Basketball World Toronto stands and supports our Black Community and for all those who support anti-racism.  Our goal is to ensure that every area of our organization and everyone who participates, watches, works, volunteers or supports our programs adhere to these values and works to ensures everyone is safe from this systemic injustice. 

However, saying this is not enough.  Action has to be taken to ensure that equality for all is an integral part of BWT’s impact on the local community.  

To the Black Community - we see you, we will support you and we will fight for equality for all. You matter and your lives matter. 

We must do more and it is our goal to help fight this systemic inequality.  Listed below are just some of the details where our BWT Team has started our work on helping to eliminate inequality in society.

Basketball World Toronto Team

After the protests in May 2020, due to the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor in the U.S. and the same challenges faced by many in Toronto, the Basketball World Toronto Team wanted to take a step to try to learn, discuss, educate ourselves and others as well as take action to support and fight for the Black and Indigenous Communities in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, North America, and the World.

The BWT Team decided that a first step would be to start discussing these topics with the goal of broadening our understanding and how we as an organization can impact the local community through our involvement and work. The BWT Team decided that we would meet weekly starting in June 2020 and moving forward indefinitely to discuss topics relevant to this challenge and ensure the discussion remains at the forefront of all of our lives and our organization.  Our goal is to keep this conversation going and eventually find ways to create a positive impact on our local community.  We know this is only a small start but we felt it was the best way to build incrementally and ensure it becomes a part of our organization's values and vision for the future.

Below is a summary of our discussions and meeting topics that we discuss as a group to help with our learning and support our community.

WANNA BE A PART OF THE DISCUSSION?  JOIN OUR DISCUSSION BY CLICKING HERE.

Discussions during the month include ...

• Houston Rockets Sterling Brown & Michael Porter Jr. incident

• Policeman’s Advice for Lebron

• Roll of people in color in portrayal by society in movies or TV shows

• Chicago - Adam Toledo’s shooting - Shoot first vs what should have been done

• Police being known in a neighborhood and how the role of familiarity in dealing with situations

• Unions and their role in police officers resigning to receive their pensions

• Failure for actions by MP’s and their promises

Special Guest STUDENT Series

• Special Guest Speakers
  • University of Western Ontario Women's Assistant Coach - Elisabeth LeBlanc
  • University of Western Ontario Men's Basketball Players -  Omar Shiddo, Aaron Tenant
  • Special Guest - University of Western Ontario Women's Head Coach - Nate McKibbon
• The discussion focused around ...
  • What were the conversations like on each of your teams?
  • Discussion around each guests local community experience - growing up vs what it is like now?
  • What would you like to do to impact change?
  • What discussion has stuck with you over the previous discussions you have been listening to?
  • NCAA Tournament - Women's vs Men's Weightroom incident
  • A Discussion around one's tone of skin color and its impact on discussions you had with friends, colleagues and external people you talk with

Other discussions during the month included ...

• Houston Rockets Sterling Brown & Michael Porter Jr. incident

• Policeman’s Advice for Lebron

• Roll of people in color in portrayal by society in movies or TV shows

• Chicago - Adam Toledo’s shooting - Shoot first vs what should have been done

• Police being known in a neighborhood and how the role of familiarity in dealing with situations

• Unions and their role in police officers resigning to receive their pensions

• Failure for actions by MP’s and their promises

• Daunte Wright Shooting and police explanations for the arrest and their actions

• NBA - Stop playing one night then continue playing the next night

• NBA and Major Sports Moving the All-Star game out of Georgia

• NBA Back to Back Games and the abuse of players health vs more money dilemna

• Unconscious Bios - “Down A Dark Stairwell” film - First Officer charged with manslaughter - The pitting of Asians vs Blacks

Special Guest - Coach Jeremie Keyeye - Ryerson University - Lead Assistant Basketball Coach

• Coach Kayeye's discussion focused around ...

  • His journey - Coaching in Canada Basketball/Ontario Basketball system and being a young black coach

  • Unique experience of coaching high level prep basketball at the same time Women and Men at TRC Academy

  • University Basketball Community - what is Ryerson U doing to keep conversation going? 

Other discussions during the month included ...

• Discussion - Disinformation (from the Black Lives Matter website)

  • Black Lives Matter is a central target of disinformation and you are a key line of defense. Report suspicious sites, stories, ads, social accounts, and posts about BLM.

  • Website Link - Black Lives Matter Disinformation Link

  • Questions included ... How do we fight disinformation?  Has anyone taken action to report sites, stories, etc to be the first line of defense?

• Discussion 2 - Black Lives Matter Impact Report - 

  • The group reviewed some information in the report.  Click here for access.

  • Questions included ... Do you think we have had progress?  Enough progress?

• Discussion 3 - Generational Progress - A Small Historical Review

  • 2020 Trials - George Floyd - $27 Million Settlement - click here, Breonna Taylor - $12 Million Settlement - click here, Jacob Blake - no charges - click here

  • 1991 - Rodney King - Wikipedia Link - click here

  • 1965 - Watts Riots - Wikipedia Link - click here or Britannica Link - click here

  • Questions discussed around ... Do you think history is repeating itself or do you think we have seen progress since 1965?

• Group Activity - Name 5 Activity

  • What are some of your thoughts? or patterns you noted?What was missing?  What are some of your takeaways?

• Adam Silver’s Apology to Masai - Adam Silver’s Original Comments -https://twitter.com/vivekmjacob/status/1298727812443107329?lang=en vs Adam Silver's Apology - https://www.slamonline.com/nba/adam-silver-apologizes-to-raptors-president-masai-ujiri-for-2019-comments/ 

  • Questions included ... What do we think about Adam Silver’s original comments? Why would he say something like that?    What do we think about the apology? 

• Dr. Martin Luther Jr. vs Malcolm X - What are your perceived impressions on the random quotes that were discussed

• Zlatan vs. Lebron  - Zlatan Ibrahimovic said athletes should stick to what they are good at, not politics. His comments were directed to LeBron- https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/1365338559528460294?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1365338559528460294%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fsoccer.nbcsports.com%2F2021%2F03%2F02%2Flebron-james-zlatan-ibrahimovic-video%2F  

  • LeBron responded by saying he will never “shut up” about things that are wrong 

  • Questions included ...  What are our thoughts on this situation?  Should we expect athletes to stand up for what is right all the time?

• Vancouver Studio Set in BC - An employee was told that they couldn’t wear the apparel that displayed support for BLM.  After the event and the person saying they were not going to work the next day, other employees showed up with BLM-wear and were also told to change their clothes.  Is this a political or a social (or both) issue that should be upheld in a workplace? 

• Black Lives Matter movement nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize - Does it make you feel better that the results of all of the protests and uproar may end up with a prize?

• “violence is sometimes necessary for these situations” - Alluding to the response to violence against black people, in particular cops and non-bipoc persons 

• George Floyd Trial - A discussion around the current information

• Police Officer - Training vs Community Outreach