Award winning journalist Dwight Drummond receives Honorary Doctorate

BY PAUL JUNOR

In many ways, Dwight Drummond has shattered stereotypes and images as he ascended in his broadcasting career. He was born in Jamaica and after he migrated to Canada in 1976 grew up in the Jane and Finch neighbourhood.

Dwight started his broadcasting career in 1991 at Vision TV then to CBLT, the CBC Television’s station in Toronto. He capped it with the best newscast on City News

for a lead story, and a top story for City’s Edward R. Murrow win for best newscast. He then moved on to join CBC Toronto News as a news anchor and subsequently joined CTV’s Your Morning in 2016. He became the principal anchor of the renamed CBC Toronto News and became a part of CBC News Toronto.

Dwight has received many accolades. He was the recipient of the 2021 Canadian Screen Award for Best News Local, and received a nomination in 2022 for the award. He was awarded the Toronto Metropolitan University Alumni Award of Distinction in 2013. He received an honorary degree in 2015 from Humber College and the 2015 Canadian Screen Awards. In addition, he was inducted into TMU’s Faculty of Radio and Television Arts’ Wall of Fame.

In his convocation speech on Friday, June 16^th, to the graduating students Drummond recalls living at 10 Turf Grassway, apartment 204 in the public housing communities in Jane and Finch areas while his mother, Ermine Drummond worked odd jobs. He recalled covering the story of a three-year old girl who was accidentally shot by a bullet that was intended for her father who lived in the same apartment. This triggered survivor’s guilt in him with respect to, ”How we started at the same place, both ending up in the same courtroom under such strikingly different circumstances.”

Drummond was aware of the odds against youths making it out alive from the areas. He states, “We are examples that it is possible, but it is so much harder to succeed, when challenges outnumber opportunities. We need to create opportunities where children make it, not in spite of the odds, but because we are able to remove some of those odds. Worth and potential should not be based on what we look like. Ranking of human value cannot be based on how much pigment is in your skin.”

Drummond was motivated to read by his mother who regularly attended parent-teacher meetings. She fostered in him a love for learning and books. He reflects, “There is a direct correlation between the culture in the household where I was raised and my career. Education was valued and learning was encouraged.”

Drummond shared how he graduated as an Ontario Scholar, was interviewed by Dr. Bob Gardiner, and was encouraged by Bill, his RTA presentation teacher. He recalls Stephen Hurlbut, VP at CityNews, telling him, “People are only encouraging you to do sports because you are Black. You can and should do news. I’m glad I listened. Think of all the years of futility I would have to endure covering our Toronto Maple Leafs.”

Drummond shared many personal memories of being called the N-word and being taken down at gunpoint for driving while Black, as well as the numerous occasions that he has been handcuffed. He states, “When I became a reporter, I went from the guy yelling at the media to get out of my neighbourhood to the guy being yelled at to get out of the neighbourhood.”

Drummond advises graduating students to, “Celebrate this transformative moment in your life. Now, onward and upwards, achieving what your talents will allow.”