By Candice Zhang
On October 21, 2020, Nigela and Wayne Purboo launched the Onyx Initiative, a non-profit organization that aims to host mentorship and training programs to prepare Black students for employment opportunities in their respective fields. The organization is a response to the impacts of anti-Black racism and socioeconomic inequalities.
“We are mainly focused on two pillars; online training and mentorship coaching,” said Nigela Purboo, co-founder and executive director of the Onyx Initiative. “Both pillars are designed to ensure that students are equipped to thrive in their respective workplace environments.”
As the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement increased in conversation this summer, NIgela and Wayne wanted to address the impacts of systemic inequality. Having worked with youth in previous philanthropic efforts, the married couple realized that they wanted to dedicate their efforts towards Black students in universities and colleges.
“As Black Canadians, Wayne and I know first-hand the obstacles that these students face, and the cycle of inequality it perpetuates. We know what it’s like to be the only [Black] person in the classroom or the boardroom” said Nigela.
The couple started to meet with other corporations and institutions to help them plan out their mission. Before partnering with a college, the organization worked with Brock, McMaster, and Ryerson University. According to Nigela, George Brown College (GBC) was the first college chosen due to its location and diverse student body.
“We wanted a representative from the colleges,” she said. “Since our focus was on both university and college students.”
The Onyx Initiative is a Toronto based non-profit, designed to address the pervasive gap that exists in the recruitment and selection of Black college and university students for roles in corporate Canada and is a highly anticipated endeavour in response to the ongoing realities pic.twitter.com/InbYEXo6UT
— George Brown College (@GBCollege) October 21, 2020
Kizzy Bedeau, the director of community partnerships at GBC, says that the Onyx Initiative is a great addition to the community.
“In the last six to ten months, we’ve seen the amplification of anti-Black racism, and George Brown College in itself is going through their own journey to create their anti-racism strategy,” said Bedeau. “[Racism] is a pervasive issue that we need to be more mindful of, and create more clear solutions.”
Systemic racism has historically restricted the amount of job opportunities for racialized groups. In 2014, Statistics Canada reported that 13 per cent of Black Canadians have experienced discrimination at work or throughout the hiring process, compared to 6 per cent of their non-Black counterparts.
“The goal right now is to get as many Black individuals in corporate Canada, and lessen the systemic gap,” said Bedeau. “This can be done by creating more inclusive and diverse workplaces within the Canadian corporate infrastructure.”
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The organization along with GBC is in the process of solidifying the solutions needed to support diverse communities. As of right now, the main goal is to promote awareness and build momentum.
“Career services are involved as well as the [Black] Student Success Network, and again as we build momentum, we hope that other areas will want to join to support Black students,” said Bedeau.
Even though the initiative has launched recently, Nigela says they have received positive feedback from numerous corporations and continue to concentrate their efforts on creating an inclusive space for recruiters and students.
“It’s been a long process,” said Nigela. “But I think for us, it became a labour of love, we thought ‘Okay you know what? We got to do this.’”
