Ottawa leaders honoured by DreamKeepers
by Ruth Aman
Monday 16 January 2023
On January 16, 2023, Ottawa continued its annual tradition of celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day. In an event hosted by the DreamKEEPERS and located within Ottawa’s City Hall, distinguished guests, community activists, and students were welcomed to a special program.
The DreamKEEPERS is an organization that is committed to honouring the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. They do this by undertaking initiatives within the community and also holding ceremonies in which exceptional individuals are recognized for their hard work.
Martin Luther King day is typically celebrated on the third Monday of the year which is near MLK Jr’s birthday, the 15th of January. Though Martin Luther King Jr was primarily an American civil rights icon, his legacy is prominent within the nation of Canada as well. That being said, many major cities in Canada commemorate the holiday such as Ottawa, Montreal, and Toronto though it is not an official statutory holiday. The holiday was officially commemorated in Ottawa and the celebration commenced on January 26 2005. This is the 18th year in which the city is celebrating the legacy of Dr. King.
Hosted by Ketcia Peters, an entrepreneur and community advocate for economic development for Black Canadians, and with over one hundred people in attendance, the event united individuals of all ages and stages of life. Peters thanked all who were involved in bringing together the event and then began to reflect on the impact of Dr. King. To her, honouring the life and legacy of Dr. King would mean for us to continue advocating for justice in economic, social, and political systems and not be satisfied with what we see now.
First item of the afternoon was a special tribute to Dr. Reverend Anthony Bailey, with citations read by June Girvan and Rabbi Idan Scher. Reverend Bailey is a long-time community advocate for equality, justice, and the celebration of Black lives in Ottawa. As the previous long-time host of the DreamKEEPER’S MLK Jr. Day celebration, this year was his turn to be rightfully honoured.
Girvan described Bailey as a community pastor and a real disciple of Jesus. Reflecting on their long history working together, She stated that Bailey was truly necessary to the city and the nation, while Rabbi Scher then called him the ‘stone of transformational hope’ within the community. He spoke about the bond formed between the Jewish community and the Christian community in the midst of anti-Semitic hate crimes, in which Reverend Bailey aligned his resources and goodwill to support the community in rebuilding.
Reverend Bailey was presented with an award and then gave a short speech in which he simply stated that all he is doing is not for fame, not for glory, but just to be faithful to the calling that he has received from God. With Dr. King as his role model, he was striving to make a difference and devote himself to the success of his community. He also reminded guests that community was necessary, noting that no man is an island and that self-sufficiency is the greatest downfall of our society. In his words, when we are together and focus on a common goal, it will not be too long till we reach the promised land.
Following this was the presentation of the 2023 Martin Luther King Jr Day proclamation read by Mayor Mark Sutcliffe. After this, the award ceremony commenced.
This year’s June Girvan DreamKEEPERS Youth in Service award was given to Naila Moloo, a 16-year-old girl working on numerous projects using innovative technology for climate solutions. From hosting her own podcast to working on a fantasy novel, Moloo is passionate about creating platforms where youth worldwide can easily access knowledge of all sorts and be inspired. She is especially concerned with finding solutions for climate issues as she knows that it largely affects people of colour and those who are at a socioeconomic disadvantage.
The awards for Outstanding Leadership were presented to Tony House and Senator Andrew Cardozo.
Tony House was introduced as a great man who has coached basketball for over 35 years. His teams have won national championships and he currently leads one of the top basketball programs in Canada, the Ottawa Elite program. Tony House is also the head basketball coach at Notre Dame High School in Ottawa. Nominated by an anonymous individual, House was delighted to have won and spoke to the diversity in his role as a coach. Not only is he a coach to his players, but also a guidance counsellor, a parent, and a role model to the many youths he encounters.
Senator Andrew Cardozo was highlighted as ‘the model Ottawa public servant’ who worked tirelessly in the implementation of national public policy reform from within the system itself. Among his many achievements and accomplishments is his involvement in writing the Canadian Multiculturalism Act of 1988, playing a key role in the licensing of the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network and also being the former commissioner of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission.
In a brief intermission, the Kamengo Cultural Troupe of Uganda presented a traditional drumming and dancing performance for all the guests.
The 2023 Jean Augustine DreamKEEPERS Life Achievement award was given to the Prime Minister, the Right Honorable Justin Trudeau. Receiving the award on his behalf were Members of Parliament, Greg Fergus and Anita Vandenbeld received the award.
The second Life Achievement award was presented to César Ndema-Moussa, an individual with extensive legal background who has 20 years of experience supporting Black families by providing informational workshops, conferences and financial aid.
This year’s keynote speaker was Floydeen Charles-Fridal. Introduced by Lyse-Pascal Inamuco, the Executive Director of the Centre de services à la famille, Région de la capitale nationale. Charles-Fridal is currently the executive director of the Caribbean African Canadian Social Services (CAFCAN) in Toronto and has worked as a program director at Rexdale Community Health Centre, served with the Black Health Alliance, and has been involved with numerous initiatives within the GTA area supporting the health of Black youth.
The event was concluded with closing statements from Ketcia Peters and all guests left inspired by the stories, life and work of all those honoured in the award ceremony. Thanks to the DreamKEEPER’s, the vision of Martin Luther King Jr is pushed forward by the celebration of the awardees in the community.
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Ruth Aman is a Project Officer with Black History Ottawa. She holds a Bachelor of Global and International Studies (Honors) degree, with a specialization in Law and Social Justice from Carleton University.