February is Black History and Futures Month – an important time to celebrate the transformative work and achievements of Black Canadians while also recognizing their struggles and sacrifices due to systemic discrimination. It is also a time to celebrate Black joy and dream about what the future may hold for Black people and their communities.
This year’s theme is inspired by ‘Unity’ – a painting by up-and-coming Black artist Madison Cook whose work incorporates themes of identity and representation specific to the Black community. Like Madison’s artwork, Women’s College Hospital strives to build a community united in its vision for a healthier, more equitable world. With equity at our core, we endeavour to learn about and share Black histories and activism that are often erased in dominant narratives in order to challenge oppressive power structures that continue to exist today.
Throughout Black History and Futures Month, our Office of Equity has organized several initiatives to showcase the achievements of Black community members both within our organization and beyond, as well as to provide the tools and resources to address anti-Black racism. Today, and every day, we must reaffirm our continual commitment to moving forward, having those difficult conversations and creating positive and lasting change.
Our Black History and Futures Month web hub will be updated regularly – keep up with all our incredible programming through Connect and by visiting often.
Our Next Event:
Best Health for Black Women A virtual conversation about breast cancer and gynecological health. This national, free and virtual event will empower Black women with the awareness, education and resources they need for their health, including breast cancer and gynecological health information. When: Thursday, March 30 from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Where:Click to Register
Upcoming Events
WeeklyAtrium Booth Join us weekly to snag t-shirts, notebooks, pins, informational pamphlets and more! The booth with feature artwork by up-and-coming Black artist, Madison Cook. When: Wednesdays and Thursdays from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. Where: Peter Gilgan Atrium
The limited-edition ‘Unity T-Shirt’ will be available every Wednesday and Thursday from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. in the Peter Gilgan Atrium for $20 (cash only). Proceeds will be donated to a community non-profit.
Black History & Futures Month Launch with Live Steelpan Player Kick off our Black History and Futures Month celebration with our live steelpan player, Steel Drum Hu! When: Wednesday, February 1 from 11:45 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. Where: Peter Gilgan Atrium
Traditional Treats at WCH! Enjoy traditional treats, information sharing and music! When: Wednesday, February 8 from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. Where: Peter Gilgan Atrium
Lunch and Learn: The Black Headache Study – It’s Not Just a Migraine! Join Dr. Suvendrini Lena and expert panelists for a lunch and learn to discuss headaches and their disproportionate effect on Black communities. When: Wednesday, February 15 from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. Watch the video HERE
Traditional Shopping at WCH! Join us for the return of Kwesiya, a Toronto based lifestyle brand renowned for its original use of prints and colours. Back by popular demand, the company’s product portfolio includes high-quality clothing, versatile accessories as well as home décor items. When: Thursday, February 23 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Where: Peter Gilgan Atrium
Take the Unity Pledge: BHFM Finale Event Celebrate with our returning steelpan player Steeldrum Hu, enjoy traditional treats from the African diaspora, and make your pledge to help dismantle anti-Black racism and promote unity, all year long. When: Tuesday, February 28 from 11:45 a.m. to 2 p.m. Where: Peter Gilgan Atrium
Regenerative Medicine and African, Caribbean & Black (ACB) Communities UHN’s African Caribbean Black Regenerative Medicine Project invites researchers, clinicians and students to participate in a series of virtual workshops exploring barriers and opportunities for regenerative medicine in ACB communities. When: Feb 27 (2 p.m. to 6 p.m.), Feb 28 (2 p.m. to 6 p.m.), Mar 2 (9 a.m. to 1 p.m.) Where:Click to Register
Best Health for Black Women A virtual conversation about breast cancer and gynecological health. This national, free and virtual event will empower Black women with the awareness, education and resources they need for their health, including breast cancer and gynecological health information. When: Thursday, March 30 from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Where:Click to Register
Taking Action – Our Journey to Dismantle Anti-Black Racism
Women’s College Hospital is committed to dismantling systemic racism and oppression. On January 23, 2023, we shared a report with an update on our journey to dismantle anti-Black racism (ABR).
The goals of our ABR corporate commitments include:
Improved experience for Black staff, physicians and volunteers
Increased opportunity for engagement in decision making
Evolved partnerships with Black communities and the organizations that serve them
Measuring and working to increase diversity and representation across the organization
African, Black and Caribbean Employee Resource Group (ABC ERG)
In fulfillment of our Anti-Black Racism (ABR) Corporate Commitment to creating psychologically safe spaces through the establishment of engagement processes, the first Employee Resource Group was created through the Corporate Equity Committee in November 2022.
Established for persons who identify as African, Black and Caribbean, the group is intentionally designed to:
Build psychological safety and sense of belonging.
Empower employees and support staff retention
Act as a resource, which can be leveraged by leadership in strategic decision-making
More specially, the ABC ERG Conceptual working group has agreed on a mandate to serve as:
A safe, welcoming and surveillance-free space for all Black staff at WCH
An accountability framework, for our WCH ABR Corporate Commitments, which monitors and addresses concerns of:
How Blackness is perceived and welcomed at the hospital
Persistent systemic issues that exist for Black staff, which impact their tenure at WCH
How our recruitment and promotion policies support members of the Black community
How WCH relationships with our community partners support Black health equity (and it’s intersections)
A forum for education around issues of Black culture and Black Health Equity, including the planning of special events
Name
Designation & Department
Janelle Noel
Service Coordinator, Sexual Assault/Domestic Violence Care Centre; Coordinator, Infant CPR Program
Allan Smart
Addiction Outreach Worker, Substance Use Services / Addictions Medicine
Administrative Patient Flow Supervisor, Toronto Academic Pain Medicine Institute (TAPMI)/Crossroads Refugee Clinic
Angella Lakhan
Surgical Services Secretary
We are Women’s: Black History and Futures Edition Spotlights
This Black History and Futures Month, we are spotlighting and celebrating our Black team and community members from across the organization as part of our We are Women’s series. Stay tuned for updates to this section throughout the month of February!
Suzanne Charles Watson – Director of Anti-Racism, Equity and Social Accountability
Meet Suzanne Charles Watson, WCH’s Director of Anti-Racism, Equity and Social Accountability. For Suzanne, Black History & Futures Month is a time to celebrate Black joy and Black excellence while reflecting on existing pathologies that persist within Black communities. Learn more about Suzanne, including how her heritage has influenced her work in healthcare and who her role models are.
Brittany Ellington – Research Practicum Student, Women’s College Research Institute
Get to know Brittany Ellington, a Research Practicum Student from WCRI. Brittany’s work focuses on sexual and reproductive health, particularly on Black maternal health and reproductive health of racialized communities. The significance of Black History & Futures Month for Brittany is both a time to celebrate the contributions of Black communities while also addressing systemic anti-Black racism. Read more about Brittany and what this month means to her.
Camille Williams – Evaluation Specialist, WCH Institute for Health System Solutions and Virtual Care (WIHV)
Camille Williams is an Evaluation Specialist with Women’s College Hospital Institute for Health System Solutions and Virtual Care (WIHV), and is celebrating Black History & Futures Month by dreaming of a future free from anti-Black racism and full of Black joy. Read more about what this month means to Camille and the role model that reminds her about how she’s moving the needle on health system solutions.
Dr. Cindy Maxwell – Vice President, Medical Affairs & System Transformation and Lead Medical Executive
Get to know Dr. Cindy Maxwell, VP, Medical Affairs & System Transformation and Lead Medical Executive. Read about Cindy’s commitment to health equity at WCH and what Black History & Futures Month means to her.
Leonie Wizzard – Administrative and Patient Flow Supervisor Crossroads Clinic and TAPMI Pain Clinic
Meet Leonie Wizzard, an Administrative & Patient Flow Supervisor in WCH’s Crossroads Clinic and TAPMI Pain Clinic. Looking through a cultural and empathetic lens, Leonie understands the importance of weaving humility and respect for all cultures and ethnicities into healthcare and pulls from her own life experiences to motivate and inspire others. Read more about her vision for the future while reflecting on Black History & Futures Month.
Elaine Goulbourne – Clinical Director, Primary Care and the Peter Gilgan Centre for Women’s Cancers
Elaine Gouldbourne is a Clinical Director, Primary Care and Peter Gilgan Centre for Women’s Cancers, and she understands the importance of equitable access to healthcare for everyone, especially marginalized communities. For Elaine, Black History & Futures Month offers an opportunity for everyone to celebrate the immense contributions and achievements of the Black community across the world, as well as to elevate the need for racial justice. Read more about how Elaine’s heritage has influenced her work in a positive way and her wish for an equitable future.
Sandra Robinson, Clinical Director for Perioperative Services, is taking time during Black History and Futures Month to pause and reflect with the goal of eventually celebrating Black excellence all year long. Sandra shares how her heritage has influenced her to promote a healthcare workforce that is equitable by offering mentorship to those who historically have limited opportunities to shine. Learn more about Sandra’s aspiration to create diversified healthcare systems to better serve marginalized communities.
Deryck Dyal – Manager of Operations, Environmental Science at WCH.
Get to know Deryck Dyal, the Manager of Operations, Environmental Science at WCH. Being from a Black and mixed background, Deryck knows that marginalized communities are easily left behind in healthcare and understands that solutions need to be found to address representation within the healthcare community. Find out more about Deryck’s background and his dreams for Black History and Futures Month.
Rhonelle Bruder – Ph.D. Research Trainee, Women’s College Research Institute
Meet Rhonelle Bruder, a Ph.D. Research Trainee at WCRI. Born in St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Rhonelle’s global view helped her recognize the need to dismantle anti-Black racism and has devoted her dissertation to exploring how socio-structural inequalities impact the quality of care marginalized communities receive. Read more about Rhonelle and her mentor whose work has greatly impacted WCH’s mission to dismantle anti-Black racism.
Born on the island of Trinidad & Tobago, the land of the steeldrum, Hugh migrated to Canada and pursued his music education by studying at the Royal Conservatory of Music, and later graduated from Humber College’s Music Program. His repertoire not only includes the traditional Harry Belfonte Calypsos and Bob Marley reggae songs but also many Latin, R&B, Gospel and Jazz standards. He has performed extensively throughout Canada and the United States, and now WCH welcomes him as he plays us in to Black History and Futures Month in the Peter Gilgan Atrium on February 1.
Madison Cook is an artist of Grenadian and Trinidadian descent. Painting acts as a vessel in her life, through which she is able to express and come to understand herself, and the self in relation to the social world. Madison’s paintings display Black people separated from the social constructs that sought to limit them. Her work heavily incorporates themes of identity and representation through the use of bold colors in an effort to make visible her brothers and sisters who have otherwise been marked invisible.
Unity
Madison’s painting entitled ‘Unity’ is the primary artwork featured in WCH’s Black History and Futures Month programming. Madison shares the following quote when describing this piece:
‘Unity’ is sisterhood.
This piece is meant to depict the love, warmth and sense of community Black women exude. It is representative of the unity and togetherness embedded and embraced through the bonds we create. ‘Unity’ pays homage to the collective-based socio-cultural structure of Black communities, whilst highlighting the integral role of Black women or sisterhood in unifying Black people.
Kwesiya is a Toronto based lifestyle brand renowned for its original use of prints and colors.
The company’s product portfolio includes high-quality Clothing, versatile Accessories as well as Home Décor items. We specialize in the use of block print textiles, vibrant fabrics characteristic of West Africa, fusing them with textiles from different part of the world, to create pieces that would appeal to consumers globally.
When Kwesiya was founded in 2013, its unparalleled mix of textures, patterns and styles gave it a strong and unique identity.
Kwesiya [kwé-see-ya] which means “Mix It” in a Cameroonian dialect, defines the brand and its essence of inclusion. Our primary mission is to captivate audiences from all cultures, while promoting the use of African fabrics.
From business attire, fresh and casual outfits to special event wear, we create pieces that can be worn by anybody, anywhere, and for any occasion.
Cameroonian born, raised in Paris (France), Fanny Ngantcheu lived in several international cities which allowed her to witness a great variety of cosmopolitan fashion trends. A global fashion experience is one of the essences of the brand.
Fanny works with the most distinct textiles from Cotton, handwoven fabrics, silk, linen, sourced from small artisanal communities around the world; that are then paired with African textiles sources in West Africa. Our Designs are not just a juxtaposition of bold lines, and vibrant colors and textures. It’s a juxtaposition of cultures.
