Three incredible alumni you should know
Three alumni who have dedicated their careers to helping others. Left to right: Jenny Gumbs, Public Administration & Governance ’02; Gregory Regis, Journalism ’77; Warren Salmon, Computer Science ’85.
Every year in February, Black Canadians are honoured and celebrated. This is thanks to the tireless efforts of Dr. Jean Augustine, Toronto Metropolitan University Honorary Doctorate ’19. Dr. Augustine was the first Black woman elected to Parliament and single-handedly championed legislation to have February formally designated as Black History Month in 1995.
In honour of Black History Month this year, we will be spotlighting three alumni who have achieved great success in their professions and, like Dr. Augustine, showed dedication to community development by working with various organizations and initiatives in support of Black and racialized communities.
Jenny Gumbs
Public Administration & Governance ’02
Jenny Gumbs has over 20 years of experience as a Foreign Diplomat. She was first appointed to public service in Grenada in 1980 and served as Executive Officer of the Consulate General of Grenada in Toronto before being appointed to Honorary Consul in 2000 and eventually, Honorary Consul General in 2007. Currently, she works as an Adjudicator with the City of Toronto Administrative Penalty Tribunal. While describing her career, Gumbs says, “I have always been motivated to work collaboratively and respectfully with people from diverse backgrounds to attain outcomes that will positively impact my community and humanity as a whole.”
Gumbs' passion for positively impacting the community also fueled her commitment to volunteering. Over the years, she has worked with various organizations that support the Black community. She is currently on the Community Advisory Committee of the SeroMARK Project, a research study aimed at understanding the extent to which the Black community in Canada has been affected by COVID-19. Additionally, she is a past president of Tropicana Community Services and a Trustee of the National Scholarship Fund of the Black Business and Professional Association.
I have been blessed to have a very strong support network of family and friends for as far back as I can remember. My parents instilled in me the importance of kindness and generosity, and I have benefited from others who have built a foundation for success — on whose shoulders we stand. It is personally gratifying to have access to resources, the ability to make a difference and to use these to have a positive impact in the lives of others.
I can identify a number of challenges faced on my career journey, including juggling competing work priorities and ensuring my family remains at all times my top priority. Still, the most challenging is maintaining a dignified composure when baseless, biased and hurtful criticisms are hurled by individuals with personal agendas. However, it is important to reconcile that with the significant mandate you've undertaken and recognize it is impossible to please and be liked by all of the people all of the time. What is of most significance is how we respond to challenges, sometimes even more so than the challenge itself. Resolve to be dedicated in service — with honesty and integrity.
Black History Month is a salute to our history, resilience and individual/collective accomplishments of our people. While our journeys and achievements are worthy of recognition and celebration year-round, it's a special time to reflect on our growth to date and the many other hurdles that still must be championed in our struggles for equity, fairness and equality.
On our quest for personal and professional success, always serve with compassion. Plan and execute to positively impact, while aiming for sustainable outcomes. Inspire others to be an inspiration.
Gregory Regis
Journalism ’77
The Honourable Justice Gregory Regis has had a long and successful law career. In 1999, Regis was appointed as a judge of the Ontario Court of Justice. Before his judgeship, Regis spent more than a decade as a lawyer, including eight years as an Assistant Crown Attorney and another four as the Executive Director of the Jane and Finch Legal Aid Clinic. In 2007, he became the first non-white and first Saint Lucian-Canadian to serve as a Regional Senior Justice for the Central East Region. He retired in 2014 but continues to serve as a part-time judge.
Before pursuing a law career, Regis was a primary school teacher in St. Lucia and eventually a journalist after graduating from Toronto Metropolitan University's Journalism program in 1977. Regis covered many significant political and legal events throughout his career in Saint Lucia and the rest of the Caribbean before moving to Toronto and working for the CBC as an editor and producer. When describing his career journey, Regis says, “I am lucky because, although there were many barriers along the way, I somehow managed to achieve a measure of success in all those fields.”
My commitment to community development stems from a desire never to let my mother down. It also comes from the belief that one's community is an extension of one's family. Although my mother died ten years ago, I still hear her advice and teachings. From childhood, my mother instilled in my siblings and me that we had a responsibility to help our community members. I appreciated early in life that a healthy community is good for everyone. By the time I graduated from university, I was convinced that a person who is fortunate enough to obtain higher education and training has a duty to put back into the community. The black community faces many disadvantages. It is important that all members of our community do whatever we can to help eliminate obstacles to the success of our community.
The biggest challenge in my career was to overcome stereotypes about Black people held by others. I engaged in deliberate and consistent strategies to debunk those stereotypes. This is very hard work. The biggest lesson I learned is that most problems can be resolved through honest conversations. When people approach an issue with an open mind and a spirit of goodwill, they can usually find a solution. When people interact with each other from a position of fairness and generosity, there is usually a path to walk together.
Black history month is a period for us to learn about and celebrate the achievements of our people and communities. During this month, we can do that in a concentrated, organized and uninterrupted manner. It is time for us to recommit to principles and programs to ensure that our children will have the means to succeed in this society. It is also a time for the wider society to learn about their black neighbours and co-workers. The more we know about each other, the better we understand each other. The result is a better community for all.
I encourage anyone thinking of a career in law to go for it. The legal profession is one of the most valuable professions in a democratic country. The law school program trains one to be logical, think critically and analyze complex issues. These are essential skills for anyone who aspires to be a leader in their community. A legal education prepares one for a career in almost any area in both the public and private sectors. A legal career also provides the opportunity to engage in community service and development.
Warren Salmon
Computer Science ’85
Over 30 years ago, Warren Salmon, Computer Science ’85, founded Black Board International (BBI), an educational publishing company with a special focus on Afrocentric content. Ashaware is a line of educational software developed by BBI which promotes knowledge, understanding and aims to increase motivation, self-esteem, reading and numeracy skills. These programs are used in schools and libraries across North America, the Caribbean and other parts of the world. In 2013, Salmon became the founding chair of the Ontario Alliance of Black School Educators (ONABSE).
In addition to his work in the education sector, Salmon was inspired to launch a monthly networking event for Black entrepreneurs, professionals and community members from the Greater Toronto Area 1994, after attending a similar event in Washington D.C. Warren says he is “driven by my quest to address needs and challenges that have been identified within the community.”
Shortly after graduating from Toronto Metropolitan University, I got the idea to use technology to address concerns related to education, which led to the development of Ashaware. While marketing Ashaware in cities such as Washington D. C. and Chicago, I came across First Fridays, a networking event for Black entrepreneurs, professionals and community members on the first Friday of every month. I joined with a couple of friends, and we started First Fridays in Toronto in 1994 because there was a need for it in the GTA, and we have never missed hosting an event since we started. I became the founding chair of ONABSE in 2013 to support, promote and advocate for the education of all students, African Canadian students in particular.
One of the biggest challenges I’ve faced is connecting with people and institutions who recognize and acknowledge community-related needs and challenges. Unfortunately, it has taken the murder of George Floyd to motivate many people, institutions, governments and corporations to take steps to address the anti-Black racism that is rampant in Canada and countries around the world.
I have mixed feelings about Black History Month. Recognizing and celebrating Black history in February is all well and good, but there is a need to extend it throughout the year to create a balance with “mainstream” history. The recognition and initiatives that I focus on during Black History month are similar in focus to the work that I do every month of any given year. “Negro History Week,” which was created in the U.S. in 1926 by Carter G. Woodson, was the precursor to “Black History Month,” which was first celebrated in 1970. In 1995, Toronto MP Jean Augustine brought a motion in the House of Commons to recognize Black History Month in Canada. I think that it’s time to extend the month to a year-round initiative to help address the systemic anti-Black racism that is prominent in institutions throughout Canada and other parts of the world.
I’d like to quote Nelson Mandela in response to this question: “What counts is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.”