Cultural sensitivity part of event
By Scott Dunn, Sun Times Staff
The first day of an upcoming two-day conference at Grey Roots will encourage teaching black history and sensitivity toward all cultures, religions and philosophies to kids, while also urging teachers to steer young people away from violence.
The annual black history event starts April 24 and is held in partnership with organizers of the Emancipation Festival, held on the Civic holiday weekend in Owen Sound’s Harrison Park.
The theme of the Friday conference is a response to the contention that many teachers are reluctant to teach young children about slavery and disturbing aspects of black history because they don’t know how to do it without scaring them, event organizer Lisa Scott said.
The theme also was motivated by the senseless death of Scott’s friend’s teenage son by street violence last year.
Saturday’s event will focus on genealogy and local black history.
The day-long event Friday will feature people who can help elementary and secondary school teachers tackle the subject of black history through drama, curriculum material and book suggestions, said Scott, who is one of the presenters.
Everyday violence among young people inspired the second theme of the event — that teachers and members of society generally have a role to play in guiding youth away from resorting to violence, Scott said.
“We are seeing a lot of violence in schools. That’s why the social justice issues are part of my topic. And we’re seeing a lot of children across Ontario respond with violence,” she said.
She said she believes students who would knife someone for stealing money, for example, aren’t getting the education they need to empathize with others.
Scott said she will discuss the important role teachers and the community can play in helping students make choices and feel empathy for others. She’ll talk about violence in schools and will tell the story of Drew Hildebrand, the 16-year-old son of one of Scott’s friends.
He died April 8, 2008 after he ejected some uninvited teens from a party in Oakville. During a scuffle, he hit his head on a curb and later died, Scott said. She’ll bring posters advertising a fund established in memory of the teen’s death. It will fund scholarships for teens who turn their lives around and support programs to that end. Scott said this year’s topics of cultural sensitivity and anti-violence have nothing to do with last summer’s unprovoked stabbing and beating of a black man in downtown Owen Sound about one week before the city’s annual Emancipation Festival.
But the message of tolerance and cultural understanding is as important to teach in less culturally diverse places like Grey- Bruce as in multicultural Toronto, she said.
“There is a diversity that has to be taught. Because those children, even if they’re sitting in classrooms that are 90 per cent white, they’re going to venture out into a world that isn’t”
Among those attending Friday and Saturday will be 69 new teachers from Toronto. Local teachers also have been invited to the event Friday, which coincides with a professional development day for them. Owen Sound Mayor Ruth Lovell and Grey County Warden Kevin Eccles will also attend, Scott said.
Saturday’s event includes a university instructor from California with expertise in genealogy who will tell her story about researching her roots and discovering a link with Owen Sound. A Collingwood black history and genealogy speaker and a motivational speaker will round out the presentation before a panel discussion about multiculturalism and diversity education concludes the event.
The black history event, now at Grey Roots, began in Durham as a conference on black heritage and genealogy.
Events both days run from 9 a. m. to 3 p. m. Tickets cost $40 per day, $25 for students. Two day passes cost $70 , $40 for students. Lunch, coffee and materials are included.
Tickets are available by calling Grey Roots Museum & Archives at 519-376-3690 or the toll-free number, 1-877-473-9766.
E-mail questions to or see www.emancipation.ca
Article ID# 1526034
