTM Black History Month Committee


Transition through time

February 8 – 10
Art Gallery Open House
CCIT Atrium
10 am – 4 pm

Sponsors: UTMSU, Caribbean Connection, ECASA, and UTM Black History Month Committee


Love & Jazz

February 14
Blind Duck Pub
7 pm – 10 pm

Formal Charity Dinner – proceeds go to Save the Children

Sponsors: UTMSU, Caribbean Connection, ECASA, UTM Black History Month Committee, The Anti-Racism & Cultural Diversity Office

 


 

 

BLACK HISTORY MONTH (FEB. 1ST – 28TH)

U of T – St. George Campus

28th Educational Display

February 1
Athletic Centre main foyer

Throughout February an educational display will be installed in the Athletic Centre main foyer. This display will highlight significant contributions of members of the Black community to the realms of physical education, sport and health.

Sponsored by: Faculty of Physical Education and Health


Black History Month Opening Ceremonies

February 4
William Doo Auditorium
6 pm- 9 pm

Sponsored by: Black Students Association


Lunch for a CauseFPEH $5 Lunch for a Cause

February 10 
Benson Lounge, Athletic Centre
12 pm – 2 pm

Come and enjoy some great food at a great price! To celebrate Black History Month the Faculty of Physical Education and Health is hosting a fundraiser luncheon. For $5 dollars you can enjoy a plate full of select African and Caribbean dishes. This event is open to University of Toronto students, faculty and staff so we encourage you to bring your friends!

All proceeds will be donated to the University of Toronto Summer Mentorship Program.

Sponsored by: Faculty of Physical Education and Health


Sport for Development and Peace in AfricaPANEL DISCUSSION: Sport for Development and Peace: The Promise and The Risk

February 16
Music Room, Hart House (7 Hart House Circle)
6:00 pm – 7:30 pm

In the last 20 years the number of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO‘s) working in low-income countries, many in Africa, has grown significantly. A number of these NGO‘s, which are based in Western countries, use sport and physical activity as a tool for development.

Join us to discuss the complexities of these relationships, the impact of nationality on development efforts, and the role of sport and physical activity.

Panelists
Donald Njelesani – A PhD candidate completing research on the use of Sport and Physical Education in AIDS Prevention by the Zambian Government
Sabrina Razack – Founder, Educators for Social Change
Lyndsay Hayhurst – a PhD candidate, her current research critically examines Girl-focused Global Corporate Social Engagement (GCSE) Programs in Health and Physical Activity

In celebration of Black History Month this event is brought to you by the Physical and Health Education Undergraduate Association at the University of Toronto in partnership with:

The Faculty of Physical Education & Health
Hart House Good Ideas Fund
The Centre for Sport Policy Studies
The Anti-Racism & Cultural Diversity Office
The Black Students Association at U of T

 


 

BLACK HISTORY MONTH (FEB. 1ST – 28TH)

U of T – Scarborough Campus

BLACK HISTORY MONTH SHOWCASE: Dare to Dream!

February 3
Meeting Place
6 pm – 9 pm
Cost: $2 or $4 at the door

COME CELEBRATE A CULTURE AND HISTORY THAT IS NOT ONLY DEFINED BY ITS OBSTACLES BUT ALSO BY ITS TRIUMPHS! Featuring educational presentations and performances by UTSC community members.

Sponsors: Mishihi Caribbean Connections, IMANI: Black Students’ Alliance, African Students’ Association, Nigerian Student Association

WATCH AS WE EDUCATE, INSPIRE, AND CHALLENGE YOU TO DREAM!


Black History Month Food Festival & Forum

February 10
Student Centre
12 pm – 3 pm

Delicious food and stimulating discussion with student leaders
Sponsors: SCSU and the Black History Month Committee


Arts Night Out: Hip Hop 101

February 16
Rex‘s Den
5 pm – 7 pm

Enlightening performances by UTSC students will take you through the history and impact of Hip Hop music.

Sponsors: SCSU BHM committee


CONCERT: Emmanuel Jal

February 17
Rex‘s Den
7 pm – 9 pm

Sudanese musician and former child soldier Emmanuel Jal takes you on a musical journey. Become enlightened and inspired as you take-in the catchy rhythms.

Sponsors: SCSU, Dept. of Student Life & Dept. of African History

 


 

$5 BUCK LUNCH: FOOD, FAITH & CULTURE

February 2, 2011
Hart House
11:45 am – 2 pm

Join the Faith Clubs at U of T as they host the annual Food, Faith, and Culture $5 buck lunch this Wednesday Feb 2 at the Great Hall in Hart House (7 Hart House Circle) from 11:45-2:00pm. Come early for free dessert!

Sponsors: The U of T Multi-Faith Centre, The U of T Anti-Racism & Cultural Diversity Office

 


 

Aboriginal Awareness Week
Aboriginal Awareness WeekVoice and Vision

February 7 – 11, 2011

This week of intensive, provocative programming features workshops, panel discussions, exhibits and social events. There really is something for everyone!


TEACHING WITH ELDER GRAFTON

Grafton AntoneFebruary 7, 2011
10:30
First Nations House (FNH) Lounge
Borden Building North, 563 Spadina Avenue, 3rd floor

Elder Grafton Antone will be giving a teaching in the FNH lounge.

Born and raised in Oneida of the Thames First Nations, Grafton is of the Wolf Clan and speaks his language fluently. Grafton has lived his life maintaining his traditions and enjoys sharing the stories that have been handed down to him as a way of teaching others. Grafton has work at the university as a teacher and Elder for many years, he will share some of his teaching and experiences with students. The talk will be followed by lunch at FNH.

Sponsors: First Nation’s House, Anti-Racism & Cultural Diversity Office

Presented by First Nations House, University of Toronto

 


 

CARIBBEAN STUDIES EVENTS (FEB. 10TH -11TH)

SEMINAR: Resisting Paradise: Tourism, Sexuality, and Culture in the Caribbean
with Dr. Angelique V. Nixon, Women’s Studies Program, University of Connecticut

February 10
Wilson Hall 2006, New College, 20 Willcocks Street
12 pm – 2 pm

Sponsored by: Caribbean Studies Department

FILM SCREENING: 70: Remembering a revolution

February 11 
Earth Sciences Centre, 5 Bancroft Avenue and 33 Willcocks Street
6:30 p.m.

How did a handful of students change the course of history in Trinidad & Tobago?

A Documentary Film, Directed by Alex de Verteuil and Elizabeth Topp. Produced by Stephen Cadiz. Edited by Luke Paddington.

Sponsored by: Caribbean Studies Department

Filmmaker Elizabeth Topp will be in attendance.

Visit the “70: Remembering a Revolution” website for more information.

 


 

Race in Media and Higher EducationTOWN HALL ON RACE IN MEDIA AND HIGHER EDUCATION

Feb. 15th, 2011
OISE/UT Library, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education
252 Bloor Street West (St. George subway station) 6:30 to 9 pm

For the past five years, various racialised communities have felt the brunt of what they deem as distorted and harmful depictions by media outlets and in higher education settings. Asian Canadians believe that the Maclean‘s ‘Too Asian?‘ article and the Toronto Star‘s article on ‘Asian Students Suffering for Success,‘ both published in November 2010, worked to racially profile and stereotype Asian Canadians as perpetual foreigners in this country. Black Canadians construe the blackface ‘costume‘ at the University of Toronto in October 2009 as part of a long history of blackface performance and minstrelsy in demeaning black people and caricaturing black cultures. The Muslim community feels targeted by discriminatory journalism that promotes Islamophobia and fear of Muslims, as evidenced, for instance, by Maclean‘s articles published from 2005 to 2007.

How do Canadian media and higher education institutions address issues of race and racism? What are the benefits and limitations of their approaches? How can issues of race and racism be addressed differently by media and higher education?

Panelists:
Senator Vivienne Poy, UofT Chancellor Emerita

Haroon Siddiqui – Editorial Page Editor Emeritus, The Toronto Star

Rinaldo Walcott, UofT professor of Sociology and Equity Studies in Education

Danielle Sandhu, UofT Student Union Vice President Equity

EVENT SPONSORS:

  • Ontario Institute for Studies in Education
    • Centre for Integrative Anti-Racism Studies
    • Department of Sociology and Equity Studies in Education
  • Asian Institute
    Canadian Studies Program
    The Anti-Racism & Cultural Diversity Office
    University of Toronto Students‘ Union

 

 


 

What's Race Got to do With It?WHAT’S RACE GOT TO DO WITH IT?

What do Resident Evil, Sex and the City 2, Family Guy and Russell Peters have in common? These pop-cultural phenomena engage either directly or indirectly with notions of diversity, race and creed. Is this empowering? Degrading? Irrelevant? How might these representations affect perceptions of race and racialized communities?

3:30 pm Thurs. January 27th, 2011
Main Activity Hall, 2nd Floor
U of T Multi-Faith Centre
569 Spadina Ave

 


 

“THE WWII HOLOCAUST: NOW WHAT?”
5:30PM, NOVEMBER 3, 2010, MULTI-FAITH CENTRE

In conjunction with the city-wide “Holocaust Education Week”, join young adults to explore the question: what are the implications of the Holocaust for the 21st century? Participants of the student/survivor March of Remembrance and Hope to the concentration camps of Eastern Europe share their experiences through story and film, including Riva Finkelstein‘s Healing Voices.

This is a FREE event. All are welcome. Light refreshments will be served.

For more information:

We look forward to seeing you there!

 


 

The Power of Forgiveness

THE POWER OF FORGIVENESS

Thursday, October 21, 2010
6:30 p.m.
East Common Room, Hart House

 


 

HUMAN RIGHTS 101 E-LEARNING PROGRAM LAUNCH

The Anti-Racism & Cultural Diversity Office is pleased to attend, as an honoured guest, the launching of Human Rights 101 e-Learning program. This is the first of a series of eLearning modules. It offers the Ontario Human Rights Commission a new tool for engaging and empowering Canadians by enhancing their knowledge of human rights. Human Rights 101 also represents an opportunity to provide leadership in human rights e-learning and e-training, and a new media solution for sending the human rights message to a large number of users. It connects Canadian human rights agencies, stakeholders and the public to human rights history, principles, legislation and policies.

Event Details:

Place: University of Toronto Scarborough, Boardroom AA160
Date: June 8, 2010
Time: 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 noon
Web-cast: 10:45 a.m. – 11:05 a.m. Speakers
11:05 a.m. – 11:10 a.m. Video introducing Human Rights 101

Speakers: Barbara Hall, Chief Commissioner, Ontario Human Rights Commission, Rick Halpern, Dean of Social Sciences and Vice-Principal (Academic), University of Toronto at Scarborough, Leslie Chan, New Media Studies Program, University of Toronto at Scarborough, Shaheen Azmi, Director, Ontario Human Rights Commission, and Dora Nipp, Human Rights Education Specialist and Richard Fouchaux, Electronic Education Specialist, of the Ontario Human Rights Commission.

For more information, or, to partake in the program, please visit the Human Rights 101 site at: http://www.ohrc.on.ca/hr101/