Honouring Black History Month 2023

Written By Paige Reeves

Every February, people across Canada participate in Black History Month events and festivities that honour the legacy of Black Canadians and their communities. The 2023 theme for Black History Month is: “Ours to tell”. According to www.canada.ca, this theme represents both an opportunity to engage in open dialogue and a commitment to learning more about the stories Black communities in Canada have to tell about their histories, successes, sacrifices and triumphs. Aligned with this theme, to honor and celebrate Black History month 2023 we’re showcasing and celebrating a few, of the many, Black leaders at Skills Society and their perspectives on leadership.

Skills Society has been on a learning journey around reconciliation, inclusion and anti-racism work. From stewarding community led anti-racism work over the last 5 years with our Shift Lab initiative, to learning about treaty and reconciliation actions, we are committed to supporting and celebrating the rich diversity within our community of people we serve and staff. As shared last year, we want everyone in our Skills family to be aware of Black history month every year. We think it is important to bring together some learning, stories and actions around diversity, Black culture and history for our Skills community to reflect upon each year. 

We hope everyone, from people we serve, to families and guardians, to staff throughout the organization, will take some time to read this post, learn, and reflect.  

Stories from Black Leaders within Skills Society

Two Black leaders from Skills Society, Daniel and Elizabeth, were generous in sharing their stories and perspectives on leadership so that others, like you, within the Skills community can listen, learn, and reflect. 

Daniel Igwegbe’s Story

Daniel is a Coordinator of Outreach Supports who generously shared his time and experiences with us for this post.

Tell us a little bit about yourself. What are your cultural roots? 

I am from the Igbo tribe of southeast Nigeria and migrated to Canada in 2018. I worked as a software salesman but when I came to Canada made a career shift into community and social services - which was more aligned with my passion for helping people. I started working at Skills Society six weeks after coming to Canada and have been here ever since. While in Canada I completed my Bachelor Degree in Social Work through the University of Calgary and really enjoyed it.

What are you most proud of related to your culture? 

There are Nigerians all over the globe - everywhere you go, you will probably find a Nigerian! Nigeria has many diverse cultures - over 250 unique tribes each with their own cultures and traditions. I am proud to be Nigerian. Nigerians are known for their resilient spirit and determination - their quest to be the best at everything they do. 

What does being a good leader mean to you? 

For me, in very clad terms, a leader is someone who inspires others to follow him. If you’re in front and no one is following you - you are not a leader. You need to inspire people to follow through an exemplary leadership style. People should look up to you and say “I want to be like you”. Sharing compassion, having empathy, and not being judgmental is a huge part of my leadership style. 

What is one message you want to share with other Black leaders at Skills Society? 

Don’t allow the color of your skin to limit how far you think you can go. Shake that preconceived notion that no one is going to value you because you’re black. Look past that and aim for the highest goal you want to conquer. You can do it.  

What does Black History month mean to you? 

To me, Black history month is an important step in raising awareness about the challenges people of color face and how others can unconsciously contribute to these challenges. It’s important to set a month aside for these intentions each year - knowledge is power and until people are equipped with knowledge of the challenges people of colour go through daily, there won’t be a change. 

Who is a Black creator, maker, or leader that has inspired you in your life that you’d like to see amplified?

I have learned a lot from the Nigerian Author, Chinua Achebe. He shares African parables that inspire me and help me through my daily life. One of my favorite parables of his is:

“A man who pays respect to other great people paves the way for his own greatness” 

- Chinua Achebe

Elizabeth Tumwesigye’s Story

Elizabeth is a Team Leader at Avenwood who generously shared her time and experiences with us for this post.

Tell us a little bit about yourself. What are your cultural roots?

I came to Canada in 2003 from Southeastern Uganda and am “Bakiga” by tribe. I started working for Skills 2 years after arriving in Canada and have been with Skills ever since - 18 years now! 

What are you most proud of related to your culture?

There’s so much! We have a really rich culture in Uganda. Each tribe has their own unique ways of expressing their culture through their food, dances, languages, and traditional wears. In my tribe Matoke, a specific kind of green banana you can’t find in Canada, is an important food. You can eat the banana itself with a sauce or you can use the banana skin and leaves to cook with and give foods flavor. I remember when I first came to Canada I was home sick for nearly six months and one of the things I missed most was the smell and taste of Matoke. If you ever go to Uganda you have to try Matoke!

What does being a good leader mean to you? 

“A good leader is a person that inspires others to be the best expression of themselves.” 

A good leader to me is someone who leads by example. There is a difference between being a manager and being a leader. A good leader doesn’t tell people what to do but instead inspires others to be the best expression of themselves. I believe everyone has the ability to lead and that a team is working best when everyone feels empowered to harness their strengths and use them to contribute to achieving the team’s goals. 

What is a message for Skills Society Black leaders you would like to share? 

Be the best person you can be and help others bring out the best parts of themselves, because when we all take on that leadership role our teams and the whole organization benefits. Leadership can come in many forms and isn’t always grand gestures or big acts. I think even when you are out in the community supporting someone we serve, and you are intentionally fully present, you are a leader because you are doing your best. Other everyday acts of leadership in our work might look like sharing your gifts and talents with the people you support - things like preparing delicious food or taking pride in someone’s home and helping them keep it clean and well maintained. Don’t be afraid to be and bring your whole self to your work. 

What does Black History month mean to you? 

“When you don’t know your origin, when you don’t know your roots, it’s easy to get lost.”

Unfortunately a lot of Black people do not know who they are or where they come from, and when you don’t know who you really are, you can feel lost. So Black History Month to me, is in part, anchoring yourself in your history, where you are from, and recognizing what an important part of yourself these pieces are. 

Who is a Black creator, maker, or leader that has inspired you in your life that you’d like to see amplified?

Nelson Mandela. I chose him because he did not think of himself alone, he recognized the goodness of all people, and he bravely dreamed of a different future. I think his story is an important reminder that yes, we are all individuals, but we are interconnected, forming a community. And even if we feel small, we have the power to do selfless acts like Mandela - thinking of others, our interconnectedness, and our collective future. 

If you experience racism or discrimination within our Skills Society community

  • You’re not alone and you will always have support.

  • Skills Society takes these matters very seriously. 

  • Based on our policies around harassment, you can tell a supervisor. You can also always get support from Human Resources. 

  • Employees should always feel safe bringing their experiences forward to Karen Huta, Senior Manager of Human Resources. 

  • Skills Society will investigate all cases fairly, respectfully and in a timely manner, and employees will be supported by Human Resources throughout the process. 

Actions Skills Society is Taking Around Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

Celebrating diversity, taking a stance against racism, being good treaty relatives, and remembering reconciliation shouldn’t just be something that happens a couple times a year. We will continue to learn together and work on these pieces in an ongoing way. Some of the recent and tangible steps we’ve taken as a Skills Society community include: 

  • Developing a Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Collective to steward cultural and diversity awareness learning and events that connect our community with learning

  • Introducing the Anti Discrimination Commitment that all staff, board members, students/volunteers, people we serve and guardians sign and join in our commitment to creating an inclusive and safe community

  • Creating and launching a Skills Society Employee Education Award. With an aim of equity, half of all the awards are reserved for employees who identify as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color)

  • Introducing a cultural awareness activity for teams across the organization to engage in - sharing food, conversation, and reflection together

  • Supporting individuals and teams to reflect on how to support equity, diversity, and inclusion within our Skills Society community and your work through learning activities in the soon to launch Leadership Workbook

  • Guided by Naheyawin, installing a treaty medallion, ceremony, and messages in the Action Lab to remind what it means to be good treaty relatives

  • Continuing with our yearly learning event around Truth and Reconciliation

Actions You Can Take

General Anti-racism Resources & Tools (Some developed by one of our Skills Society initiatives)

Paige Reeves
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