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Black Heritage Month YP | 2025 Wednesday Evening Presentations

We're starting our Black Heritage Month celebrations a little early this year. Join us as we kick off a series of presentations featuring inspiring individuals who are making impactful contributions to our society.

January 29, 7:00 p.m.
Dr. James Abbington
Associate Professor, Church Music and Worship, Emory University in Atlanta, GA
"Prayer and Praise Hymns of the Black Religious Experience"

One of the most respected choir directors, musicians and authors, James Abbington is a popular speaker, performer and conductor at universities, conferences, symposiums and churches around the world.

Dr. Abbington served as Minister of Music and Church Organist of the Hartford Memorial Baptist Church in Detroit from 1983 -1996. From 2000 to 2010, Dr. Abbington served as co-director of music for the Hampton University Ministers' and Musicians' Conference, and as the national director of music for both the Progressive National Baptist Convention and the NAACP. In 2010, Hampton's Choir Directors and Organists Guild honored Abbington by naming their Church Music Academy after him, and in 2015, he became the second African American to be named a Fellow of The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada.

February 5, 7:00 p.m.
Bernice Carnegie

Bernice Carnegie is a lifelong advocate and change agent for social justice and harmony. An international speaker, storyteller, and author, she engages a wide range of audiences providing new perspectives and life lessons learned from her Black, bi-racial and blended families. Bernice is proud of the three decades she worked hand in hand with her father, Canadian icon, hockey and educational trailblazer, Herbert Henry Carnegie. With her parents she co-founded the Future Aces Foundation in 1987 and for seventeen years as Executive Director, led an education team that enhanced safe school programs in hundreds of schools.

More recently she also co-founded a second charitable organization, The Carnegie Initiative for Inclusion and Acceptance in Hockey. Through the medium of hockey, she continues to promote positive cultural and societal change.

February 12, 7:00 p.m.
The Honourable Dr. Jean Augustine P.C., C.M., O.Ont., C.B.E.

Jean Augustine made history as the first Black Woman elected to Canada's Parliament, serving from 1993-2006. Her roles included Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister; Minister for Multiculturalism and the Status of Women; Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee; and Deputy Speaker. Her legislative successes include both the historic Black History Month Motion, and the Famous Five Motion honouring women's suffrage.

She is a member of the Order of Canada and Commander of the Order of the British Empire; holds honourary doctorates from the universities of McGill, Toronto, York, Windsor, Waterloo, Guelph, and Trent; and supports scholarships at Centennial College, George Brown, and Humber College.

February 19, 7:00 p.m.
R. David Mitchell

David Mitchell was raised in Toronto Community Housing (TCHC) growing up in Lawrence Heights. With a varied background in Community/Youth work, Criminal Justice and Diversity, David was the founding President of the Association of Black Law Enforcers (A.B.L.E.).

David has spoken internationally in the United States, United Kingdom, Jamaica, and South Africa on the role of Minority Law Enforcement Associations in Police/Community Relations. In 2011, he received the Ontario Women in Law Enforcement President's Award and in April 2012 David received the African Canadian Achievement Award for Law. 2018 saw him receive the Transformation Institute Award for Leadership and in 2022 he received the prestigious Harry Jerome Award for Decade Leadership.

Mr. Mitchell was promoted to Assistant Deputy Minister (ADM) of the Youth Justice Division in 2016 making him the first Black ADM for Youth Justice (Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services.) After 35 years of service in the OPS David retired in 2023. He is currently the Community Co-Chair for the Durham Regional Police Diversity Advisory Committee and a part-time lecturer at Centennial College in the Police Foundations Program.

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