Delmore Buddy Daye Learning Institute
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2019-20 Delmore “Buddy” Daye Learning Institute Excellence in Africentric Education & Research Lift Every Voice and Sing (The Black National Anthem) poem by: James Weldon Johnson music by: John Rosamond Johnson $ Lift every voice and sing till earth and heaven ring ring with the harmonies of Liberty; let our rejoicing rise, high as the listening skies, let it resound loud as the rolling sea. Sing a song full of faith that the dark past has taught us, sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us; facing the rising sun of a new day begun, let us march on till victory is won. $ Stony the road we trod, bitter the chast’ning rod, felt in the day that hope unborn had died; yet with a steady beat, have not our weary feet, come to the place for which our fathers sighed? We have come over a way that with tears has been watered, we have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered, out from the gloomy past, till now we stand at last where the white gleam of our star is cast. $ God of our weary years, God of our silent tears, Thou who has brought us thus far on the way; Thou who has by Thy might, led us into the light, keep us forever in the path, we pray. Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met Thee, lest our hearts, drunk with the wine of the world, we forget Thee, shadowed beneath Thy hand, may we forever stand, true to our God, true to our native land. Contents 2 Message from the Chair 3 Message from the CEO DBDLI “Habari Gani” 5 Financial Report 6 Human Resources Report 8 Communications Report 9 Youth and Initiatives Report 10 Publishing and Special Projects Report Delmore “Buddy” Daye Learning Institute (DBDLI) Research and Initiatives Report 12 5450 Cornwallis Street 16 Independent Auditor’s Report Halifax, NS B3K 1A9 DBDLI Financial Statements Telephone: (902) 407-3200 18 Toll-Free: 1 (855) 350-3200 DBDLI 2019-20 in Pictures Fax: (902) 407-3263 29 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.dbdli.ca 30 DBDLI “Tyee” Board and Staff flii Report Design: Dan O’Brien, Design North DBDLI • 2019-20 Report to the Community 1 Paul Adams Message from the Chair Jocelyn Dorrington s we ended our operational year in March Halifax Public Libraries to host poetry events that A2020, we, like so many of you, experienced showcased onsite and virtually. The Habari Gani challenges to how we deliver our services, (Reports section) of this Report to the Community stay engaged with our stakeholders, and keep will provide more details in each of our program everyone safe. Amazingly, our staff adjusted, areas. and continues to adjust, our working structure and our program delivery methods in light of Under the theme of “Broadening our Reach the restrictions imposed due to COVID-19. More and Deepening our Impact,” we have accepted importantly, we are devastated by the losses invitations to provide advice and direction based experienced by our community, and by Nova on our Africentric research and education experts. Scotians broadly. Like all Nova Scotians, we are We are co-leading significant national initiatives, moving forward with the memory of those losses such as National Black Canadian Summit; and we and our community’s courage and resiliency. are informing policy, such as Minister Chagger’s Rountable on Black Youth and Community The Delmore “Buddy” Daye Learning Institute concerns that affects the well-being of African has delivered programming and initiatives Nova Scotian communities. The message has throughout the year, continuing what was working been circulating that the National Black Canadian well, adjusting what needed tweaking, starting Summit has been rescheduled, and will now be some new initiatives, broadening our reach, and held in Nova Scotia in March 2021. Once again, deepening our impact. Ancestral Roots Summits the Delmore “Buddy” Daye Learning Institute and the Black Excellence Conferences are two was tapped to be part of the organizing and examples of what is in the basket of events that program development, and to provide service will continue. We do have offshoots from both: leadership behind the young adults on the Local a deeper engagement with Regional Centres Executive Committee. In July 23, 2019, we stood for Education and enhanced collaboration with with almost 40 Black National organizations and university partners, respectively. As we continue with government officials in Ottawa to launch the to be available to assist the African Canadian Canadian National Institute for People of African Services Branch meet its mandate to provide Descent Feasibility Study. This Study recognizes culturally-representative resources for African the unique context of People of African Descent Nova Scotian learners and communities, we have in Nova Scotia and the community work of the enhanced our direct work with established and Institute. As a closing example for this theme, I will budding authors and illustrators. An example of note our partnership with Say It Loud–Promoting a new initiative, a Financial Literacy workshop via Black Pride and Positive Cultural Identity, an Zoom, has readied us to be engaged in some initiative that we use to amplify the voices of Black of the virtual program delivery that will be part youth. Much of the work was designed to be of the “new path forward.” We have partnered online; and an initiative of note with this project is with the Writers Federation of Nova Scotia and the National Black Graduates event. 2 DBDLI • 2019-20 Report to the Community We are proud that African Nova Scotian learners and a staff member, John Wedderburn. The are able to see themselves in resources in the Institute was fortunate to benefit from their skills public school system and in the community and expertise. We will, of course, miss having broadly. Our policy focus work, professional them, but assure them that we will continue to learning experiences, and research are impacting build on what they have given us. how educators engage with our learners and how programs are designed. We understand that In closing, I would like to express much thanks to our research on alternative discipline influenced my fellow board members, both past and present, a willingness to embrace Africentricity in the for their commitment, hard work, contributions, schools to support our learners of African descent and dedication to building the Delmore “Buddy” in feeling more included. For example, some Daye Learning Institute. As well, I offer much Regional Centres for Education have invited thanks to our dedicated and creative staff, the Institute to be part of their planning as they consultants, and service providers for all that develop programming that supports students they do to heighten and build awareness of the feeling included in their schools. Institute through the programs and services that they carry out. Thanks, also, to our funders We had preliminary meetings with our education and partner organizations for their continued partners—the African Canadian Services Branch support of the work we do to build brighter and the Black Educators Association—to design futures for African Nova Scotians and the broader an initiative of a formative research collaboration Nova Scotian community. Lastly, I want to thank to build on the strengths of the Cultural Academic community members for their on-going support and Enrichment Program (CAEP). This was paused of the Institute and the programs and services we due to COVID-19, and will resume in the fall. We deliver. To everyone I say: Stay safe, stay strong, are sitting at a number or curriculum review tables we will move forward together. f to help shape content and instructional delivery. Getting this right will help our learners, and will benefit all learners and educators/instructors. We continue to explore and implement new opportunities to enhance our resource development for both institutional and community use. Our research component is engaged in provincial and national research “A baby on its projects. The Delmore “Buddy” Daye Learning Institute has been successful in our Canadian mother’s back does Heritage grant applications, which has enabled not know the way the Institute to engage in initiatives that focus on greater community engagement. Unfortunately, is long.” like many other projects, they had to be put on - African Proverb hold during this time. I am happy to say that the timeline for these projects has been extended. Our foundation is strong, underpinned by our dedicated board and staff who work hard to achieve our mission, and help us to fulfill the vision of the Delmore “Buddy” Daye Learning Institute. We have with regret bid farewell to two Board members, Dean Smith and Yvonne Atwell, DBDLI • 2019-20 Report to the Community 3 Paul Adams Message from the CEO Sylvia Parris-Drummond n March 2020, we posted the following message Regional Centres for Education. We have served Ion our website: “The Delmore “Buddy” Daye as a policy influencer by contributing advice that Learning Institute is temporarily closed due to impacts the experience of Black Canadians through precautions being taken to protect the safety acting as co-leads with SAY IT LOUD (a national and well-being of the DBDLI Team and the youth initiative focused on Black youth pride public during these difficult and trying times of and cultural identity) and the Canadian Institute COVID-19.” Our community and all Nova Scotians for People of African Descent (CIPAD) Feasibility have been dramatically impacted by COVID-19. Study, and acting as a regional representative with All our hearts have been broken. We join our Meeting of the Minds (a national Black think tank).