Moderated Discussion - Meet the Panelists

Moderated Discussion Harnessing Allyship and Leadership

In recognition of Black History Month, the Newmarket Public Library and the Newmarket African Caribbean Canadian Association are hosting a moderated panel discussion. Moderated by Kim Wheatley, the panel will explore allyship and leadership with three professionals who are actively doing the work to disrupt injustice and inequities.

Tuesday, February 15, 2022 | 7 to 9 p.m.

In partnership with Newmarket Public Library. Free webinar event

Meet the Panelists:

Kim Wheatley - Moderator

Introducing Kim Wheatley

Traditional Anishinaabe Grandmother Kim Wheatley carries Ojibway, Potawatomi and Black ancestry.

She is a band member of Shawanga First Nation and Turtle Clan. Her work revolves around cultural consultation, ceremonies, teachings and event development. As a multi award winning speaker Kim has presented locally, nationally and internationally.

With her diverse background Kim continues to serve by walking the road of reconciliation.

Beatrice Anane-Bediakoh - Panelist

BHM 2020_Panelists4.png Beatrice Anane-Bediakoh is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Sociology at York University. She holds a Master of Education in Humanities, Social Science, and Social Justice Education from the University of Toronto (OISE), and earned her Hons. Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Wilfrid Laurier University. Beatrice's academic work is motivated by an unwavering commitment to the collective struggle for Black freedom(s) and life forms.

Her interests include race and racialization, Black geographies, and the spatialization of race. Grounded in her lived experiences, her dissertation explores how Black people respond to violent forms of spatialized organization and racialization—shaping Black people's patterns of residential mobility and non-mobility - to move out or stay put (in)voluntarily.

She intends to carve out spaces for Black folks to make sense of their own experiences of geographic expulsion, serving as a catalyst in re-imagining and reconstructing landscapes that move beyond Euro-white geographies. Beyond her academic work, she is intimately invested in the Black community, where in partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Peel and the Black Community Advisory Council she participates as Big Sister/ Mentor alongside, offering affordable individualized tutoring services to low-income families in both Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area.

Melissa .P. McLetchie - Panelist

Melissa McLetchie is a 3rd year Ph.D. candidate of Caribbean descent in the Department of Sociology at York University.

She grew up in the City of Scarborough in Toronto, Ontario, and uses her experiences of supporting her imprisoned loved ones to guide her academic research.

Her work examines the collateral consequences of imprisonment and the Canadian criminal punishment system, particularly the impact of incarceration on the families of Black Canadian prisoners.

Mollie Coles Tonn - Panelist

Mollie Coles Tonn is a mother, writer, poet and community organizer living in Newmarket, Ontario.

She has BA from York University majoring in Social Science with a stream in Social Justice Studies.

She has 20 years experience working with the non-profit sector and continues to study anti-oppressive practice and allyship through personal reflection, community engagement and supportive mentors.

She is the co-creator of The SoCo Collective; a local grassroots organization that seeks to facilitate community learning and inspire active connection with important social movements. She is also a certified Forest Therapy Guide.

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