Inside CBSE: Where Black Scholarship Shapes Canada’s Educational Future

On January 1^st, 2022, the Centre for Black Studies in Education (CBSE) launched at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), University of Toronto. Since then, CBSE has evolved into one of the most dynamic spaces for Black scholarship, community connection, and transformative teaching in Canada.

In May 2024, OISE named Dr. Andrew B. Campbell (known widely as Dr. ABC) as Director. As an Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, in Leadership for Racial Justice in Teacher Education and Co-Coordinator of the Black Future Educators’ Pathway, he brought a vision rooted in joy, academic rigor, and unapologetic community focus.

“It’s a privilege to lead CBSE at such a pivotal time,” Dr. ABC said. “We curate programs and opportunities grounded in Black excellence, joy, and celebration. This space uplifts, empowers, and supports Black students, scholars, educators, and community members within and beyond the university.”

CBSE’s Five Core Focus Areas

• Advance Black studies research and pedagogy that shape education in Canada and beyond.
• Promote groundbreaking Black scholarship in research, curriculum, and teaching.
• Create a safe, inclusive hub for Black professors and students to engage in courageous dialogue about: race, racism, African Indigeneity, and decolonization.
• Build collaborations with faculty, departments, and community organizations to expand critical Black studies work.
• Lead anti-Black racism and equity training that sparks institutional and systemic change.

CBSE’s second anniversary on September 5^th, 2024, drew educators, community leaders, and students. Keynote speaker Roberta Timothy inspired the crowd, while poet-educator Canute Lawrence delivered a moving performance.

The celebration followed a lively community drop-in lunch on August 29^th, 2024, where participants: connected, reflected, and set the tone for the academic year.

Monthly Black student research gatherings tackled bold topics:

• Critical research in education — Professor Ann Lopez explored how critical research influences student journeys.
• Black student activism — Professor Rosalin Hampton shared her work on alternative archives and campus organizing.
• Queer and trans ways of knowing — Dr. Qui Alexander challenged participants to reimagine knowledge beyond labels.

In January 2025, six doctoral students presented their research. A month later, Dr. Lance McCready and his team examined the path of Black youth transitioning from child welfare into adulthood.

CBSE has hosted thought-provoking gatherings, including:

• • Black Researcher and Author Series (October 2024) featuring:
    • Njoki Wane on African Indigenous leadership.
    • Linda Iwenofu on anti-Black racism’s impact on children’s health.
    • Marie Green on Marcus Garvey’s emancipatory pedagogy.

• The History of Black Education in Canada Symposium (January 2025) featuring Professors Afua Cooper, Ann Lopez, Dr. Natasha Henry Dixon, and Rosemary Sadlier.
  • Panel 1: Revisiting the Past, Focusing on the Future.
  • Panel 2: Black Futures in Higher Education.
• Black Leadership Summer Institute (July 2025) with keynote by Dr. ABC and panelists Celina Caesar-Chavannes, Dr. Joseph J. Smith, and Grace-Camille Munroe. The Mic Drop panel delivered radical truths in just seven minutes each, sparking deep reflection and renewed energy in the African, Caribbean, and Black (ACB) community.

CBSE is a movement. It is where Black scholarship meets activism, where community is central, and where the next generation of leaders find both voice and vision.

If you’re serious about shaping education in ways that matter, CBSE is where you need to be—because the conversations happening here will define Canada’s educational future.

Learn more: Centre for Black Studies in Education | Ontario Institute for Studies in Education