Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) is partnering with Black Talent Initiative (BTI) to help foster Black representation in the workplace and invest in the growth of Black professionals.
BTI is a volunteer-driven, social impact organization committed to delivering professional development, mentorship and community for Black talent seeking career advancement. Volunteers and partners across North America collaborate with BTI to create connections and career opportunities for Black talent through its community of established business professionals, resources and networks.
“We’re thrilled to be joining BTI in its mission to provide Black talent seeking career advancement with the professional development, mentorship, and community that creates career opportunities and inspires equitable, anti-racist workplaces of today and tomorrow,” said Tyjondah Kerr, OLG’s Director of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. “At OLG, we celebrate our differences and know that our unique perspectives, backgrounds and orientations are what make OLG a great place to work. Through our partnership with BTI, we will further our commitment to create an environment where current and future Black OLGers can excel”.
Through the partnership, OLG will post job opportunities on BTI’s network, creating a talent pipeline for OLG — and OLG leaders will work with BTI to provide opportunities for mentoring and networking with Black professionals. In addition, OLG and BTI will work together to develop learning opportunities that benefit both OLG employees and BTI talent.
“In our province's history, few organizations can match the contribution that OLG has made to our communities,” said Mark Harrison, Founder, Black Talent Initiative. “Their focus on improving economic benefits for people is a perfect alignment with the outcomes the Black Talent Initiative is pursuing in earnest. I am honoured they are joining our movement.”
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
Toronto, ON, May 27, 2022 –Black Talent Initiative (BTI) was founded after the tragic murder of George Floyd, with renewed hope that a better world is possible. Unfortunately, the last few weeks have made it hard to hang onto that sentiment today as our new feeds continue to flood with the senseless mass shootings and killings that have recently taken place, leaving an immeasurable amount of trauma and pain on our communities.
It has been two years since the murder of George Floyd and like many Black folk, I will not watch any media posted, that depicts our people being killed and brutalized. I could go on a rant about how mainstream media and politicians focus on those committing these atrocities, but I will leave that for another day as the focus should remain on the unnecessary losses and preventable pain that continue to transpire.
As the mother of a Black toddler, I try my very best to protect my son’s innocence knowing very well that one day I will have to sit him down and share with him the unequitable reality of what it is like to be Black in this society. I will have to tell him to always be polite and comply with the authorities. I will have to demonstrate what to do if he is ever pulled over by the police and I will have to beg him to please kiddo whatever you do, don’t forget to “put your hoodie down”.
In all honesty, I know that my two-year old son may be seen as cute today, but in just 10 years from now when he is a young Black boy walking in his neighborhood, there is a possibility that he may not make it home. That thought absolutely terrifies me because for many Black families this has been their unequitable reality. Their loved ones never made it home because their lives were stripped away from them due to the colour of their skin. Then the media sensualizes these horrific stories, followed by the outpowering of “thoughts and prayers”. A few days pass and our newsfeeds get quiet. Things seem to go back to “normal” until the next tragedy happens and then the cycle repeats.
We cannot allow ourselves to get used to this. We cannot allow ourselves to become dehumanized and desensitized to the murdering of our people. #SayTheirNames! Remember them. Honour them. Celebrate them. Continue to scream that ALL BLACK LIVES MATTER – every single day until we start to see a change!
And while advocation is important, let’s not forget that collective action is necessary to tackle anti-Black racism and hate. We Black people cannot act alone. We cannot bear this burden as a “Black issue”. This is a community issue. This is a national issue. This is an international issue.
As the Executive Director of BTI, I am privileged to work with some amazing humans who collectively believe, advocate, and work towards achieving a better world for our Black leaders of today and tomorrow. I thank our Founders, Volunteers, my Team, and the support I get from the MH3 Collective every day. The community we create and surround ourselves with is key, so when you are unable to show up and put in the work because you are so angry, hurt, and traumatized by unnecessary killings and viral hate, others show up for you because that is what community is.
To the communities that continue to support us, love us, cherish us, fight for us every single day, we say thank you. This week has truly been a very tough one for us all. I ask that you please check on the Black people in your lives. Some may need the time and space to process all of this, so respect that, but just make sure you don’t forget to tell them how much you love them and care because as we know, the unequitable reality of a Black person today, is that tomorrow is not promised.
________
About Black Talent Initiative (BTI)
Black Talent Initiative (BTI) is a volunteer-driven, social impact organization committed to delivering professional development, mentorship and community for Black talent seeking career advancement. Volunteers and partners across North America collaborate with BTI to create connections and career opportunities for Black talent. An MH3 Collective venture, BTI was born of shared compassion, lived experience, and a vision to inspire equitable, anti-racist workplaces for today and tomorrow. To join the movement and learn more, visit blacktalentinitiative.network.
About MH3 Collective
The MH3 Collective is a group of ventures inspired and co-founded by Mark Harrison. From advertising and sponsorship marketing to integrated communications and education, each company shares a collective consciousness that focuses on empowering people, promoting social equity and reimagining a world where entrepreneurial passion and purpose comes to life. Follow MH3 Collective on LinkedIn to learn more.
For media inquiries:
Lushwana Anderson-Stewart
lushwana.anderson-stewart@blacktalentinitiative.network
.
A conversation with Black Talent Initiative about its mission to support the vast Black Talent in Canada and the importance of organizations to move from hiring to only reach quotas and instead create paths of career development and success for Black professionals. Black Talent Initiative (BTI) is a charitable, social impact organization with a vision to spotlight Black talent and empower them in their journey forward. Following the murder of George Floyd and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, Black Talent Initiative was born out of shared compassion, lived experience, and the desire to reimagine workplaces that are diverse, equitable and inclusive.
