Karlyn Percil.
Midtown resident Karlyn Percil is featured on the City of Toronto’s official 2011 Black History Month poster.
Image/COURTESY
Karlyn Percil was "totally surprised" she was one of five Torontonians to be featured in this year's Black History Month poster.
"I didn't expect to be featured as this is such an amazing way to be a part of Black History Month," said the Yonge Street and Davisville Avenue resident. "Why me? The other individuals are doing such amazing work and I am so honoured to appear alongside them. Pauline Christian is an outstanding community servant and being on the same poster with her and the other recipients is really, really amazing."
A native of St. Lucia, Percil moved to Toronto in 2003. An employee of Scotiabank, she has organized educational fundraising events for the Aids Action Foundation, as well as events for the Children's Orphanage in St. Lucia.
In Toronto, she has worked with Impact Solutions on the Bell Celebrity Gala and The Niagara Wine Auction for Sick Kids Foundation.
Percil, who has her own clothing line, has also volunteered with the Black Business and Professional Association for more than six years and has been chair of the association's Harry Jerome Awards for the past four.
Percil developed the Bellemoun Community Youth Network (BCYN), a non-profit organization she's hoping to base in North York. BCYN provides visibility, programs and structured assistance for small, youth-driven non-profits and individuals in Canada and the Caribbean.
"I think Black History Month is important as it teaches us about our ancestors and what they have accomplished - they sacrificed themselves for a better tomorrow," Percil said.
"Black History Month places a special emphasis on those very important individuals who we may not have known about if it wasn't for Black History Month. If it wasn't for these individuals a lot of our rights and what we freely enjoy today would not be so. When I think about Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, Nelson Mandela, Harry Jerome, I think that we need to have Black History Month so we can educate our young people, and old, on how far we've come. I believe that we need to know where we come from in order to know where we are going."
Percil said she started Bellemoun to reflect her advocacy for celebrating diversity.
"Who we are as a people, it is very important that we celebrate who we are," she said. "Have a strong sense of self and to keep on doing things that will help us recognize and celebrate each other."
Richard Gosling, manager of the city's community capacity building, said individuals featured in this year's poster highlight recent arrivals to Canada.
"When we started the poster 15, 18 years ago, we highlighted people who opened doors in different fields and overcame adversity," he said. "Karlyn seems like an extremely personable young woman and we are appreciative of her contributions."
The poster will be distributed to all schools, community centres and fire stations across the province.
Percil shares space on the poster with George E. Carter, who was appointed Canada's first native-born black judge; Nana Kwarteng Boateng II, founder and president of the Traditional Rulers Association of Canada; Abdulrahman Bundu, who is active in bringing awareness to Sierra Leone; and Pauline Christian, president of the Black Business and Professional Association and of the Education Foundation for Children's Care Canada.