Michaëlle Jean Chair in Canadian Caribbean and African Diasporic Studies

May 2009

The Michaëlle Jean Chair in

CANADIAN CARIBBEAN AND AFRICAN

DIASPORIC STUDIESat the University of Alberta

www.education.ualberta.ca www.arts.ualberta.ca

Faculty of Education student in Ghana

Photo Credits:front cover: Photo credit/Mention de source : MCpl Issa Paré, Rideau Hall © 2006 Office of the Secretary to the Governor General of Canada/ Bureau du secrétaire du gouverneur général du Canada

page 2: Melvin Crump photo: Glenbow Archives : NA-4210-3

Dave Mills photo: Glenbow Archives: NA-769-6

Building the Alaska Highway photo: Yukon Archives, R.G. Gabriel Fonds, 2005/10 #18

Mifflin Gibbs photo: Mifflin Gibbs, c. 1870 (Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture).

Sleeping Car Porters photo: courtesy of the A. Philip Randolf /Pullman Porter Museum.

Group of women: William James / Library and Archives Canada / PA-126710

page 3: Wedding photo: Nova Scotia Archives and Records Management. Joan Payzant. O. Bertram Stubbs. N-9286

page 5: ©2009 University of Alberta



page 8: Baseball team photo: Glenbow Archives: NA-704-5

page 10: Senator Donald Oliver photo: courtesy of the Senate

page 12: Anne Cools photo: courtesy of the Senate

Violet King photo: Glenbow Archives NA-5600-7760a

Portia White photo: Yousuf Karsh, Yousuf Karsh fonds, Library and Archives Canada, 1987-054,#9695

Mary Ann Shadd photo: Library and Archives Canada/ C-029977

Rosemary Brown photo: Barbara Woodley/Labatt Breweries of Canada/ Library and Archives Canada/ PA-186871

Jean Augustine photo: courtesy of Jean Augustine

Harriet Tubman photo: Library of Congress. H.B. Lindsley. LC-USZ62-7816

Univers i ty of Alberta 2

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Melvin Crump,CPR porter andmusician

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U.S. soldiers buildthe Alaska Highway

Black women’s organization, 1917

Miffin Gibbs, Victoria’s first black city councillor

15 Faculty of Educat ion

Community Contact: University of Alberta Contacts:

C O N TA C T S

Fil Fraser, CMCommunity Champion9027 - 145 Street Edmonton, AB T5R 0V1Cell: 780.940.9027Land line: [email protected]

Catherine Szabo, MA Assistant Dean (External Relations)Faculty of Arts6-33 Humanities CentreUniversity of AlbertaEdmonton, AB T6G 2E5Tel: [email protected]

Malinda S. Smith, PhDAssociate ProfessorPolitical Science, Faculty of ArtsTel: [email protected]

Neil Hayes, BSc, CFREDirector of DevelopmentFaculty of Education4-107 Education NorthUniversity of AlbertaEdmonton, AB T6G 2G5Tel: [email protected]

Jennifer Kelly, PhDAssociate ProfessorEducational Policy Studies, Faculty of EducationTel: [email protected]

In order to succeed in reaching this goal, we are asking for the community’s support of this very worthwhile project. Donations can be made online at www.donations.arts.ualberta.ca.

For information on the fundraising initiative:

For more information about the Chair:

3 Faculty of Arts

B A C K G R O U N D

Across Canada, from historic Africville, Nova Scotia, to freed American slave settlements in Salt Spring Islands, British Columbia, to the Black Pioneer farmers of Amber Valley, Alberta – there is much to be discovered.

Within our diasporic community, our strengths are many. We are made up of communities from the Caribbean and African *diasporas, and are shaped by a long, rich history of migration. Some in this diverse, multinational and multilingual community can trace their Canadian roots back several centuries. Many others have migrated from the Caribbean and Africa in the last three decades.

Despite their long-standing presence of rich and varied experiences, these communities’ outstanding achievements in politics,

education, business, arts, sports and culture, remain largely under-researched. The Michaëlle Jean Chair in Canadian Caribbean and African Diasporic Studies will close this knowledge gap and create a new appreciation of the Caribbean and African-Canadian historical and contemporary experiences in Canada.

Endowed chairs are highly honoured academic positions that allow a university to build its intellectual capacity by attracting distinguished faculty, outstanding students and renowned leaders in a given area of study and research.

Our communities have too often borne the brunt of stereotypes. Knowledge is power. Through the guidance and research of the endowed Chair, we will challenge these racial stereotypes and encourage our youth to see a future with wider and brighter opportunities. Let’s embark on a journey of discovery!

Why is a Chair in Canadian Caribbean and African Diasporic Studies important?

*Diaspora refers to any group migration or flight from a country or region.

Wedding in Dartmouth, NS. 1898




O U R A S P I R AT I O N S

The Michaëlle Jean Chair will focus on migration, diaspora and citizenship, addressing some of the opportunities and challenges associated with migration and the settlement of new citizens.

The Chair will accomplish several goals:

The Chair will also work in collaboration with many organizations across Canada and the world, including, the:

• James R. Johnson Chair in Black Canadian Studies at Dalhousie University

• Harriet Tubman Institute at York University

• DaCosta-Angelique Institute in Montréal

• Centre for Culture, Identity and Education at the University of British Columbia

This initiative also includes:

• A scholarship and fellowship plan

• An annual lectureship

• An interdisciplinary academic curriculum

• An interdisciplinary research network

The Chair in Canadian Caribbean and African Diasporic Studies at the University of Alberta

• Recruit world-class scholars, top undergraduate and graduate students • Offer internationally recognized curriculum, student mentorship, internships, community service-learning and study abroad opportunities in Africa, the Caribbean and elsewhere

• Provide an internationally-recognized environment to focus study on the historic waves of forced and voluntary Caribbean and African migrations

• Accomplish original research

13 Faculty of Arts

F U N D I N G P L A N

A Chair at the University of Alberta requires a minimum $3 million endowment to earn sufficient interest to pay the salary, benefits and research costs of a senior scholar.

The community goal is to raise $1.5 million to endow half of what is needed for the chair. The final half will come from the Government of Alberta’s Access to the Future Fund, assuming that the provincial program will still be operational at the time of the gift from the community. There is some urgency to raise money quickly as the provincial fund is quickly becoming oversubscribed.

Once $3 million in private donations and matched funding have been received, the University will begin the search for a worthy academic to be the first holder of the Michaëlle Jean Chair in Canadian Caribbean and African Diasporic Studies.

How can you help? This is a legacy opportunity to associate your name with a groundbreaking initiative that will lead to new understanding, new perceptions and new opportunities for making the Caribbean and African Diaspora part of the Canadian mainstream.

There are many ways to lend support to this important Chair. Please contact:

Catherine Szabo 780.492.8060 or [email protected]

Neil Hayes 780.492.3680 or [email protected]

Fil Fraser 780.487.4188 or [email protected]

Let us explain how you can join our partnership.

How we will fund the Chair in Canadian Caribbean and African Diasporic Studies



Rosemary Brown: first Black woman in the BC legislature

DISTINGUISHED WOMEN

Jean Augustine, first black MP

Violet King:first Canadian Black woman called to the bar

Anne Cools:first black Senator

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Mary Ann Shadd: first woman newspaper editor in Canada


A B O U T T H E G O V E R N O R G E N E R A L

Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, CC, CMM, COM, CD, Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of Canada has graciously given her name to this unique Chair. Born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, she immigrated to Canada with her family in 1968, fleeing the dictatorial regime of the time. In September 2005, she became Canada’s 27th Governor General.

Jean pursued master’s studies in comparative literature, is fluent in five languages and is an advocate for many humanitarian causes. She has had a recognized career as a highly-regarded journalist and anchor of news and public affairs programs at Radio-Canada and CBC Newsworld. She also took part in documentary films produced by her husband, filmmaker Jean-Daniel Lafond, all of which earned recognition both nationally and internationally.

Jean has won numerous awards for her humanitarian work and continues to advocate for a brighter future for the world.

In September 2005, Michaëlle Jean became Canada’s 27th Governor General.

Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean – A Distinguished Canadian

Michaëlle Jean receives an honorary degree from the University of Alberta in 2008


The University of Alberta’s vision is to inspire the human spirit through outstanding achievements in learning, discovery and citizenship in a creative community, building one of the world’s great universities for the public good. This ethic of public service has been a foundational value of the U of A since its inception in 1908 under the leadership of Henry Marshall Tory, who believed that the university should be for the “uplifting of the whole people.”

Today, the U of A serves more than 36,500 students in more than 200 undergraduate programs and 170 graduate programs. This diversity reflects the multiple needs, interests and perspectives of our students who aspire to broaden their knowledge and skills in areas as various as Aboriginal history, chronic illness, acting, oil sands technology and entrepreneurship.

The U of A is one of Canada’s leading academic

institutions, with an international profile of excellence across the humanities, sciences, creative arts, engineering and health sciences. We are home to world-renown researchers and celebrated teachers who create and disseminate knowledge and provide leadership in areas of concern through local and global communities.

One of our key goals as we enter our second century is to position the U of A amongst the world’s best public institutions. The establishment of the Michaëlle Jean Chair in Canadian Caribbean and African Diasporic Studies is a critical part of this endeavour.

The Chair will be housed jointly in the Faculty of Arts and the Faculty of Education. Scholars in each Faculty will work together to build intellectual capacity at the U of A and nationally by illuminating Black contributions to Canadian society.

D A R E T O D I S C O V E R

A Message from the Presidentof the University of Alberta

President and Vice-Chancellor Indira V. Samarasekera


C O M M U N I T Y C H A M P I O N S

Edmonton’s CariWest Festival, 2008

Mrs. Mairuth Sarsfieldhas been an author, journalist, researcher and television personality. She worked for the Canadian Government’s External Affairs Department and served as an Associate Director with the United

Nations Environment Programme in Nairobi, Kenya, where she developed and launched a worldwide campaign called “For Every Child a Tree.” Her novel, No Crystal Stair, was chosen for inclusion in CBC’s Canada Reads in 2005 and was awarded the National Congress of Black Women Foundation’s First Literary Award.

Mr. Paul Winn began his career writing and hosting the weekly CBC program The Canadians, which looked at multicultural communities in Canada. Winn went on to work with the Canadian government as Acting

Director Federal Provincial/Territorial Relations for the National Literacy Secretariat and as Chief Operation Officer of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation. Winn began practicing law in 1999 and is President and Chief Operating Officer of the Great Little Water Company.

Senator Donald Oliver In 1990, Senator Donald H. Oliver, Q.C., BA (Hon.), LLB, LLD (Hon.) was the first Black man in Canadian history to be summoned to the Senate. In the 30 years prior, he was a successful trial lawyer in Nova

Scotia, a university professor, an author of a bestselling cookbook and an accomplished businessman. One of the highlights of his service was becoming the founding President and Director of the Society for the Protection and Preservation of Black Culture in Nova Scotia.

Dr. Dolores Sandoval Professor Emerita at the University of Vermont, Dolores Sandoval was Assistant to the President for Human Resources and Associate Professor of Education. Her activities include a children’s book set in Sierra Leone and a biographical play. She

was a Democratic candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in Vermont (1988 & 1990). In 2006, she founded the DaCosta Angelique Institute (Canada’s first Black think tank) with a mission to establish an immigrant museum in Montréal.

7 Faculty of Arts

D A R E T O D I S C O V E R

The Faculty of Arts is one of the oldest and most diverse Faculties on campus. It has numerous centres and institutes that conduct research, coordinate interdisciplinary and multi-disciplinary studies, and network with other universities in Canada and abroad. First and foremost, the Faculty of Arts is committed to providing a broad-based liberal arts education that prepares students to be leaders, innovators and globally-minded citizens.

In 1942, the Faculty of Education became the first such Faculty in Canada. Today, the Faculty is one of the largest in Canada. It is home to world-class researchers and teachers, and regularly produces graduates who continue to make a difference in educational and professional spheres across the globe. The Faculty of Education continues to take an innovative approach towards teaching its students to be leaders in the invaluable field of education.

Faculty of Arts

Edmonton, Alberta

Faculty of Education

Arts Building, University of Alberta

“This Chair will explore the Canadian experiences and contributions of the Caribbean and African diasporas. New research and collaboration will impact policy change through a solid, shared understanding of the past.”- Interim Dean Colleen Skidmore

“This is an exciting venture that will offer our students, faculty and professional partners unique opportunities to better understand a complex and heterogeneous group of people.”- Dean Fern Snart

Alberta’s sizable African and Caribbean population, as well as its intriguing Black history, makes the University of Alberta an ideal location to host the Michaëlle Jean Chair in Canadian Caribbean and African Diasporic Studies.


Dr. Sylvia D. Hamilton is a multi award-winning Nova Scotian filmmaker and writer known for her documentary films, publications and mentoring of young people. Her films include the Gemini Award-winning Speak

It! From the Heart of Black Nova Scotia and Black Nova Scotia: The Little Black School House. She is the recipient of two honorary degrees and held the distinguished Nancy’s Chair in Women’s Studies at Mount Saint Vincent University.

Mr. Denham Jolly is a successful entrepreneur and recognized philanthropist. Jolly has been president and principal shareholder of Denham Corporation Ltd. and Tyndall Nursing Home Ltd. since 1968, and owns a number

of real estate properties in the Metropolitan Toronto and Mississauga areas. In 2000, Jolly became the first Black person in Canada to receive a radio station license, and is currently President and Chief Executive Officer of Milestone Radio Inc.

Justice Lionel Jonesis a Retired Justice of the Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta and former Provincial Crown Prosecutor. A native of Alberta, Jones earned the distinction of becoming the first Black male lawyer to be admitted

to the Bar in Alberta in 1963. During his long and distinguished career, Jones has also spent time as a sessional lecturer in the Faculty of Law at the University of Alberta, and in the Law Enforcement Program at Grant MacEwan College in Edmonton.

Mr. Burnley Jones is a managing lawyer of his own law firm. Related to his legal career, Jones developed Kwacha House, Eastern Canada’s first inner city self-help program, and served as the Executive Director of Real Opportunities

for Prisoner Employment. Jones has also been involved in promoting African Nova Scotian culture, teaching history to African-Canadian and First Nations peoples at Dalhousie University, and creating an oral history project called the Hero Project on Black Culture.


Community Co-Chairs

Edmonton’s CariWest Festival, 2008


Baseball team, Amber Valley, Alberta

9 Faculty of Arts


A group of enthusiastic Canadians, led by Edmontonian Dr. Fil Fraser, has taken on the task of raising the required funds for the Michaëlle Jean Chair in Canadian Caribbean and African Diasporic Studies.

Dr. Felix (Fil) Fraser is a prominent Canadian writer, broadcaster, film and television producer, and a member of the Order of Canada. Fraser also has played a leading role in public policy development as a member

of the Spicer Commission, the Federal Task Force on Broadcasting Policy, the Canadian Multiculturalism Council and the Alberta Task Force on Film. In addition to his recent term as president and CEO of Vision TV, he has authored two best selling works, Alberta’s Camelot – Culture and the Arts in the Lougheed Years and Running Uphill – the Fast, Short Life of Harry Jerome, a biography of the Canadian Olympic sprinter. In 2008, Fraser was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters by the University of Alberta.

Ms. Zanana L. Akande made history by becoming the first Black person to be elected to the Ontario legislature and the first to hold a cabinet post in Canada. She has taught at York University, the University of Toronto, and Royal

Roads University in British Columbia. During her career she designed and coordinated programs for pupils with special needs, has been responsible for the redirection of large inner city schools with culturally diverse populations, and worked on the Roundtable on Anti-Racism.

Dr. George Elliott Clarke is a poet, playwright, literary critic and the E.J. Pratt Professor of Canadian literature at the University of Toronto. He has published writings in a variety of genres including verse, plays and a critically acclaimed opera,

Beatrice Chancy, about slavery in Nova Scotia in the early 1800s. Throughout his career, he has been instrumental in promoting other Canadian writers of African descent, and has received three honorary degrees and a Martin Luther King Jr. Achievement Award.

Community Co-Chairs

Faculty of Education students in Ghana

Documents

Michaëlle Jean Chair in Canadian Caribbean and African Diasporic Studies