TDSB launches new centre to combat 'deeply entrenched' anti-Black racism
The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) is celebrating the launch of the “Centre of Excellence for Black Student Achievement,” an initiative it calls the first of its kind in public education in Canada.
“It has a variety of ways in which we’ll be engaging — anything from student well-being connected to family, advocacy for parents,” said Karen Murray, the Centrally Assigned Principal of the centre.
The centre will work to make Black students feel a sense of belonging and give them the proper tools for success. It will soon be located at Winston Churchill Collegiate Institute once the building is ready.
Murray says the launch is exciting, because a centre like this has been called on by the community for years. She says it’s needed to help close the education gap that exists.
The TDSB has released extensive data over the years admitting anti-Black racism is deeply entrenched in its schools and in institutions across Canada.
The centre will be supported by at least 20 new staff positions, including a social worker, counsellors and graduation coaches.
Jordin Oppong, 14, was connected to the program earlier this year, before the centre’s official launch.
The Grade 8 student grew up in the Jane and Finch area. She likes her neighbourhood, but feels her community is stigmatized.
She said there is a stereotype that Black people don’t excel “when they come from here, places like here.”
The centre‘s mandate is to help all students succeed.
“It’s [about] how they feel,” Murray said.
“We want to make sure in every school in this board Black students feel like they belong,” she added.
The centre will work to improve graduation rates, encourage higher education, and improve the class curriculum to reflect the lived experiences of Black communities.
Oppong has dreams of being on the big screen one day.
“I’d like to be in TV shows,” she said. “And go on to movies, that’d be really exciting.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
More than half the Canadians once detained in Syrian camps for suspected ISIS family members have returned home
A total of 29 Canadians have been freed from detention camps in northeast Syria and brought back to Canada since human rights advocates began lobbying for their release years ago.
Rare severe solar storm Friday could bring spectacular aurora light show across Canada
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.
Amish youth experience a rite of passage called Rumspringa. It’s not what you might think
The idea of “Rumspringa” has a specific spot in the American imagination. A rite of passage for young people in some Amish communities, Rumspringa is seen by most outsiders as a wild time away from strict Amish rules, when teenagers can experiment with the modern vices of the world.
Djokovic needs medical attention after getting knocked on the head by a water bottle at Italian Open
Novak Djokovic needed medical attention after apparently getting knocked on the head by a water bottle after a win at the Italian Open on Friday.