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Students across the Greater Toronto Area are recognizing inspiring Black professionals in a variety of fields in a new exhibit to mark Black History Month.
The We Are Canada exhibit opened Saturday to celebrate the essays and photos taken by students showcasing leaders of the Black community in different areas of work.
“We Are Canada gives students the opportunity careers, career progression and become inspired by what they see,” said Angela Henry, director of communications for the Lifelong Leadership Institute.
“And also gain the understanding that Black people have been involved in areas of work across many positions in Canada.”
Participating students are part of the leadership by design program, which has been run by the Lifelong Leadership Institute for 10 years, said Henry at the exhibit’s premiere.
She said it was inspiring to see students push their boundaries and do something “that scares them a little.”
At the opening of the We Are Canada exhibit, members of Toronto’s Black community gathered to hear speeches and the goals behind the project. (David Hill/CBC)
Student Bemi Esisi said her takeaways from the project was the importance of good communication and having passion for your work.
“Being Black in Canada, sometimes you don’t see yourself represented. So getting to see what my future could look like is really inspiring,” said Esisi.
“These opportunities are really important for [students.] It allows us to showcase our voice, our place in the world and that we can be more than what people expect from us.”
‘Overjoyed’ to learn from a role model: student
Oakville grade 11 student Michael Aikens said he was eager to find a way to mark Black History Month this year.
He said he was “overjoyed” when he got to be a part of the We Are Canada exhibit and through that met Toronto Symphony Orchestra CEO Mark Williams.
“It was unbelievable, what are the chances,” he told CBC Radio’s Here and Now. “I was so overjoyed that I would finally have something to push for Black History Month.”
Aikens said it was fascinating to learn from Williams that he was the first Black CEO of a major orchestra.
Michael Aikens interviews Toronto Symphony Orchestra CEO Mark Williams for the We Are Canada exhibit. (Submitted by Michael Aikens)
Williams said the interview experience was just as much of “a gift” to him. He said as a person of colour that has “achieved,” there’s a sense of responsibility in giving back to the community any way you can.
“Anything I can do to shine a light on the work that Black Canadians are doing, I’d love to be a part of that,” he told CBC Radio’s Here and Now.
Williams added he was grateful to go from learning about Black history as a youth to now being able to inspire young people in the future.
“During the interview I had this moment, where I realized the roles had shifted and it really made me grateful … to give something,” he said.
Oakville high school student Michael Aikens took portrait photos of Mark Williams for the We Are Canada exhibit for Black History Month. (Submitted by Michael Aikens)
For Aikens, he said he learned from Williams to always try new opportunities and “put yourself out there.”
“Especially as a Black individual, where those are so limited you just need to jump at what comes to you,” he said.
(CBC)
For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.