Diversity Institute founder honoured with the Beyond Diversity award
Wendy Cukier receives the Harry Jerome special recognition award from Frances Delsol at the 41st annual gala on April 29, 2023. (Photo credit: BrandEQ Agency)
The 41st annual Harry Jerome Awards gala was held on Saturday, April 29, 2023. At the Beanfield Centre in downtown Toronto, hundreds of attendees gathered to celebrate achievement in the Black community. The awards, named after the Olympian track athlete and advocate of economic development for African Canadians, are organized by the Black Business and Professional Association (external link) (BBPA), a nonprofit organization tackling issues of equity and opportunity for the Black community in business, employment, education and economic development.
The Harry Jerome Awards celebrate the excellence of Black professionals and trailblazers in areas including leadership, entrepreneurship, health, media, arts and athletics. The 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award was given to Spider “Chuck” Jones, for his work creating mentorship programs for youth and as an award-winning journalist
Dr. Wendy Cukier, founder and academic director of the Diversity Institute (DI) was surprised with a special presentation at the event, the BBPA’s inaugural Beyond Diversity Award, designed to honour those who empower and uplift the Black community, break down barriers and create opportunities for meaningful advancement. Frances Delsol, the vice president of national partnerships at the BBPA, presented the award to Cukier, highlighting the impact of DI research to inform best practices to support Black youth, create pathways to employment and advancement, support entrepreneurs and promote leadership for the Black community.
“She’s one of our strongest allies in the Canadian landscape,” Delsol said. “Wendy has opened doors for us that we could not understand.”
Cukier, in turn, reinforced the importance of celebrating Black excellence and the work that BBPA does: “I really want to underscore how important the work that BBPA and others are doing to create generational wealth for the Black community,” Cukier said. “I’m so pleased to see all levels of government represented and all political parties. This is not a partisan issue; this is an issue that is fundamental for Canada’s economic development. Celebrating Black excellence is critical because ‘if you can’t see it you can’t be it.’”
The Diversity Institute has helped use research to advance inclusion for more than a decade. Diversity Leads was among the first studies to move beyond gender to examine the representation and experience of racialized people in leadership roles starting in 2008, and was the first to focus on Black representation in leadership. The institute was among the partners with the Environics Institute that undertook the largest study of the community with the Black Experience Project in 2012.
Other research, like Labour Market Implications for Racialized Youth, Experiences of Discrimination at Work and Rise Up: A Study of 700 Black Women Entrepreneurs (external link) , laid bare the obstacles and the opportunities that Black entrepreneurs and workers experience. Cukier was also instrumental in working with BBPA on the Study Buddy program to support Black youth and their families during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Rise Up Competition (external link) , the Black African and Caribbean Entrepreneurship Leadership (external link) (BACEL), Capital Skills (external link) and more, which were funded by the Future Skills Centre (external link) .
The BBPA and DI are also partners in the Inclusive Innovation and Entrepreneurship Network (external link) and the 50 – 30 Challenge (external link) , which focuses on advancing gender parity and increased diversity in leadership. More recently they launched ADaPT for Black youth, funded by Ontario’s Black Youth Action Plan (external link) .
This is Cukier’s second Harry Jerome award. In 2016, she was awarded the Diversity Award for her long-standing community service through research initiatives and personal advocacy.
The Diversity Institute has been a long-time supporter of the Harry Jerome Awards; on behalf of DI, Cukier presented the Technology Award to Colleen Ward, vice president of delivery practice and enterprise, program delivery excellence, and platforms and technology at TD. The award celebrates Colleen's exemplary career, spanning multiple esteemed organizations, and showcases her relentless pursuit of innovation and excellence in the world of technology.
Other award winners included:
- Andria Case, CTV News anchor
- Jennifer Bernard, CEO of SickKids Foundation
- Agapi Gessesse, executive director of CEE Centre for Young Black Professionals
- Rick Gossling social worker, theologian and founder of the Children’s Breakfast Club
- Rosemarie Powell, executive director at the Toronto Community Benefits Network
- Ngozi Paul, award-winning stage and screen actress, writer, director and producer
- Agunbiade Seun Richards, social entrepreneur, researcher and community volunteer
- Deborah Richardson, deputy minister at the Ontario Treasury Board Secretariat
- Frantz Saintellemy, president and COO at Leddartech
- Emma Todd, CEO of MMH Technology Group
- Lindell Wigginton, professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks
Congratulations to them all and the BBPA for an inspiring evening.