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“I Dream Because I CAN” returns in February as Canada Basketball celebrates Black History Month
TORONTO (February 1, 2023) – Canada Basketball’s “I Dream Because I CAN” program returns this month as the organization will once again recognize influential Black Canadians who have made significant contributions to the growth of the game across the country.
Throughout the month of February (and beyond), Canada Basketball will work to educate, recognize and celebrate the origins, challenges and successes of Black Canadians across all aspects of the game of basketball.
“I Dream Because I CAN” is just one initiative to be launched following the development of the UNIFIED 2024 program back in 2021. UNIFIED 2024 is a multi-year program designed to lead the organization’s equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives and establishes the organization as a leader within the Canadian sports industry by 2024.
Every aspect of the organization’s Black History Month “I Dream Because I CAN” campaign was developed by Canada Basketball’s Pro-Black Inclusion Committee, which is led by Michael Meeks, Assistant General Manager, Men's Basketball Operations and Olympian. The committee is just one of several staff-led groups formed through the UNIFIED 2024 program and is designed to provide a platform for those with lived experience to shape equity initiatives through the organization.
From professional development opportunities for staff and stakeholders to recognizing Black Canadian content creators with a love for the game, highlighted Canada Basketball programming and content throughout the month of February includes:
Canada Basketball Dreamers To Be Recognized
Throughout the month of February, four influential Black Canada Basketball alumni – Uzoma Asagwara, Norman Clark, Carol Hamilton-Goodale, and Dwight Walton – will be recognized for their contributions to the national team as well as the impact they’ve had on the game today. Stay tuned to basketball.ca to learn more about each of their careers but also the barriers they were forced to overcome along the way.
Dwight Walton was just a kid from Montreal with a dream 💭
— Canada Basketball (@CanBball) February 24, 2023
Check out @libaanstar1's article on @Bballinsider, who is a 1988 Olympian and among our four 2023 Dreamers, a program to highlight influential Black Canada Basketball alumni 👇https://t.co/YIRBiTfzxn
Norman Clarke beat the odds to achieve his Olympic dreams 👏
— Canada Basketball (@CanBball) March 3, 2023
Learn more about Norman, who is one of our four 2023 Dreamers — a program to highlight influential Black Canada Basketball alumni — and his journey to representing Canada at the Olympics 👇https://t.co/Talosd4jrQ
Lunch and Learns for Staff and Stakeholders
In an effort to continue educating Canada Basketball staff and stakeholders, Canada Basketball has organized professional development sessions to further understand and educate on the importance of equity, diversity and inclusion.
Marsha-Gaye Knight, CEO of Black in Sport Business, will hold an interactional lunch and learn session where she will introduce the Black in Sport Business (BSB) organization, why it was formed and the work it has done to make the sport business space more equitable in Canada. She's also lead participants in a review of key findings from the 2021 "Being Black in Sport Business" research study, which highlights the value of having Black professionals on the business side of sport and how Black sport business professionals see themselves in the industry currently and moving forward.
Black in Sport Business is an organization that aims to connect and encourage the presence of black professionals in the sport business industry across Canada.
Canada Basketball staff will also each receive a redeemable delivery voucher to be used to purchase lunch around this session from a local Black Canadian owned restaurant which provides staff with an opportunity to research, support and experience cuisine from businesses in their area.
Sportsnet x Canada Basketball
Throughout the month, Sportsnet has created a series of interviews, features and digital content that will highlight Black Canadians in basketball and across sport. Be sure to check out Sportsnet’s social channels to hear these impactful stories.
“You can’t be what you can’t see.”
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) February 24, 2023
Joshua Salandy, Marlo Davis, Tamara Tatham, and Jamaal Magloire emphasize the importance of black coaches and the influence they have on the younger generation. #BlackHistoryMonthpic.twitter.com/w0YfiJZkhY
Content Creator Spotlight
Canada Basketball will also recognize emerging Black Canadian content creators and their work in basketball and beyond. From photographers and videographers to spoken word artists and those in the fine arts, be sure to check out Canada Basketball’s social channels throughout the month for artists on the rise.
Yaz Omar — a photographer based in Toronto — is up next in our Creator Spotlight Series, highlighting young Black creators telling the stories of basketball in Canada 🇨🇦🏀 pic.twitter.com/zpcaIP6oY6
— Canada Basketball (@CanBball) February 10, 2023
Rahma is up next in our Creator Spotlight Series, highlighting young Black creators telling the stories of basketball in Canada 🇨🇦🏀 #IDreamBecauseICan#BlackHistoryMonthpic.twitter.com/jiyWL80qzo
— Canada Basketball (@CanBball) February 25, 2023
Our Future Dreamers
Over the course of the month, we’ll also work to shine a spotlight on some of today’s Black Canadian basketball players, coaches, and officials who are leaving a lasting impact, both on and off the court. These stories will be told through a series of written features, video segments, empowering quotes and Q & A and will be available on basketball.ca and across Canada Basketball’s social channels.
How to Get Involved
- Stay tuned to basketball.ca and across our social channels throughout the month of February to learn more about the basketball journeys of our Black Canadian players, officials, coaches and executives.
- Share Canada Basketball, Sportsnet and your own posts and stories throughout the month using the hashtag #IDreamBecauseICAN and by tagging Canada Basketball social accounts on your posts, images and videos.
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