On the July 5, 2020 edition of Black Canada Talking™, the conversation topic was The Impact Of The Defonte Miller Judgement Especially On Black Youth, Policing In Canada And The Canadian Justice System.
The panelists were:
El Jones is a spoken word poet, an educator, journalist, and a community activist living in African Nova Scotia. She was the fifth Poet Laureate of Halifax. In 2016, El was a recipient of the Burnley “Rocky” Jones human rights award for her community work and work in prison justice. She is a co-founder of the Black Power Hour, a live radio show with incarcerated people on CKDU that creates space for people inside to share their creative work and discuss contemporary social and political issues, and along with this work, she supports women in Nova Institution in writing and sharing their voices. El was recently named the Nancy’s Chair of Women’s Studies at Mount Saint Vincent University for the 2017-2019 term. Her book of spoken word poetry, Live from the Afrikan Resistance! was published by Roseway Press in 2014. El would like to pay tribute to the many nameless and unrecognized women whose work makes it possible for her to be here today.
Louis March, has been a volunteer community worker and advocate in the African Canadian community for over 30 years. His work has primarily focused on youth engagement and mentorship initiatives along with serving on various community organization Boards and Advisory Committees.
Most recently, Louis is the founder of the Zero Gun Violence Movement, a collaboration of over 40 different community organizations, agencies and programs across the City of Toronto, committed to addressing structural and socio-economic conditions that contribute to the gun violence problem. The ZGVM is an awareness and advocacy movement that works across the City of Toronto to engage people and organizations that are truly committed to being a part of the solution to reducing gun violence and also building safe and healthy communities, not for some, but for all.
Jacqueline Beckles is a mother to a son, and lawyer with 17 years of experience, principally in criminal law, currently working for the Federal Government in Ottawa.
