Lovestruck Part 3: Pink Shirt Day

On this last entry in my Lovestruck series, it is quite telling that this blog is all about love, or how the lack of it, can affect others. It is this omission that leads to the most cruel behaviour in our society: Bullying.

Whether you are a child, youth, teen or adult, bullying plays a role in nearly aspect of your life, unfortunately. It can pop up in an office or a seniors' home as easily as it can on a playground and in a classroom; it can cause just as much stress and anxiety to a 13-year-old as it does to an 83-year-old. In short, bullying is brutal. 

It sets the stage for what is acceptable and what is expected and, if unchecked, it will govern how we, as a society, treat others within our society, leading to racism, alienation, depression, and suicide. In fact, if you look at how we treat the lest in our society, it gives you a window into the soul of our network: Do we choose kindness or do we choose unkindness? Much like bullying, kindness has a ripple effect that is long-lasting: It helps grow our perceptions of who we are, our role in society, and how that role governs our growth as a people and as a nation.

With a word, a phrase, a nickname, a tease, bullies can bring down the tallest, the strongest, the most talented among us. They can zero in on our insecurities, our fears and highlight the small aspects of our personalities, our appearances and make them appear huge for all to see.

So, what do we do? How do we stop bullying?

First, we bring it out of the shadows and put that jagged little pill that we've been struggling to swallow under the microscope. Like any nasty underbelly to a society, exposing it doesn't stop it from happening — you actually need to take action; stand up for alternative messaging.  It wasn't until we had a dedicated day to draw attention to bullying, for example, that anti-bullying messaging became mainstream. That alternative messaging didn't originate from a committee, a board, a working group — it came from the empathy shown by two Grade 12 students at a high school in Halifax. Their actions have reverberated around the globe, spreading the message of kindness to nations worldwide, all because they empathized with a male Grade 9 student who was bullied for wearing pink. 

They saw an injustice and they acted by engaging the alternative message, one of empathy, inclusion, and above all, kindness.

So never think one act of kindness goes unnoticed. It does, and that is one ripple effect I would get behind 100 per cent!

Pink Shirt Day

This year, Pink Shirt Day will be held Wednesday, Feb. 24. The origin of the day dates back to 2007, when two Nova Scotia high-school students — David Shepherd and Travis Price — began an organized high-school protest, with the help of their friends, to show solidarity towards a Grade 9 boy who was being bullied for wearing a pink shirt. 

The group showed up at school wearing pink and this one act of kindness and peaceful protest against hate harassment began a movement that caught on in other schools, other provinces, other countries around the globe. In fact, through the kind actions of Shepherd and Price sprung the International Day of Pink, marked each year in April (this year, April 14). The international movement zeroed in on the cause of the pink-shirt bullying: homophobia, transphobia, transmisogyny, and all other forms of bullying and propelled that protest further with information campaigns around bullying and discrimination, especially discrimination based on gender affiliation.

Discrimination and bullying based on race, age, abilities, gender or sexuality is of growing concern in our society, so the International Day of Pink has ambassadors promoting the Think Pink messaging not only in Canada but in countries all over the world. 

Thinking Pink at TMC

Close to home, Twelve Mile Coulee School will be encouraging all staff and students to wear pink to symbolize an intolerance to bullying. In recent years, I have also diversified our Learning Commons collection to include many LGBTQ+ titles in our collection — both non-fiction and fiction. These books are excellent ways to normalize varying genders and to share that kindness, that love to others, whether they fall within the mainstream or not. 

It's not by accident that Twelve Mile Coulee's school motto is Work Hard, Learn Tons, Be Kind. It's our way of thinking pink EVERY day. 

To foster that, here is our collection of LGBTQ+ books, which can be checked out by using our Online Book Order form:

1. Red: A Crayon's Story by Michael Hall. Suggested Reading Level: PrS-Grade 3
2. I am Jazz by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings. Suggested Reading Level: K-Grade 3
3. Hazel's Theory of Evolution by Lisa Jenn Bigelow. Winner of the Lambda Literary Award: Suggested Reading Level Grade 3-7 
4. George by Alex Gino. Suggested Reading Level: Grade 3-7
5. The Best at It by Maulik Pancholy. Stonwall Honor Book. Suggested Reading Level: Grade 3-7
6. The Other Boy by M.G. Hennessey. Suggested Reading Level: Grade 5-7
7. Gracefully Grayson by Ami Polonsky. Suggested Reading Level: Grade 5-8
8. Heartstopper: Volume 1 by Alice Oseman. (graphic novel). Suggested Reading Level: Grade 7-12
9. When the Moon Was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore. (Winner of 2016 Tiptree Award; long-listed for the 2016 National Book Award for Young People's Literature; Stonewall Book Award Honor; Kirkus Best Book of 2016 and A Booklist Editor's Choice). Suggested Reading Level: Grade 7-12
10. As the Crow Flies by Melanie Gillman (graphic novel). Suggested Reading Level: Grade 8-12
11. Symptoms of Being Human by Jeff Garvin. Suggested Reading Level: Grade 9-12
12. What if It's Us by Becky Albertalli. New York Times bestseller. Suggested Reading Level: Grade 9-12
13. Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo. ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults Award; Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book Award; Kirkus Reviews Best Young Adult Book. Suggested Reading Level: Grade 9-12
14. The Book of Pride by Mason Funk. (Non-fiction)
15. Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin (Non-fiction)
16. Sex Discrimination by Peggy Parks (Non-fiction)
17. Is Gender Fluid? A Primer for the 21st Century by Sally Hines (Non-fiction)
18. Teens and Gender Dysphoria by Don Nardo (Non-fiction)
19. Gender Equality by Sean Connolly (Non-fiction)

Purchased (soon to be delivered/added):

1. King and the Dragonflies by Kacen Callender (2020 National Book Award Winner). Suggested Reading Level: Grade 3-7
2. The Fabulous Zed Watson by Kevin Sylvester. Suggested Reading Level: Grade 3-7
3. Birdie and Me by J.M.M. Nuanez. Suggested Reading Level: Grade 5-9
4. Spin with Me by Ami Polonsky. Suggested Reading Level: Grade 5-8
5. Always Human by Ari North. Suggested Reading Level: Grade 7-12
6. Pet by Akwaeke Emezi. Suggested Reading Level: Grade 7-12
7. The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen (graphic novel). Suggested Reading Level Grade 7-12
8. Like a Love Story by Abdi Nazemian. Suggested Reading Level: Grade 8-12
9. Mask of Shadows fantasy series by Linsey Miller. Suggested Reading Level: Grade 9-12
10. 19 Love Songs by David Levithan (short-story collection). Suggested Reading Level: Grade 9-12
11. Break in Case of Emergency by Brian Francis. Suggested Reading Level: Grade 9-12
12. We Set the Dark on Fire series by Tehlor Kay Mejia. Suggested Reading Level: Grade 9-12
13. The Black Flamingo (novel in verse). Suggested Reading Level: Grade 9-12
14. Flamer by Mike Curato (graphic novel). Suggested Reading Level: Grade 9-12
15. Proud to Play: Canadian LGBTQ+ Athletes Who Made History by Erin Silver. (Non-fiction) 

Bullying Facts

Alberta bullying statistics from the Alberta Civil Liberties Centre:

• 1 in 3 adolescent students report being bullied in the past three months.
• Bullying peaks for boys in Grade 9 (37 per cent) and for girls in grades 8 and 9 (28 per cent).
• In a 2006 study, 39 per cent of students reported they were bullied, and 20 per cent reported both bullying and being themselves.
• On a national scale, Canada ranks 26th and 27th among 35 countries on the bullying and victimization scales, respectively, among 13-year-old students.

According to the centre, sexual harassment is the No. 1 form of bullying, and 66 per cent of that harassment involves sexual comments, jokes, gestures, looks and 49 per cent involving touching, pinching or grabbing in a sexual way. More disturbing is the fact that 81 per cent of youth reported having been sexually harassed, with 35 per cent stating they first experienced sexual harassment in elementary school.

"Bullying is a repeated and hostile or demeaning behaviour intended to cause harm, fear or distress, including psychological harm or harm to a person's reputation. It often involves an imbalance of social or physical power." Alberta Education

Alberta Education identifies bullying behaviours as a form of aggression and can be:

• Physical, such as poking, elbowing, hitting
• Verbal, such as name-calling, insults, racist, sexist or homophobic comments, put-downs or threats
• Social, such as gossiping, spreading rumours, excluding someone from the group, isolating, ganging up
• Cyber, such as social or verbal bullying through the use of email, text messages or social media posts
• Bullying is "very much a group phenomenon," states Alberta Education's website for educators, noting 85 per cent of bullying takes place in the presence of others. This is why the department has introduced several initiatives to address bulling in schools, including the Respect in School online training program to prevent abuse, bullying, harassment and discrimination in schools.

Bullying Prevention

Reporting incidents of bullying is also a major part in defeating it, whether that is to our parents/guardians, our teachers, our principals, our administrators, our bosses. Alberta Education has recognized that, "bullying prevention is an ongoing, collaborative, problem-solving process that is an essential part of creating welcoming, caring, respectful and safe learning environments," and as such, requires a comprehensive approach.

That approach is two-fold: The role of adults and the role of the student body/community. Together, bullying behaviour can be nipped in the bud, reported, addressed, and the message of kindness and the importance of positive relationships can be promoted in a strategic action plan. For these initiatives to work, everyone needs to be involved, from students and their parents or guardians to educators and administrators.

To fight bullying takes a massive effort from all parties involved but the ripples are worth it!

Our world can do with a lot more kindness these days, so let's all Get in the Pink!

Literary Resources

Red: A Crayon's Story by Michael Hall read-along with Miss Winnie, PBS Kids:

I am Jazz by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings read-along by Jazz Jennings:

Q&A with Ami Polonsky on her book Gracefully Grayson

Other Digital Resources

Edmonton Police Service Cyber Bullying Prevention Video:

On Nov. 17, 2011, 150 students and staff from St. Albert Catholic Schools joined then Alberta Education Minister Thomas Lukaszuk and CTV's Josh Classen in a flash mob at Kingsway Mall in Edmonton to stand up to bullying:

Alberta 24-7 Bullying Prevention Helpline: 1-888-456-2323 (toll-free)

Lovestruck Part 2: Blind Date With a Book

Dating can be tough, but a blind date, well that's just asking for a letdown — right?

Not necessarily, especially when that blind date is a book you never thought of checking out!

I began doing Blind Date With A Book about five years ago. It's a wonderful way for students to connect with a book that they may not have ordinarily given a second glance, due to its cover, genre, age, or format. Blind dates, after all, come with a mystery to their character, their histories, their stories.  So, when we give them a chance to reveal their personalities, they often surprise us and the date ends with a new appreciation and sometimes, a blossoming love.

During a normal year, students could come to the Learning Commons and select their blind date from a display of prepackaged, heart-decorated dates that have humourous puns on the packaging that would give clues to the date's personality. The packages would have copied barcodes glued to the back so the dates could be checked out without the students knowing the dates' true identities. With the advent of a pandemic, however, the process looks a little different, albeit just as fun!

This year, to order a blind date, all students need to do is use the Online Book Order Form and instead of typing in the name of the book they want to check out in the "Title" section, all they need to do is type in Blind Date instead. They can even add the preferred personality (aka genre) of their blind date, such as:

• Humour
• Mystery 
• Science Fiction
• Suspense/Thriller
• Action and Adventure 
• Horror
• Romance
• Fantasy
• Magical
• Dystopian
• Historical Fiction (fictional stories based on historic events)
• Real Fiction (fictional stories based on real-life events)
• Animal Fiction (stories were animals are the main characters: ie. Warriors, Puppy Tales, A Dog's Purpose)
• LGBTQ
• Graphic Novel
• Fiction in Verse (Poetry)
• Or a combination of two genres! 
  
  
  

After submitting their orders, I get to work selecting a date for the students, packaging the dates in envelopes decorated with hearts and a couple of puns about their date's personalities/characters, include Valentine's Day Bookmarks, seal it all up and quarantine the dates for three days, as per the Learning Commons' protocols, and then they are delivered to the students' classrooms on the Heart Cart!

Blind Date With a Book will be running all through the month of February, so as many students as possible can have the opportunity to enter the book-dating scene!

As of 8 a.m. on Feb. 10, I've fixed up 32 blind dates for students!

And that is one love story that will stand the test of time: The love of reading something new!

Lovestruck Part 1: Black History Month

Love.

For four letters, it can stir up some drastic emotions, especially when they involve someone we want to spend the rest of our lives with. However, love can be applied to a multitude of reactions, not the least of which is acceptance and respect. So, while February has long been referred to as the Month of Love, with Valentine's Day on Feb. 14, I find it quite appropriate that February is also Black History Month and the month when we don rosey attire for Pink Shirt Day Feb. 24, to draw attention to the plight against bullying.

They may all seem to be mashed into 28 days but they can all be boiled down to four letters: L-O-V-E — for the legacy black Canadians have made in our society, culture and communities; for the new relationships we have, including with books we have yet to read, through Blind Date With a Book; and for others, as we commemorate the anti-bullying Pink Shirt Day.

Part 1: Black History Month

The theme for this year's Black History Month is The Future is Now, and with the advent of the Black Lives Matter Movement in Canada, the future is indeed now, and it has never been more relevant to our perceptions, treatment, and governance of people of colour. To think about our future as a nation of colour, we have to invest the time and energy into looking into our past to see how we got to where we are, and the journey forward, whether it is paved with pebbles or boulders. And like all good journeys, ours to the future begins with a map of the past. It will come as a shock to many that Canada wasn't always the refuge for slaves fleeing the South; it was also a nation of enslavement itself.

Much like our American neighbour, the enslavement of African peoples in what was then British North America (early-day Canada) was a legal means to have an easily accessible labour force to fuel colonial enterprise. European traders and colonists in New France participated in the buying, selling and enslavement of black people beginning in the early 1600s, and that practice lasted throughout British North America until 1834, when it was abolished. Whether they were the first enslaved people (indigenous; panis) or the last (black; domestique), their existence was legalized, fostered, and encouraged through legislation.

According to the Canadian Encyclopedia, there were about 4,200 slaves in New France at the peak of slavery, about 2,700 of whom were indigenous who were enslaved until 1783, and at least 1,443 were black people enslaved between the late 1600s and 1831. Slavery in Canada was given a boost around the time of the American Revolution, when the Imperial Statute of 1790 encouraged United Empire Loyalists in the U.S. to bring their slaves north between 1775-1783. All toll, about 3,000 enslaved people of African descent were brought into British North America and by the l790s, the number of enslaved black people in the Maritimes (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island) was 1,200-2,000, with about another 300 in Lower Canada (Quebec) and 500-700 in Upper Canada (Ontario).

We often wonder in present-day why racism and discrimination towards black and indigenous peoples in North America are so rooted in our societies and in my view, it can all be traced back to slavery: Initiating a caste system that puts one people lower in rank than others for the sole purpose of cheap labour and the ability to call oneself above a certain station — that of a slave. In Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Pulitzer-Prize winning and New York Times bestselling author Isabel Wilkerson, Wilkerson wrote: "As we go about our daily lives, caste is the wordless usher in a darkened theatre, flashlight cast down in the aisles, guiding us to our assigned seats for a performance. The hierarchy of caste is not about feelings or morality. It is about power, which groups have it and which do not."

But this is a blog about accomplishments: of rising above and making a difference because slave or free, black people and their communities have shaped nearly every aspect of Canadian society since the arrival of Mathieu DaCosta in the 1600s, a free man who was thought to be the first black person to arrive in British North America. Da Costa was employed as a navigator and interpreter for Samuel de Champlain. 

So let's turn our gaze closer to home, Alberta, where there have been black people living in our province since before the 1870s, working as fur traders or cowboys. According to Alberta's Heritage Community Foundation, there were 37 documented black settlers in the province in 1901, a number that grew tremendously after advertisements were placed in Oklahoma newspapers looking for settlers to move to province. Between 1908 and 1911, more than 1,000 black people migrated north to Alberta, as a result. However, upon their arrival, they were treated with the same racism and discrimination they had undergone in Oklahoma. Advertisements to discourage black migration were subsequently placed in newspapers in the U.S. state but despite this deterrent, their numbers grew as more and more fled north. In 1911, the Boards of Trade in Strathcona, Calgary, Fort Saskatchewan and Morinville drafted a petition containing more than 3,000 signatures to Prime Minister Sir. Wilfrid Laurier opposing the entry of any more blacks into the province. Despite this overt unwelcome message, the black communities in Alberta survived and even thrived in the earlier part of the 20th century. Amber Valley, Junkins (now Wildwood), Keystone (now Breton) and Campsie were established by some of Alberta's most resourceful black pioneers.

Leaving a Legacy

Black History Month in Canada would probably have never took hold if not for the groundwork done by former slave owner, Lieutenant Governor John Graves Simcoe. Long before slavery would be abolished in 1834, Simcoe urged government to pass the Anti-Slavery Act, which would free slaves 25 years old and older, and making it illegal to bring slaves into Upper Canada. This sparked the beginning of the Underground Railroad which, from 1800-1865, saw 20,000 black slaves smuggled into Upper Canada from the United States. Upon their arrival, they set to work making a life for themselves, and beginning a legacy of involvement and heritage.

Two such examples were Thornton and Lucie Blackburn, who after escaping slavery in Louisville, Kentucky, arrived in Toronto via the Underground Railroad in the 1830s, and then Thornton proceeded to start Toronto's first cab company. The couple took part in anti-slavery activities and donated time and money to assist other refugees in Canada. The duo were given the distinction of being "persons of national historic significance" by the Canadian government in 1999.

In 2008, the Senate passed a motion to recognize black Canadians and recognize February as Black History Month. In that motion, the legacy of notable black Canadians were highlighted, including:

• Rose Fortune: North America's first black policewoman, as well as being an accomplished businesswoman and entrepreneur
• William Hall: A seaman in the British Royal Navy who became the first black man to win the Victoria Cross
• Anderson Ruffin Abbot: The first Canadian-born black person to graduate from medical school. He was a surgeon in Toronto and served as a civilian surgeon for the Union Army in the American Civil War
• James Robinson Johnston: The first black graduate of the Dalhousie Law School (in fact, the first black Canadian to graduate from any university). He would later become a lawyer, politician and judge.
• Portia White: One of Canada's greatest contraltos was considered one of the best classical singers of the 20th century, and paved the way for many other black musicians
• Viola Desmond: Nova Scotia activist and businesswoman who challenged racial segregation at a cinema in new Glasgow, N.S., in 1946, by refusing to leave the whites-only section.
• Harry Jerome: The black Canadian sprinter to hold both the 100-yard and 100-metre records. Born in Prince Albert, Sask. in 1940, he was also a teacher and consultant.
• Lincoln MacCauley Alexander: The first black Member of Parliament in the Canadian House of Commons in 1968, as well as being the first black Lieutenant Governor of Canada. In 2015, Jan. 21 was proclaimed as Lincoln Alexander Day across Canada for his many accomplishments
• George Elliott Clark: Toronto poet, novelist and playwright who spent his life exploring the black culture and heritage of black Nova Scotia, earning a bachelors from the University of Waterloo, a masters from Dalhousie University and a doctorate from Queen's University along the way. His poetry collection includes Execution Poem: The Black Acadian Tragedy of George and Rue (2001), which won the Governor General's Literary Award.
• Carrie Best: Human rights activist, journalist, broadcaster and founder of The Clarion, the first black-owned and published newspaper in Nova Scotia
• Austin Clarke: Teacher and renowned novelist, Clarke was awarded Canada's most prestigious annual award for fiction, the Giller Prize, for his novel, The Polished Hoe
• Maxine Tynes: Tynes was a celebrated poet and teacher, as well as being the first African Canadian to be appointed a member of the Board of Governors of Dalhousie University
• Betty Riley: Of Saint John, N.B., Riley was the first black female television producer in Canada, airing the first all-black television program, Black Is, which dealt with issues that the black community faced, which was broadcasted every week in Montreal.
• Oscar Peterson: Eminent jazz musician and Chancellor of York University in Toronto, Peterson joined the Johnny Holmes Orchestra in Montreal while still in high school and later formed his own trio, which further established him as a renowned performer in Canada, including being named Jazz Pianist of the Year in 1950, the Praemium Imperiale (the arts equivalent of the Nobel Prize, presented by the Japan Art Association), the UNESCO International Music Prize, eight-time Grammy Awards' winner, and three-time winner of the 1993 Glenn Gould Prize.
• Wayne Adams: Politician, journalist, activist and entrepreneur, Adams was the first black person elected to the Nova Scotia Legislative Assembly and the first black cabinet minister in Nova Scotia. He received the Order of Canada and the Order of Nova Scotia.

From the serving in the many British North American and Canadian conflicts, including the War of 1812, to the all-black Coloured Hockey League of the Maritimes, which was founded in Nova Scotia in 1895, to artists, musicians, activists, politicians and journalists, the black community in Canada has a long history of stepping up, stepping out, and stepping forward for many to walk behind.

In fact, their legacy in the Maritimes can be further researched through many historic associations, post-secondary institutions and news agencies, including The University of New Brunswick, The Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia: African Nova Scotia Museum and Black Cultural Society, The Black Cultural Society of Prince Edward Island, CBC: The 'hidden' history of The Bog--Charlottetown's forgotten black neighbourhood.

Origin of Black History Month in Canada

In 1978, the Ontario Black History Society (OBHS) formerly proclaiming February as Black History Month. The following year, the first-ever Canadian proclamation was made by the City of Toronto. Ten years after the OBHS made its declaration, Nova Scotia designated February as Black History Month in 1988, which was renamed as African Heritage Month in 1996. In 1993, OBHS's motion to the Ontario government to make its proclamation a provincial one was successful and paved the way for a national proclamation in the House of Commons in 1995.
To further solidify the legacy of the black community in Canada, the Senate introduced the Motion to Recognize Contributions of Black Canadians and February as Black History Month in February 2008.

eLibrary Literature Resources

Twelve Mile Coulee's Learning Commons has an abundance of BIPOC resources in our collection, including the following focusing on black history, particularly that of the migration of black people south of our boarder to parts of Upper Canada and the Maritimes via the Underground Railroad. To put in your eLibrary book order for any of the noted books below, just click on the title links and get the relevant information to input into our online book order form:

• Black Heritage by Robert Livesey
• Meet Willie O'Ree by Elizabeth MacLeod
• Meet Viola Desmond by Elizabeth MacLeod
• Africville: An African Nova Scotia Community is Demolished--and Fights Back by Gloria Wesley
• Morning Star by Judith Plaxon
• Rachel: A Mighty Big Imagining by Lynne Kositsky
• The Underground Railroad by Christina Dendy
• A Desperate Road to Freedom: The Underground Railroad Diary of Julia May Jackson by Karleen Bradford
• Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad by Michael Martin
• Harriet Tubman: The Life of an African-American Abolitionist by Rob Shone
• I Came as a Stranger: The Underground Railroad by Bryan Prince
• If I had Two Wings by Virginia Frances Schwartz
• Stealing South: A Story of the Underground Railroad by Katherine Ayres
• Underground to Canada by Barbara Smucker
• North by Night: A Story of the Underground Railroad by Katherine Ayres
• The Underground Railroad by Raymond Bial
• Aunt Harriet's Underground Railroad in the Sky by Faith Ringgold
• The Underground Railroad by Shaaron Cosner
• Crossing to Freedom by Virginia Frances Schwartz
• Season of Rage: Hugh Burnett and the Struggle for Civil Rights by John Cooper
• Jarome Iginla: How NHL's First Black Capitain Gives Back by Nicole Mortillaro
• John Ware by Ian Hundey
• Last Days in Africville by Dorothy Perkyns
• Her Story: Women From Canada's Past by Susan E. Merritt
• Trials and Triumphs: The Story of African-Canadians by Lawrence Hill
• Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Who Helped Win the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly
• To the Rescue! Garrett Morgan Underground by Monica Kulling
• The People Could Fly by Virginia Hamilton
• Big Star Fallin' Mama: Five Women in Black Music by Hettie Jones
• Booker T. Washington by Alan Schroeder
• Blacks in Deep Snow: Black Pioneers in Canada by Colin A. Thomson

Digital Resources

To learn more about black history in Canada, watch the following videos:

Black History Month: Canada 2021

Government of Canada: Proud of Our History