As part of this year’s Black Heritage 365 celebration, you are invited to attend the panel discussion event, "Bonded in Brilliance: Black Kinship, Culture, and Community," which will take place on November 25th, 2025. This event will feature creative performances and a thought-provoking panel discussion with panelists including the Hon. Dr. Jean Augustine who made history as the first Black Canadian woman to serve as a federal Minister of the Crown and Member of Parliament, as well as Rosemary Sadlier, a renowned author, social justice advocate, community leader and former president of the Ontario Black History Society.
Details
Tuesday, November 25, 2025
Reception: 2 to 2:15 p.m.
Panel Event: 2:15 to 4 p.m.
Please note that seating is limited.
You may register to attend in person or online using the following RSVP form.
About the panelists
Hon. Jean Augustine, PC, CM, was a trailblazing politician and social activist. She was elected the first Black Canadian woman to serve as a Member of Parliament (1993), she was appointed the first Black woman in Cabinet (2002), and she was named the first Fairness Commissioner by the Government of Ontario (2007). Her legacy includes the federal declaration of February as Black History Month, a motion she introduced in 1995.
Rosemary Sadlier O.Ont. (Order of Ontario) is a social justice advocate, researcher, writer, DEI consultant and international speaker on Black History, anti-racism and women. She served as president of the Ontario Black History Society (22 years as the unpaid leader) and was the driving force in securing commemoration of February as Black History Month at all levels of government. She secured August 1st as Emancipation Day municipally in 1995, provincially in 2008, and nationally in March 2021. She saw the creation of the national day for the Hon. Lincoln Alexander and a bust in Queen's Park.
Tenisha Noel is a speaker, youth advocate, and founder of TrailblazerTenisha, a platform focused on personal and professional development, leadership, and community transformation. She holds a Diploma in Community and Justice Services from Humber Polytechnic, an Honours Bachelor of Applied Science in Justice Studies from the University of Guelph, and is currently completing her Master of Laws (LLM) at Osgoode Hall Law School, York University. Tenisha uses her lived experience, academic foundation, and passion for equity to empower underserved communities, especially youth and women, to lead with confidence and impact. This year, she was recognized as one of Canada’s Top 100 Black Women to Watch (2025), received the 2025 Youth Leadership Award from the Black North Initiative, and was honored with the Lieutenant Governor’s Lincoln M. Alexander Award.
