Lloyd Mckell remembered for his years of lifelong service to public education

BY PAUL JUNOR

The community mourned the death of Lloyd Jefferson Mckell on Saturday, June 11^th, after a long battle with cancer. McKell was born in Trinidad and Tobago where he attended Queen’s Royal College, along with well-known Toronto activist Kenneth Jeffers. He immigrated to Canada in 1967 to attend the University of Toronto where he completed a B.A in Economics in 1972. Although he did not plan to stay in Toronto, he became interested in issues related to Caribbean immigrants. He served as President of the Scarborough Campus International Student Association, and later became the first Chair of the Scarborough Black Community Education Committee.

Jeffers, who founded the Harriet Tubman Centre in 1972 recruited Lloyd. It was largely due to his leadership that HTC was able to expand and increase the services that it provided as well as initiate steel band and dance programs. Jeffers shares, “He was also a social activist and we both worked together on various projects in Toronto. One of his heroes was Nelson Mandela. Lloyd was an amazing cook, loved watching birds in his backyard and spent much of his travel time making road trips throughout Ontario.”

Lloyd began working with the Toronto Board of Education in 1976 where he was in charge of the School-Community Relations Department. Lloyd was a part of three city-wide parent conventions in which there were more than 1,000 parents who participated. He was a strong supporter for the development of Heritage Language Programs.

He was appointed Executive Officer for Student and Community Affairs in 2005 and subsequently as senior advisor to Chris Spence, first Black Director of the TDSB. During this time, he was a part of ground-breaking initiatives such as: the development of Race Relations, International Languages, and the Black Cultural Heritage Advisory Committee. These played crucial roles in the formulation of programs and services that were tailored to the issues, concerns and challenges that African-Canadian students face on a daily basis.

Itah Sadhu, co-owner of the Blackhurst Cultural Centre wrote in celebration, “Lloyd Mckell, educator, friend, and community champion. We gave thanks for your gifts, and the time we spent walking on the journey of life. The ancestors will receive you with applause as we continue to tell your story. Ashe.”

Markene Claire Steele noted, “Lloyd was a superior educator and human being! Rest in Power.”

Another personal friend, Selwyn Rouse stated, “Lloyd initiated the formation of the Scarborough College (U of T) International Students Association (SCISA) and became its first President. One of the memorable events of that era was the visit to the campus by a member of the Black Panther Party (USA). It was an unnerving situation for the college’s administration, bringing an awareness of anti-Black racism to the campus. May his Soul Rest in Peace.”

Ceta Ramkhalawnsingh wrote, “Lloyd Mckell was a trailblazer. I first met him around 1975 at the Toronto Board of Education when he and others initiated ground-breaking democratic initiatives to make the school more responsive to the diverse population. There was his commitment to Caribbean culture and to building upon Nelson Mandela’s legacy.”

Layne Clarke, owner/consultant stated, “Lloyd worked to ensure that equity was provided for all and especially fought to bring to the forefront the struggles of the Black community. He is committed to the cause and has devoted his life to his work. Lloyd continues to represent and advocate for the downtrodden which is the central tenet of the profession.”