York University in Toronto conferred honorary degrees on two prominent figures from the Black Caribbean Diaspora on June 20th. Arnold Auguste and Jason “Kardinal Offishall” Harrow, celebrated members of Toronto’s Caribbean community, were honored for their remarkable contributions to media, music, and social activism.

Arnold Auguste

Born and raised in Trinidad, Auguste arrived in Toronto from the Caribbean in 1978, when he was 23. Upon discovering the invisibility of Black issues in white mainstream press, he felt the Black community needed a publication of their own.

In 1978, Auguste launched Share, a weekly newspaper dedicated to the Black and Caribbean community, looking to provide a forum where important issues affecting the community could be discussed and debated, while providing both informative and entertaining content. 

Dr Arnold Auguste speaks

Nearly 50 years later, Share news is now recognized as a modern trailblazer in facilitating public dialogue on minority issues. As a result of his service to community and contributions to the enrichment of or society, Auguste has been the recipient of several awards, including the Black Business & Professional Association’s Harry Jerome Business Award; the Ethnic Press Council of Canada’s Excellence in Journalism Award; and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the African Canadian Achievement Awards of Excellence.

Jason “Kardinal Offishall” Harrow

Harrow – whose artist name is Kardinal Offishall – has become a leader in the global music scene, having collaborated with the world’s biggest artists, including Rihanna, Drake, Lady Gaga, Akon and many others. In 2007, his quadruple-platinum single “Dangerous” climbed to the top five of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, making him the first rapper from Canada to achieve that feat.   

Dr Jason Harrow

Currently, Harrow is responsible for scouting and overseeing artistic development of musical talent for the influential Def Jam Recordings. He has also pursued philanthropist work, notably as a founding member of Advance, a non-profit Canadian Black music business collective that advocates, mentors, supports and provides tangible opportunities for Black community members working in the music industry.

Harrow was recently named the Canada’s Walk Of Fame Allan Slaight Music Impact honouree and a Canadian Music Week Social Justice Impact Award recipient, and he is now starring as the lead judge on the television show “Canada’s Got Talent.”