York U celebrates Canadian changemaker Jean Augustine, full funding of endowed Chair in her name

The $1.5 million federal contribution represents a major milestone for the endowed Chair – now fully funded with more than $3 million, thanks in large part to many years of dedicated grassroots fundraising efforts led by Augustine, supported by her devoted network, and backed by matching funds provided by the University.

Film Screening - STEADFAST: The Messenger and the Message

  Join us for a screening of STEADFAST: The Messenger and The Message — The Story of Jean Augustine’s journey from Happy Hill, Grenada to being the first Black woman elected to Canada’s House of Commons and the first Black woman to serve in Canada’s federal Cabinet. The Honourable Dr. Jean Augustine is a Canadian […]

In the media - ‘We’re just getting started’: Aurora launch pad for road tennis in Ontario

The game that started almost 100 years ago on the streets of Barbados, with courts drawn out on tar or cement and vines or chalk used to mark boundaries, is now making its way into the classrooms of the York Region District School Board.

Cultivating Black Joy: Critical Literacy Through Student Voice

The list of facilitators for the Nubian Book Club (NBC) 2023 features a number of York U Faculty of Education alumni.

In the media: Anti-black Racism in Schools

Carl James, the Jean Augustine Chair in Education, Community and Diaspora at York University, talks about anti-black racism in schools following a recent incident that led to the TDSB putting 3 staff members on home assignment for dis

Black excellence centre stage at Word, Sound, Power celebration

Black artistic talent was centre stage during a showcase of performances on Feb. 8 when the Jean Augustine Chair in Education, Community and Diaspora presented Word, Sound, Power: An annual celebration of Black Artistic Expression.

In the media: Canada’s Black population faces varying job prospects despite equal education. Here’s why

Black people in Canada are just as educated as the rest of the country overall but new census data by Statistics Canada is shedding light on how cultural barriers may be driving differences in education levels between different generations in Black communities.

Word, Sound, Power annual celebration shines spotlight on Black artists

Members of the York University community are invited to celebrate Black artistic talent during a showcase of performances on Feb. 8 when the Jean Augustine Chair in Education, Community and Diaspora presents Word, Sound, Power: An Annual Celebration of Black Artistic Expression.

The Conversation: Are ‘top scholar’ students really so remarkable — or are teachers inflating their grades?

Professor and Jean Augustine Chair in Education, Community & Diaspora, Carl E. James, writes about a recent Toronto Star investigation into grade inflation and whether it's holding top students back and setting others up to fail. James analyzed top scholar media coverage, STEM study, and teacher-student relations to understand this upward trend.

In the media: Change the system, not the students: Sociologist on Black lives in Canadian education

Professor Carl E. James is the winner of the prestigious 2022 Killam Prize for Social Science. The sociologist has studied Canada's schools and universities for 40 years. He argues there is much to learn about how racialized students can succeed in education.