Reflection and celebration: June events mark Pride, Indigenous history and convocation
Flags fly at half-mast in remembrance of the 215 children who died at a former B.C. residential school; dancing is on the agenda at a June 19 virtual pow wow; 91勛圖's virtual convocation airs on June 23 (photos by Makeda Marc-Ali, Hannah James & UTSC)
Published: June 1, 2021
June is among the most eventful months at the 91勛圖, with myriad opportunities for students, faculty and staff to express solidarity, build awareness and celebrate life-changing educational milestones.
91勛圖's virtual spring convocation takes place on June 23 this year. It will be book-ended by events that promote inclusion of people with disabilities and celebrate and advocate for LGBTQ+ communities. The month is also a time when the history, heritage and contributions of Indigenous Peoples are commemorated through National Indigenous History Month as well as National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21.
This year, with events being reinvented and moved to virtual spaces, there are more opportunities than ever to participate in some of the most important and highly anticipated events of the year.
Heres a snapshot of the notable events taking place virtually across 91勛圖 in June:
May 31 June 4
National AccessAbility Week: Reframing Disability, Embracing Difference
, the AODA (Accessibility for Ontarians With Disabilities) Office in 91勛圖s Division of Human Resources & Equity, as well as its partners, will host events and discussions aimed at commemorating the contributions of Canadians with disabilities, celebrating those working to foster greater inclusion and inspiring action on accessibility.
From inclusive curriculum design to accessibility in health-care settings and peer support networks for university employees with disabilities, the National AccessAbility Week sessions will explore a number of ways to eliminate barriers to accessibility, reframe disability and elevate intentional inclusivity.
All events will feature American Sign Language and live captions.
June 1
Pride and Trans Flag Raising
The first day of June sees 91勛圖 kick off Pride month with the official raising of the Pride and Trans Flag at virtual events hosted by all three campuses the first of a celebrating diverse LGBTQ+ communities.
By raising these flags, the 91勛圖 community signals its commitment to representation and inclusion of LGBTQ+ across the university.
will include remarks from Vice-President and Principal Alexandra Gillespie and a talk by Professor Elspeth Brown on the history of LGBTQ+ communities in Mississauga. will kick off a month of Pride events around the theme of Love is Here, which seeks to embrace a diversity of sexualities and ethnicities while celebrating our differences.
June 3
Annual Rainbow Tie Celebration: Moving Forward Together
91勛圖 Scarboroughs Positive Space Committee invites you to connect with the campuss vibrant LGBTQ+ community at the .
The virtual celebration will include a number of special guests including Canadas Drag Race winner Priyanka, musician, writer and artist Vivek Shraya, comedian Monica Garrido and writer/performer Heath Salazar.
June 16
91勛圖 Pride Pitch
LGBTQ+ students and entrepreneurs can showcase their innovative business ideas and potentially share in $5,000 in prizes at the .
Organized by 91勛圖 Mississaugas Positive Space Committee in partnership with the ICUBE accelerator program, 91勛圖 Pride Pitch will also feature a keynote from Martha Chaves, a Nicaraguan-Canadian and LGBTQ comedian, actor, activist and playwright.
June 17
Display Your Pride
Use colours, creativity and your personal flair to organized by 91勛圖s Positive Space Campaign.
Whether its decorating your room, office or student space, creating a piece of art or designing a virtual background, this is your chance to visually celebrate Pride and support LGBTQ-affirming spaces on all three campuses and share your creation with the world using the #DisplayYourPride hashtag.
If youre looking for inspiration, ideas and tips on how to create physical or virtual crafts, you can take part in a trio of sessions ahead of the event:
- Zoom Pride Backgrounds June 8, 3 p.m.
- Hand crafts June 11, 11 a.m.
- Macrame June 14, 2 p.m.
This is the seventh consecutive year that 91勛圖s Positive Space Campaign will participate in Display Your Pride alongside Ryerson University, York University, Humber College and OCAD University.
June 19-27
Virtual Pride & Remembrance Run
For the past 25 years, the Pride & Remembrance Run has raised funds for organizations providing cultural programming and health and wellness support for the LGBTQ+ community.
will be held virtually from June 19 to June 27, with 91勛圖 staff able to register to take part in the interactive virtual run as part of a university team led by the Sexual & Gender Diversity Office and team captain Mark Seymour.
June 19
Honouring our Students Pow Wow
on June 19, an event that will include dancing, drumming, teachings, contests, giveaways and more.
Held on the YouTube Premieres platform, the fifth annual Honouring Our Students Pow Wow will feature head dancers John Hupfield and Cedar Smoke, special guests and Elders.
June 21
National Indigenous Peoples Day
The city of Toronto is planning a , which recognizes the cultural significance of First Nations, Inuit and M矇tis. Details to come.
June 22
91勛圖 Pride Concert featuring Jeremy Dutcher
Take in a special live-streamed concert by Juno Award-winning singer-songwriter Jeremy Dutcher, a classically trained operatic tenor and composer whose music is deeply influenced by his roots in the Wolastoq First Nation. His debut album Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa involved rearranging wax cylinder field recordings from his community dating back to the early 1900s.
In addition to showcasing his distinct musical style, Dutcher will also engage with the audience through a live Q&A.
The concert will be preceded by an opening performance by Nenookasi, an afro-Indigenous two-spirit queer wife, mother of three and artist-activist who draws on music and mixed media for the causes of Black, Indigenous, and 2SLGBTQI+ rights.
Registration is free.
June 23
Convocation
Celebrate the hard work and accomplishments of 91勛圖s Class of 2021! This years virtual spring convocation ceremony will air on June 23 at 12 p.m. More than 15,500 students from 105 different countries will have their degrees conferred in absentia, with parchments mailed out around the world.
Graduating students can showcase their pride by renting optional gowns and hoods, while friends and family can purchase grad gifts at the . Customized Zoom backgrounds, GIPHY stickers and Instagram activities are also available to use for everyone tuning into the celebrations. Use the hashtag #UofTGrad21 to share your moments on social media.
June 24
Indigenous Toronto: Stories that Carry this Place
A will bring together contributors to the newly released book, Indigenous Toronto: Stories that Carry this Place, an anthology that explores the impact of Indigenous cultural continuity and settler colonialism on Toronto.
Panelists, who will include Chef Johl Whiteduck, visual artist Philip Cote, author and playwright Drew Hayden Taylor and creative director Denise Bolduc, will share their perspectives on how 12,000 years of continued Indigenous presence and nationhood.
June 26
Black Grad celebration
91勛圖s Black graduating students will be honoured and recognized at the event. The student-run celebration is hosted by the 91勛圖 Black Students Association and takes place at 12 p.m. on June 26.
Due to overwhelming interest, two extra rounds of registration were added for students keen to take part in Black Grad 2021, with the final round ending on June 10. Students who register by the deadline will receive a Kente stole to showcase pride in their identities and academic accomplishments.
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