"Armstrong, who was named to the Order of Canada in 1994, is considered a pivotal figure in the campaign for the nation’s first anti-discrimination laws. He was 92.
“Bromley Armstrong’s work was trail-blazing and courageous, and the legacy he leaves in Ontario and across our country is exceptional,” Prime Minister Trudeau wrote in a tweet on Thursday."
Bromley Armstrong - a trade unionist and community organizer whose activism paved the way for anti-discrimination legislation and police reform in Ontario - has died. Herman Stewart, former president of the Jamaican Canadian Association, says children should learn about his friend's legacy in school.
“The planning of this event, which was due to fall on the first anniversary of the racist, neo-Nazi gathering in Charlottesville, U.S., gave us all a disturbing insight into what can happen when ignorance, racism and Islamophobia join together with the intention of dividing our communities. It is critical that we do not become complacent in our rejection of racism and other forms of hate,” said Nigel Barriffe, president of the Urban Alliance on Race Relations.
Go into conversations about race with the awareness that the topic is a delicate one. When in doubt, connect with organizations, community groups and activists who are accustomed to answering questions and have expertise in education. Some suggestions: Toronto for All, Urban Alliance on Race Relations, activists like Desmond Cole or Roopa Cheema, and writers like Alicia Elliott and Chelsea Vowel.
After leaving politics she served with many organizations, including the Urban Alliance on Race Relations, Canadian Alliance of Black Educators, the Toronto Child Abuse Centre, the YWCA and Harbourfront Centre. And she co-founded Tiger Lily, the first magazine in the province that gave women of colour a voice.
Currently, Morrison is on the board of the Urban Alliance on Race Relations and volunteers on the Regent Park Neighbourhood Association’s Advocacy and Communications Committees.
Wynne’s comments came as the Urban Alliance on Race Relations added its voice to calls from the Liberals, New Democrats and some Muslim groups for Allen to be barred from the April 21 nomination race because of posts comparing Muslim women in burkas to “bank robbers” and “ninjas” and questioning gay marriage, which is legal in Ontario.
“When children are exposed to violence in the community, it comes with them into the classroom,” says TDSB teacher and Urban Alliance on Race Relations president Nigel Barriffe. “I do believe in adopting more of a health lens versus the punitive approach. Right now, it’s more reactive and the first person called is the police.”
Barriffe adds, “If we actually had teams of school-based, health-care providers that build relationships and understand the issues that are going on in the community, we could provide pro-active and preventative care.”
Nigel Barriffe, president of the Urban Alliance on Race Relations, said he’s “very disappointed” by the recommendation. He believes that making Tasers available to more police officers increases the likelihood of its use when they come into contact with someone in distress.
“The idea of purchasing more weapons for front-line police officers does not give me faith that it will keep all of the members of society safe,” he said.
The province will spend $784 million this year to build or renovate 79 schools. It’s a big number but Urban Alliance on Race Relations president Nigel Barriffe, who is also a Toronto District School Board (TDSB) elementary school teacher, is looking beyond it. In fact, he calls it woefully inadequate when compared to the actual needs of youth in schools. Investing in education, particularly for the city’s most vulnerable students, requires a holistic approach that understands that the barriers Black youth face might manifest as problems in the classroom but largely start with systemic issues outside of it.
