Editor's Note: The article has been updated from its original version published on April 26, 2021, with corrections made on details of the group members and the group's mission.
Local non-profit group ‘Rise Up BWG’ is hosting their first virtual event, Making Change, sparking conversations around diversity and inclusion with attention on the Black Lives Matter movement, featuring guest speaker Amber Beckett (facilitator and educator with the Making Change corporation).
The free online event takes place Wednesday, April 28 7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Guests are welcome to drop in or pre-register here.
Rise Up BWG is a community organization founded last year by five local women who met through divine intervention at the Black Lives Matter rally last summer at the Bradford West Gwillimbury Leisure Centre. The group was officially formed in the fall of 2020 by Julie Kumar (founder of the BWG Diversity Action Group), Jennifer Lloyd (co-Founder of Bradford Women’s+ Group), Cheraldean McDonald Duhaney (founder of IMPACT Youth), Nadia Sinclair, and Michelle Melo.
"Rise Up BWG is about rising up out of the way we think!” said Duhaney, who spoke at the recent Anti-Black Racism flag raising in Bradford. “Together we stand, divided we fall… if we come together, we are strong together and get more done!”
Group members come from diverse backgrounds including Jamaican, and Indian. They strive to share their lived experiences and bring unity through education and awareness of anti-racism initiatives.
Guest speaker Amber Beckett from Making Change will be presenting during the event, sparking conversations and discussions around diversity and inclusion.
Beckett has a degree in medical science and has worked as an educator with various school boards. She is a lead instructor at Hello Code, a debate adjudicator, and former area director for Toastmasters. She has led many formal community forums and is an official ‘Ask Deep Questions’ facilitator with Making Change.
Guests will have an opportunity to participate in an open discussion at the end of the event while being mindful and respectful of the sensitive nature of the conversation topic(s).
To learn more about Rise Up BWG, visit here.
To learn more about Making Change, visit here.
