Charline Grant
Charline Grant
Chief Advocacy OfficerCharline Grant
Charline is a mother of three children and a wife who led the fight to take on the York Region District School Board to defend and advocate for her children and others against systematic racism. Charline is known for her courageous efforts to improve the York Region District School Board. Her efforts led to provincial changes in education; increased accountability and transparency around finances; and equity training within the York Region District School Board. Currently a local business owner in Vaughan and a former law clerk, Charline earned a diploma from Centennial College and has her real estate license from the Ontario Real Estate Association College. She has over 20 years of legal, real estate, and management experience. Charline is a recipient of the Courage Award from the National Council of Canadian Muslims and the President’s Award from the Association of Black Law Enforcers. Charline was also a trustee candidate in the 2018 Municipal Election.
Topics Covered:
- Advocacy
- Systems Navigation
- Equity
- Child Welfare
Claudette Howell Rutherford
Claudette Howell Rutherford
Executive Lead, Education Research and EvaluationClaudette Howell Rutherford
Claudette Howell Rutherford is a wife and a mother of 3 children. She has been an educator in Social Science and Humanities for 20 years. Claudette was a 2018 recipient of the York Region District School Board Applause Award for outstanding contributions to education and is currently on secondment at the Ministry of Education. Claudette previously served as President and Director of Youth & Education Programs for the Markham African Caribbean Canadian Association and was one of the co-founders of Parents of Black Children.
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Claudette sits on the OACAS Education Outcomes Strategy Committee and is a roster member at the Ontario College of Teachers. Claudette is currently completing a Master in Education in Social Justice Education at OISE (U of T) and recently published an article on Educating against Anti-Black racism which she co-authored with renowned antiracism scholar George Sefa Dei. Claudette runs her own private consulting firm, developing curriculum resources and offers, professional development and strategic planning services from an anti-oppression lens. She serves on several municipal and provincial steering committees championing race equity and is an Op. Ed contributor for the Centre for Integrative Anti-Racism Studies.
Topics Covered:
- Anti-racist Education
- System Leadership
- Education System
- Teaching Approaches
De’Ann Edwards
De’Ann Edwards
Outreach and Government Relations AnalystDe'Ann Edwards
De’Ann was born in Canada and raised in the United States of America. She has always been intrigued by philanthropic work and was privileged to experience various cultures and ethnicities. As a child, she faced the harsh reality that not everyone receives equal treatment in society, recognizing that the struggles within the community resulted from more significant problems of social injustice, discrimination, and racism. From age ten, she knew she would dedicate her life to raising awareness and advocating for change for minority groups and communities.
De’Ann graduated from Ontario Tech University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, specializing in Social Justice, Globalization, and Development. De’Ann is presently a student at Arizona State University enrolled in the Social Justice and Human Rights MA program (online).
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Through volunteer opportunities and community work, she has developed a strong knowledge of the nation’s and Ontario’s legislative offices and parliament. De’Ann is a passionate dual citizen of Canada and the United States of America, which has made her diverse in both nations’ politics. Eager to learn everything there is to know about social justice, policy, and governance, through her work with POBC, she has been able to advocate and educate others on the harms of Anti-Black Racism in the education system across Canada and the United States.
Her academic and career goals include exploring the effectiveness and ability of education systems and systems alike to serve students belonging to minority groups when policies, procedures, and foundational principles of these systems date back to times of colonialism and white supremacy. The only system that has yet to face significant changes and restructuring is the education system. De’Ann believes it is time to reconsider and reimagine the formative years of education. It is time for education to evolve.
Topics Covered:
- Advocacy
- Policy Analyzation
- Equitable System Development
PoBC Knowledge Exchange Centre
The PoBC Knowledge Exchange Centre, is a stand-alone non-profit organization dedicated to exchanging knowledge-sharing initiatives and resources to dismantle anti-Black racism. As leaders within anti-Black racism advocacy, PoBC will facilitate learning and knowledge-sharing sessions that will create transformational change, accountability and a peaceful existence for Black people across all systems.
Student and Family Advocate Program (SFA)
There are 17 Black-led organizations with SFAs across Ontario. The SFA program is ‘Systems Navigation’ by another name. We are your village. No matter what type of support you need we’ll stand beside you as you engage with your child’s school.