TORONTO – Last Friday, the BlackNorth Initiative recognized a significant donation of $1,000,000 for the Black/ Caribbean community from The Schulich Foundation – the philanthropic vehicle for Seymour Schulich, a leading Canadian businessman and philanthropist.

 “I would like to publicly thank Seymour Schulich for his generosity and his pledge of $1,000,000 to support the BlackNorth Initiative (BNI), and the building of a cultural centre for Black Canadians to ensure Black history is accurately recorded and disseminated,” said BNI Chair Wes Hall. “The cultural centre is an important component of our vision to dismantle the anti-Black systemic barriers negatively affecting the lives of Black Canadians.”

The BlackNorth Initiative will support initiatives focussing on the challenges facing Black people in health care, education, the justice system, community safety, at-risk youth, economic empowerment, and other areas. The cultural centre will raise awareness about the challenges Black Canadians face, preserve and spotlight Black history in Canada, promote Black arts and culture, and be a gathering place for people of all backgrounds working together to combat anti-Black systemic racism.

We encourage both corporations and individuals to follow the generous example set by The Schulich Foundation and donate to the BlackNorth Initiative.

“I’m pleased to support this important initiative,” said Mr. Schulich. “We are confident the BlackNorth Initiative will improve the lives of Black Canadians, effect positive change, and continue to build a stronger, unified, more prosperous Canada.”

The BlackNorth Initiative was created by The Canadian Council of Business Leaders Against Anti-Black Systemic Racism to combat anti-Black systemic racism in Corporate Canada. The initiative challenges senior Canadian business leaders to commit their companies to specific actions and targets designed to end anti-Black systemic racism and create opportunities for all of those in the underrepresented BIPOC community. For more information, visit www.blacknorth.ca.

The Schulich Foundation is one of Canada’s largest foundations, having donated in excess of $350 million. Seymour Schulich, a self-made billionaire whose career has spanned stock brokerage, investment counseling, mining and the oil industry, established and funds the foundation. Mr. Schulich holds Canada’s highest civilian award, the Order of Canada, and is among Canada’s greatest philanthropists. Having benefited greatly from a scholarship that enabled him to do his MBA, Mr. Schulich has built a well-earned reputation as a champion for education and access to education in Canada and around the world. As a result, The Schulich Foundation has endowed university faculties of business, engineering, medicine, law, education, music, chemistry, nursing and dentistry; as well as libraries, dormitories, courtyards, medical health centres, lecture and music halls. Over 6,000 scholarships are awarded annually to students in Schulich schools. Their largest current initiative is the Schulich Leader Scholarship Program, awarding $100,000 undergraduate STEM scholarships to 100 students across Canada each year, based on their academic excellence, leadership and financial need.