Hon. Dr. Alvin Curling Black Trailblazers Fireside Chat
- Date
- February 28, 2024
- Time
- 6:30 PM EST - 9:30 PM EST
- Location
- TRSM Commons - TRS 1-148, 7th Floor, Ted Rogers School of Management, 55 Dundas Street West, Toronto
- Open To
- Public
- Contact
- TRSM Anti-black Racism Awareness Committee
(external link, opens in new window)
Join us for the first annual Dr. Alvin Curling Black Trailblazers Fireside Chat Series where a distinguished panel of experts will share their insights, experiences and strategies for combating anti-Black racism. We will also have guest presentations by renowned authors and speakers.
Guest presentations
There will be a guest presentation by renowned author and speaker, Nadine Williams. Williams, known as the resident poet for the Caribbean Consular Corps, has graced stages worldwide and has had the privilege of opening for notable figures such as former First Lady Michelle Obama, Canada's former Governor General Michaëlle Jean, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller of Jamaica.
Panelists
Hon. Dr. Alvin Curling
Former Politician and Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Dr. Alvin Curling was first elected to the Ontario legislature on May 2, 1985, representing the riding of Scarborough North. In winning this election, Curling amassed the highest vote total in Canadian history. He was elected Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario on November 19, 2003, and became the first black person to do so. In 2005, he was appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Canada to the Dominican Republic where he served for two years.
Dr. Gervan Fearon
Order of Ontario Appointee; President, George Brown College
Dr. Gervan Fearon became President of George Brown College in August 2021. He previously served as the President and Vice-Chancellor at Brock University and at Brandon University, and Dean of the G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education at Toronto Metropolitan University. His career also included serving as the Executive Assistant to the Deputy Minister at the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and a Senior Analyst at the Treasury Board, Ontario Ministry of Finance.
Velma Morgan
Chair of Operation Black Vote Canada; Architect of The Black Women's Political Summit
Velma Morgan is an educator and advocate for gender and cultural representation in government and public policy. While in government, she ensured that the voices of marginalized communities were reflected in government’s policies and communications. As Chair of Operation Black Vote Canada, Morgan is the architect of the first ever Black Community provincial leaders debate, Black Women’s Political Summit and Next Generation Political Summit.
Dr. Wayne Purboo
Co-Founder, Onyx Initiative
Wayne Purboo has 25+ years of experience as a serial entrepreneur in the media and telecom industries. He has a range of expertise in software development, systems engineering, sales, product, finance and management. He played significant roles in the creation of over $2B CDN in value across three startups and has acquired extensive experience in growing all aspects of technology companies.
Moderator
Dr. Carlyle Farrell
Associate Professor, Global Management Studies; Co-Chair of the Anti-Black Racism Awareness Committee at Ted Rogers School of Management, Toronto Metropolitan University
Co-host
Celestine Saddler
Black Student Recruitment, Retention & Community Outreach; IWAA International Women Achievers, Youth Leadership Award; CIBWE: Top 100 Black Women to Watch in Canada; Co-Chair of the Anti-Black Racism Awareness Committee at Ted Rogers School of Management, Toronto Metropolitan University