With Bianca T. Jacob
Last Monday, I dropped in on the annual ceremony for volunteers
hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Citizenship and Recreation, to find who
among us were being honoured for their community-mindedness in Ontario. In
fact "gate-crashed" would be a more appropriate term, since, to my knowledge
Share was not invited.
The theme for the awards was Volunteerism &emdash; It begins with You, but I feel that given the wounds inflicted by Premier Harris' knife to social service agencies, resulting in massive staff layoffs, a more appropriate theme would have been "Volunteerism &emdash; It begins and Ends With You.
Notwithstanding the nature of politics and economics in today's Ontario it was an important event indeed. The work of the volunteer is selfless and needs to be recognized and encouraged. According to statistics compiled by various federal bureaus, Canadians contribute more than one billion volunteer hours annually, which is the equivalent of 617,000 full-time jobs.
Naturally our community contributes its fair share and I compiled an impressive though by no means exhaustive list of our award recipients. Leading the charge is David Patterson a volunteer with Club Carib of Oshawa. He received top recognition, as one of a handful of volunteers receiving a 1996 Outstanding Achievement Award. David said he wasn't always a friend of volunteerism since as a "union man" he felt that labour must always be compensated. He altered his tune after joining a church group, and before he knew it he was president of the Multi-Cultural Council of Oshawa-Durham. Other community members received Volunteer Service Awards for five, 10, and 15 years of service, including:
Joanne Atherly, Murphy Browne, Dr. George Dei, Venetta Goodall, Terrance Jackson, Susan Marshall and Lloyd McKell who were nominated by The Organization of Parents of Black Children.
Receiving awards for their work with the Somali Canadian Association of Etobicoke were Mohamed Dalmar Abdurahman, Said Dirie, Mohamed Hassan and Marianne Hassan.
The Ontario Black History Society nominated Susan Alves, Paul Braithwaite and Judge Monte Harris. While the John Brooks Community Foundation and Scholarship Fund gave a nod to Verna Andrade, Patricia Brooks, Jean Forde, Trevor Lewis, Ezra Simms, Janet Rajah and Kim Thomas.
The National Council of Trinidad and Tobago Organizations in Canada recommended Alvin Adore, Selwyn Joseph, Eileen Lee, Patrick McNeilly and Ken Simon.
Kay Blair was happy to receive an award for her work with The Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants. The Canadian-Ghanaian Organization recommended Dr. Ebow Bondzi-Simpson. While the Jamaican-Canadian Association recommended Violet Carter, Linda Gray, Inez Hylton, Trevor B. Lewis, Francine Martin, Bilroy Powell and Frank Wallace.
The Barbados St. Michael School Alumni recognized Cecily Corbin-Gittens and her husband Anthony Gittens, Michele Jordan, Hyacinth McConney and Osby Nash.
The West Indian Christian Fellowship International's Zedna Ferdinand, Norma Needham, Barbara Palmer and Cislyn Wright joined the African Resource Centre's Michael Howard and Usman Koroma for recognition. And John Vieira received an award for his work with the Canadian Alliance of Black Educators.
Congratulations! As the Honourable Minister Marilyn Mushinski who is herself a volunteer said: "Your deeds and accomplishments over years of service enrich all our lives and are a large part of what makes Ontario a great place to live, work and raise our families. So true!
It would have been easy for the Reel Black Awards, presented last Monday by the Black Film and Video Network (BFVN), to be centred around popular African-American actor Wesley Snipes. After all, the talented and handsome actor is one of the most-worked actors in the American film industry today. I'm no movie buff so I was intrigued to discover that he also owns a production company called Amen RA, and that he is also the executive producer of St. Clair Bourne's John Henrik Clarke: A Great and Mighty Walk.
While Wesley received a Network Special Award for his commitment to increasing the involvement of Blacks in the film industry, he insisted that the awards were not about him but instead celebrated the work of all the Black filmmakers at the Glen Gould Studio that night.
During the reception I was introduced to the charming filmmaker Selwyn Jacob (no relation as far as we know), who is based in Edmonton, by Marva Ollivierre, coordinator of Canadian Black Artists Network: Black Artists in Action (CAN:BAIA). Selwyn is a member of CAN:BAIA and Marva is always excited to meet the organization's regional members. Selwyn received an award for his film The Road Taken.
Jerome Pinder received an award for outstanding volunteerism. While Christene Browne, Zan Chandler, Julie Crooks, Jennifer Holness, and Roger McTair received awards of recognition. I had the pleasure of meeting Jennifer who recently completed an internship on the CBC series Ready or Not. She has since been hired as a producer of the series. "I don't know why I received an award," she quipped. "But I'll take it."
I would have liked to talk to Roger McTair, who I consider an institution in our still fledgling African-Canadian film industry. Roger is a founding member of the BFVN whose credits included Home to Buxton, Children Are Not the Problem, Jennifer Hodge and End the Silence.
Christene's company Syncopated Productions has just completed principal photography on Another Planet her first feature film. This is the first feature film written, directed and produced by a Black woman in Canada.
Among the films receiving Reel Black Awards were: A Summer in La Goulette directed by Ferid Boughedir (Tunisia/France/Belgium), Aristotle's Plot directed by Jean-Pierre Bekolo (Zimbabwe/France), Everyone's Child directed by Tsitsi Dangarembga (Zimbabwe), John Henrik Clarke: A Great and Mighty Walk, directed by St. Clair Bourne (USA) and W.E.B. Du Bois: A Biography in Four Voices directed by Louis Massiah, (USA).
The audience was treated to a jazz interlude by Sharron McLeod with Ken Skinner, Duncan Hopkins and Eric Roberts, and performances by Sankofa &emdash; African Drum and Dance Ensemble, directed by Quammie Williams. The keynote address was presented by director St. Clair Bourne.
The BFVN is in its ninth year and encourages and promotes the development, production and distribution of the work of filmmakers of African descent. The organization is headed by Roy Anderson, Max Chandler, Zan Chandler, Esther Fairbairn, Errol Gee, Len Henry, Clayton Huggins, Angelique Phillips, Sandra Wheatle, Basil Young and Stephen Young Chin and executive director Hazel DaBreo.
By October 12, all 16 young men and women will be flawlessly executing dance manoeuvers in 3/4 time with an emphasis on beat one, then step-step-close, step-step-close.
By that date, they will also be schooled &emdash; should the occasion arise &emdash; on how to use all 24 pieces of silverware.
By that date they will be impeccably groomed at all times and be socially graceful. And Ettie Dawkins promises people will notice the difference.
The following young ladies are working hard towards the date they will "come out" as debutantes at a grand Cotillion Ball. They are Michelle Flemming, Allison Gloudon, Courtney Larro, Natasha Minott, Claudette Sutherland, Anya Bruney, Kimberley Sutherland, Naomi Dawkins, Ava-Gaye Colquhoun, Dawn Marie Mills, Avril Robinson, Denise Green, Sabrina Richard, Woganese Filate and Shani Leatham. Their escorts are Wayne Shaw, Marlon Archer, Kalito Smith, Greg Jones, Brandon Isaac, Reuben Meade, Herman Colquhoun, Mark Williams, Jason Taylor, Dwayne John, Mark Anthony Williams, Ryan Delsol, Jason Moore, Sacha Delsol, Kareem McLean and Justin Charles.
The young ladies will be presented in floor length white ballroom gowns, created predominantly by Black designers, and accessorized with tiaras and bouquets. While the young men will be outfitted in Black tuxedos with vests created from African fabrics and boutonnieres. It was interesting to learn that the young men are not mere escorts but an integral part of the entire exercise, with their own specially designed workshops.
Last Sunday, I stopped in for a chat with the participants after a session on haircare at Azan's. I was curious to see how they were progressing with these intensive workshops in deportment, wardrobe, hair, make-up, etiquette and ballroom dancing. I met a group of very excited and poised practicing debutantes and escorts.
Anya was pleased with the lessons on telephone manners, and she uses them even when she calls a friend's home, she told me. "Hello Mrs. so-and-so," she demonstrated to me. "My name is Anya Bruney. May I please speak to so-and-so?"
Jason Taylor knows sisters must be treated with respect. He is also pleased that he can now waltz on a date. "Brothers must lead. They have to learn how to step, but not on toes," he said. Darcie, Kimberley and Simone have a very excited father in Charles Sutherland. They told me that he feels its time that young people are shown in a positive light.
Ettie Dawkins, who heads The Applause Institute, producers of the ball, "applauds" continuous efforts that encourage the youth to become high academic achievers, but she feels this must all be accentuated with social skills. Ettie owns a fashion business which markets high fashion from Europe, the United States and Canada. This came after a successful career in modelling in the seventies, at a time when it was taboo to use Black models.
She started organizing the Debutante Ball after attending social occasions in the community and observing that very bright young people did not know how to behave at the dinner table.
The Debutante Cotillion Ball is the first in 27 years and is organized by committee members Ettie Dawkins, Jean Flemming, Marblet James, Eddie Delsol, Monica Clarke, Pat Glouden, Tessa Benn-Ireland, Rafael Cabrera, Lorraine Delsol, Ruel Grey and Cathy Searles. The first such ball in our community was organized by Mrs. Searles in 1968.
The elegant affair takes place at the Sheraton Toronto East Hotel on October 12. The debutantes and their escorts will dance the first waltz after dinner, then the music will be geared to the audience's dancing pleasure. So be prepared to don your evening gowns and tuxedos and join the young at their magical evening. And its all for a good cause as the event supports Camp Jumoke, the first summer camp for children with Sickle Cell Anemia. As for me I'll be dropping in from time to time to check up on their progress, as they ready themselves to "come out" on their big day. For more information call (416) 596-0298 or (416) 968-6354.
Pastor Patricia A. Francis, who leads the Deeper Life Christian Ministries, became one with Geron C. Sebastian before 3,000 guests on August 25, 1996. I understand that Pastor Francis invited her entire congregation to her happy day and many others brought their good wishes to the happy couple.
The Pastor relaxed as the officiating ministers Rev. David Sture, Dr. Ronald Cottle and Dr. Hezekiah Farrell took charge and conducted a lovely ceremony. Serenading the couple were Lois Broomfield, Christine Sebastian, Chris Findlay and Mmabatho Seethe.
Deeper Life Praise Team and Kingdom Seekers conducted the Pre-Processional and Mmabatho Seethe led the processional.
Giving away the bride was her mother Greta Francis and the groom's father Sir Cuthbert Sebastian gave away his son. The bride was attended by Maid of Honour Jean Taffe and bridesmaids Lisa Taffe, Christine Sebastian, Janelle Stewart, Mikyla Stewart and flower girls Ashley Masters and Katherine Boodram. Best man Dr. Basil Baeta and ushers Dr. Francois Marthol, Geron Sebastian Jr., Sean Lessey and Kayode Thomas made sure the groom was comfortable. The host and hostess of the ceremony were June and Dave Denny.
The congregation was invited to an informal reception at the church hall immediately after the ceremony. The couple praised God for bringing them together and to quote their program: "Because of God's love we can love each other."
Cynthia Jemmett was warned that she couldn't become a nurse. It seemed like good advice in the early fifties, since it came from doctors who explained that nursing is too stressful a profession for someone with myasthenia gravis.
At 17 years old Cynthia was told that she would die in 20 years, and for 20 years she dreaded her 37th birthday.
Despite these depressing odds she badly wanted to become a nurse, which seemed impossible in 1953 in her native Trinidad and Tobago. The writ seemed to be sealed when she passed her nursing exams but failed her personal medicals, because the condition made her eyelids droop.
After failing her exams at the Port of Spain General Hospital, she circumvented the decision by taking her results to the San Fernando General Hospital. She was nursing for two years before being discovered by the very doctor who had failed her previously. The year was 1956 and she was the nurse in his operating room. Cynthia kept her surgical mask on and worked diligently at his side. She must have done a good job because doc was none the wiser.
Later she was terrified of losing her job and explained the situation to her supervisor, who appealed to the doctor on her behalf. He relented and she remained at San Fernando General Hospital until 1958. In 1959 she visited Canada for surgery, returned home and decided that she wanted to nurse in Canada. And this determined lady lets nothing stand in the way of her dreams.
I first met Cynthia this summer in her Scarborough home shortly after her retirement from Scarborough Grace Hospital &emdash; after a career that lasted 31 years. Prior to her work with Scarborough, Cynthia first had to write several exams to become accredited as a Canadian nurse. She did what was required and walked from her training ground at Hamilton General Hospital straight into the Montreal Neurological Institute, where she learned how to manage her condition, and at the same time graduate with a Neurological and Neurosurgical diploma.
She returned to the Hamilton General Hospital where she remained until 1965.
The career that almost never was has been very rewarding.
What I have learned from the charming Cynthia Jemmett is the power of faith and perseverance. For not only did she find time to have a successful career despite an ongoing medical condition, she raised her son Gerard Jemmett into a fine and responsible adult, and found time to be a big sister for several years with the Catholic Children's Aid.
Now that she is retired a new phase has opened in her life and she plans to spend more time volunteering and of course taking more classes!
What an inspiration!