Our team is comprised of powerful #BlackLivesMatter – Toronto community educators, parents, and caregivers. Our team participates in a 2 day orientation and training prior to the start of the summer. Our core team of educators and team leaders all have extensive experience working with children in various contexts. Please see below for a list of team members and their roles:
LeRoi Newbold is a steering committee member of BlackLivesMatter – Toronto, and has designed Afrocentric/Black focused curriculum and taught at the Africentric Alternative School for the past 7 years. LeRoi has worked with children and youth for the past 14 years as a teacher, early childhood educator, youth facilitator and arts facilitator.
Emmanuel Ruta is a queer, Black educator interested in transformative education for young children. He currently teaches in the Peel Region.
Hawa Sabriye is an Occasional Teacher with the Toronto District School Board and is currently completing her Masters of Education at York University. She has been working with children in camp, community and school settings for the past 8 years. She believes in the importance of cultivating self-love and awareness in black children at a very young age and is excited to be apart of Black Lives Matter Toronto’s Freedom School!
Naomi Bain is an activist, writer, community educator and educational consultant. Naomi has 7 year experience working with children both in classroom and camp settings. She currently works with schools across Ontario helping librarians and educators curate their library collections. Naomi believes children have an essential part in bringing about change in the world, “by teaching children essential skills and love of literature we help prepare them to be the best that they can be
Nauoda Robinson – Been child minding since my teen years. I’m a fun, passionate, nurturing, communicative, anti-racist/revolutionary raised child minder, and single parent to a 2.5 year old. Learning through play & daily activities is big with me – active, with a variety of learning styles are incorporated to help with a child’s social skills and confidence.
Ki is a Black queer, non-binary transmasculine community care giver, healer & spirit warrior, they are super excited to be working with BLM Freedom School as afternoon toddler room support. ki is an aspiring Child & Youth Care Worker and hopes to participate in the raising of many children in a variety of different ways. Currently as the roommate & childcare provider of a toddler ki’s approach values play, exploration, care/sensitivity, and boundary setting.
Nadijah Robinson is an artist and educator working with skills developed from practices such as sewing, printmaking, batik making, filmmaking, painting, and graphic design. Nadijah’s work combines what is needed to construct an affecting image, object or experience. Community is not only important to Nadijah’s practice as an audience or as a source of content, but also as the purpose of her work. She tells her own stories, and her communities’, for the purpose of healing.
Kike is a queer, Nigerian, mixed-media community artist. Kike: My dedication to social justice and black liberation, my love for children, as well as my belief in the transformative powers of art – particularly given as tools to our children and youth is what brings me here and why I do the work I do. I’ve gained experience through paid and volunteer childcare, as well as facilitation through leading workshops with elders, children and youth in the community, creating a safer space for us all to harvest and share our stories.
Perry is 29, white and uses they/them pronouns. Perry has been driving a school bus for the Toronto District School Board for two years and is committed to empowering youth to be their most authentic selves.