BHM 2025: Labour Movements & Organizing

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Bios:

Dr Usha Viswanathan is a professor of French at York University's Glendon Campus. Her research focuses on the development of pedagogical approaches to decolonize the teaching and learning of French in schools and universities. She is currently piloting a program of teaching materials that combine genre- and task-based approaches in French as a second language courses in several Ontario high schools. The use of these approaches has been advocated for developing students' linguistic skills in language-learning courses. Dr. Viswanathan's research explores the potential of pedagogical programs combining these two approaches to advance decolonization, equity, diversity, inclusion and social justice in FSL classrooms. Dr. Viswanathan is also chair of the CERREC (Glendon’s Race Equity Caucus) and a steward with the York University Faculty Association (YUFA). Prior to working at Glendon, Dr. Viswanathan was a professor at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) in the B.Ed. program. She also completed her doctorate at the University of Toronto in the field of education, specifically in language teaching and learning.

Dr Usha Viswanathan est professeure de français au Campus Glendon de l’Université York. Ses recherches portent sur le développement d'approches pédagogiques pour décoloniser l’enseignement et l’apprentissage du français dans les écoles et les universités. Elle pilote actuellement un programme de matériel pédagogique qui combine des approches basées sur les genres et les tâches dans les cours de français langue seconde dans plusieurs écoles secondaires en Ontario. L'utilisation de ces approches a été préconisée pour développer les compétences linguistiques des étudiants dans les cours de langues. La recherche de Dr Viswanathan explore le potentiel des programmes pédagogiques combinant ces deux approches pour faire progresser la décolonisation, l'équité, la diversité et l'inclusion et la justice sociale dans les salles de classe de FLS. Dr Viswanathan est également chair du Caucus d’équité raciale à Glendon et steward au sein du syndicat des professeurs de l’Université York (YUFA). Avant de travailler à Glendon, Dr Viswanathan était professeure à l'Institut d'études pédagogiques de l'Ontario (IEPO) dans le cadre du programme de baccalauréat en enseignement du FLS. Elle a également obtenu son doctorat à l’Université de Toronto dans le domaine de l’éducation, spécifiquement la didactique des langues.

Tiana Reid is an assistant professor in the Department of English at York University in Toronto. Her research and teaching interests include black literature, gender, and labor. Her writing has appeared in American Quarterly, Aperture, the Nation, the New York Review of Books, Theory & Event, TOPIA: Canadian Journal of Cultural Studies, and Women & Performance: A Journal of Feminist Theory, among other publications. She has been active in labor organizing for more than a decade, involved in unions including the Student Workers of Columbia (UAW Local 2710), the Freelance Solidarity Project/National Writers Union (FSP-NWU) and YUFA, where she is currently steward for the Department of English.

Descriptions: The York University Faculty Association (YUFA) is the professional association and certified bargaining agent for approximately 1,650 faculty, librarians and archivists, and post-doctoral visitors at York. As a group within the YUFA membership, the Race Equity Caucus (REC) represents racialized faculty at York. 

Patrick Teed is an emerging scholar working in Black studies. His specific research interests focus on Black critical theory, abolitionist politics, and psychoanalysis. His publications, exploring topics ranging from the racial politics of Bridgerton to the racist barriers obstructing Black studies at York University, are available in journals such as: differences, New Centennial Review, TOPIA, Lateral, and Rhizomes. He is an active unionist in CUPE3903 with a decade of organizing experience both within and outside the labour movement. During the past strike action, he organized extensively with Scholar's Strike Canada and No Pride in Policing Coalition to oppose carceral violence on the picket line.

CUPE3903: CUPE3903 is the CUPE local representing teaching assistants, contract faculty, graduate & research assistants, part-time librarians and archivists, and, most recently, Canadian Observatory on Homelessness Workers at York University. CUPE3903 is a rank-and-file led union local organized around a community unionism ethic. This means that every member is empowered to organize within the union and union organizing is considered to extend beyond the interests of direct membership, but includes all members of the broader York community.

Lisa Skeete is the President of CUPE Toronto District Council, Executive Member of both CUPE Ontario and  CUPE Toronto Education Workers. Lisa also sits as Co Chair of the CUPE National Literacy & Essential Skills Committee.

Outside of Lisa's CUPE work, she is a member of AHEN, ONABSE, and  the Coalition Of Black Trade Unionist.

She is voice of education, labour,  and community. 

Lisa is also a proud mom of two girls, both budding Labour activist in their own right.

Dr. Crystal. Garvey's nursing experience spans over two decades, with her primary practice areas being Emergency and Mental Health Nursing. She is an adjunct professor in a collaborative Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. She is passionate about creating equitable, inclusive, and culturally responsive learning spaces. Dr. Garvey's research areas include anti-bullying, mental health, theory development, and identifying barriers to learning with an emphasis on intersectionality.

More recently, Dr. Garvey was awarded a CCSIF grant funded by the Canadian Institute of Health Research in the amount of $360,000. The research titled: 'Bridging the gaps: Creating Culturally responsive mental health care for Black Communities'. The multiple method co-creation study will be researching the barriers that members of the Black community face when trying to access or receive mental health supports, through the lens of practitioners, and members of the Black community; and analyze secondary data to compare treatment pathways and supports received compared to non-Black clients. In subsequent steps, these findings will be used to co-create mobilization initiatives with community members to mitigate barriers.

In addition to her scholarship, activism, and community commitment to social justice, she works closely with community members and leaders of several organizations. She volunteers in various capacities doing key notes, seminars, and creating and mobilizing evidence-based programs about anti-bullying, trauma-informed care, anti-racism, and mental health.

Finally, Dr. Garvey holds elected seats in various capacity such as Equity and Diversity Steward at her institution. The inaugural Equity Executive Board Member - Vice President for one of the largest unions in Ontario OPSEU/SEFPO (Ontario Public Service Employees Union), representing over 180,000 members, and Director of Education for the Joint Coalition for Addressing Needs (JCAN).

Aïssata Hann