Beth Applewhite is the District Principal of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Burnaby and recipient of the Premier’s Award for Excellence in Education. Along with her colleagues, Kenneth Headley and James Morton, she is leading anti-racism work in school districts in British Columbia. They have shared their message with all teacher candidates and will be presenting to the faculty advisors from the UBC Vancouver and Okanagan School of Education (OSE) campuses, WKTEP, RRED and OSE on October 18, 2023. These dedicated educators work with teachers, students, families, district leadership, and community groups supporting commitments to equitable, diverse and inclusive environments where pathways for success are created.
As part of award, Beth has received funding to contribute to professional learning relating to equity, diversity and inclusion. She is funding the Anti-racism Summit on October 26 and 27 bringing together school districts, and faculties of education to remind us of all our responsibility to be respectful, responsible and to advocate for Indigenous, Black and racialized students and families. Dr. Jason Ellis, Dr. Surita Jhangiani, and Dr. Karen Ragoonaden are attending along with TEO colleagues, John Yamamoto and Rod Brown.
For those learning and relearning about past, present, and omitted histories and working in contexts where distinct stories emerge, Applewhite (2022) suggests that we take an action-oriented approach: “Stop doing the work and start being the work.“
Read Dr. Ragoonaden’s article here.
Bios
Beth Applewhite is the acting District Principal of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion with the Burnaby School District. BC-born and raised, Beth is a bi-racial educator of Trinidadian and Scottish heritages. She has been unrelenting in her determination to challenge the status quo and create equitable experiences and spaces that both acknowledge racial bias and celebrate personal and cultural identities. Beth recognizes that most folks value diversity, equity and inclusion. The challenge is encouraging them to be vulnerable enough to explore and reflect on their own biases, practices and rituals that contribute to school/district culture. Beth has been recognized for her work, including the BC Lieutenant Governor’s Community Achievement Award (2019). She was nominated for a YWCA Women of Distinction Award (2020) and has been nominated for a Premier’s Award in Education (2020/21) . She has also been named one of the 100 Accomplished Black Canadian Women (2020/2021).
Kenneth Headley is the District Vice Principal of Racial Inclusivity and Equity in the Maple Ridge School District. He is also a Vice Principal at Maple Ridge Secondary. He is a bi-racial educator of South Asian and Black Caribbean heritages. An educator for over 12 years, Kenneth has been an advocate for marginalized students, their families and their communities. In collaboration with Beth Applewhite and James Morton, he has focused on providing meaningful opportunities to discuss issues of inequity and racial discrimination with students, faculty and staffs. Kenneth completed his Bachelor of General Studies in Canadian Studies and Sociology at SFU. He completed his BEd at SFU as well as his master’s degree in Educational Practice, looking at integrating cultural narratives. Kenneth has been a moderator on #bcedchat for six years moderating conversations on race. Kenneth taught in Surrey for 9 years before becoming a Vice-Principal in Maple Ridge. He also has many years of experience instructing the Real Estate Council of British Columbia UBC Real Estate and Sub Mortgage Broker Courses for local real estate/tutorial companies. He is also a professional musician, having studied music at the Historical Black University (HBCU) Florida Memorial University and toured extensively throughout Canada, the US and many Caribbean Islands.
James Morton is a bi-racial educator of South Asian and English/Scottish heritages who has a genuine passion for Equity. He is a school-based secondary administrator in the Burnaby School District. James graduated from the University of British Columbia in 2001. He has been an educator and educational leader for 20 years. James earned his Master of Education Degree at SFU in 2011 with a focus on the power of resiliency. James was recognized in February 2019 by the Canadian National Congress of Black Women with a Lifetime Achievement Award. He was also recognized by Premier John Horgan for being a trailblazer in his work supporting BIPOC youth and their families. He believes racism is one of the most serious problems facing schools today. He advocates for honest discourse, community voice, and increased awareness amongst people in all sectors of society.