Brandon Hay is the founder of the Black Daddies Club, where since 2007 he has reached and engaged over 6,500 Black fathers and children. He founded the support group because he realised that there was a real lack of parenting resources for him and other fathers in his community. Today, the group works to support Black men in their individual and unique experiences as fathers, ultimately aiming to support Black children, families and the larger community. In all of his work, he brings a transformative and equity based approach to issues of marginalization, health and well-being. For his work in his community, and beyond, Brandon has been recognized with the African Canadian Achievement award of Excellence for parenting in 2011 and the Black Business and Professional association Distinguished Man of Honor Award in 2010.
To learn more about Brandon, read his spotlight below.
I was born in …
Andrew, Jamaica
I currently live in …
Malvern, Scarborough
Diverse leadership is important because…
Diverse leadership in (Canada) and globally is important because the work force is diverse, and having competent leadership from various cultures and backgrounds benefits the companies as well as the moral of the people working for them.
Civic engagement is important because ….
Civic engagement is important especially in the case of marginalized and racialized community members. The process ensures that voices of various community stakeholders are informing policies that can ensure that cities like Toronto can be a more equitable place to live.
My greatest city-building accomplishment to date is …
My ten plus years of work in engaging with Black men and Black Fathers through the Black Daddies Club, helping to create space for these men to address issues that are impacting them and their communities.
One thing I do to ensure I continue to grow and develop as a leader is…
I try to surround myself with people who are smarter than me and then ask them a lot of questions.
One characteristic every leader should possess is …
Humility, because I am learning I have blind spots in how I see the world and that I am wrong a lot of times. Being humble helps me accept that I am wrong, and humility also gives space for learning when that does happen.
If you want to get more engaged in your city or community you should ….
Spend a night in a city ran shelter and/or volunteer in their soup kitchen if they have one.
One of my favourite places in the GTHA to visit is ….
Kensington Market, Cherry Beach, or Rouge Valley Conservation park.
A hobby/talent of mine that people may not know about …
I like to write poetry.
If I could have dinner with anyone, living or deceased, I would choose….
My grandmother, I miss her and she helped me make sense of world that surrounds me.
Filed Under: Faces of ELN