The journey is the reward. That’s what we are told from an early age and led to believe, and quite frankly, it is highly believable and genuine. Often, the visceral reward of the fight, the struggle, and the effort is more exhilarating than crossing the finish line and asking, now what? As you reflect on the podium, the triumph, and the promotion, and share your regaling story with the others, your language focuses on the highs and lows, the moments, and the memory steps.
If so, why do we view milestones, holidays, and recognized calendar moments as the end state? Until last week, I knew that was how I viewed Emancipation Day in Canada. That some two hundred years ago, the slaves were freed, and off my forebearers went to deal with other kinds of injustices. However, being enslaved was not one of them. But my perception, my false beliefs, and my misguided conclusions were blown to bits by the words of Kike Ojo-Thompson, our keynote speaker at Unbounded on August 7th – A Black Talent Initiative. Ojo-Thompson educated me and everyone around me that Emancipation is an ongoing process that requires daily commitment. She spoke of advocates as tree planters who work today so that future generations can enjoy the shade the planters may never sit under. And she put language to an experience too often overlooked: misogynoir, the unique discrimination faced by Black women, making clear that equity work must be expansive enough to reach everyone. Walking into a room and knowing you’ll leave changed is a fantastic day. Kike changed my thinking about Emancipation Day forever.
I now understand that Emancipation is a process. It requires the investment and sacrifices of those who understand that, despite what the law says, there is a particular group of people who are not free. Our people must work defiantly yet strategically to fight for the equality we have been denied and the privileges we are owed. Unbounded was designed to bring together Black leaders, allies, and community builders for an Emancipation Celebration to live up to its name. However, the echoing words of our keynote made me realize that Unbounded needs to be a verb, not a noun. That realization on an afternoon filled with insight, artistry, and conversations left this individual tirelessly energized and accountable.
Kike Ojo-Thompson, the keynote speaker at Unbounded, is a relentless fighter who has not retreated from her life’s work. As founder of the KOJO Institute, she has spent two decades guiding organizations toward equitable outcomes, working with the Toronto District School Board, Loblaw, TD Canada Trust, and World Vision. Her leadership has created tangible change, from helping to end Ontario’s carding practice to creating a groundbreaking Anti-Black Racism Practice Framework for the province’s child welfare system. A year ago, she announced that KOJO Institute has joined Deloitte Canada, and Kike took on the role of Partner in Human Capital (Workforce Transformation).
Also at Unbounded, I learned from a fantastic panel that Emancipation can mean community. On the panel, Garrison Thomas, founder of GTalks, challenged us with a powerful question: how do you connect with people you’ve never met, and may never meet? His life’s work is rooted in using personal stories to open pathways of understanding. He’s taken lessons from the basketball court, the boardroom, and the classroom to create spaces where empathy leads to change. That ability to make an impact ripple beyond our immediate circles is a skill and a responsibility.
Nadine Williams, poet, author, educator, and cultural ambassador, brought lyrical truth to the discussion. She spoke about how breaking bread with someone can lower even the highest walls. She reminded us that we all have blues in our lives; they appear in different shades. Her reframing of ambition as investment rather than sacrifice struck many chords; seeing your dreams as something you are building into, rather than giving up for, changes your relationship to the work. Host Faith-Ann Allison, a Gen Z leader who embodies hustle, talent, and purpose, brought the day to life. She showed how joy and professionalism can sit side by side, each amplifying the other.
Our Unbounded celebration also included moving tributes and amplification through lyrics, music, song and dance. The performances by Shalom Blue and the Riddim Fit Dancers carried the cultural heartbeat of the event, reminding us that art and movement are also forms of advocacy.
I left Unbounded with three convictions sharpened. Combating racism, bigotry, and prejudice is a 365-day commitment. People find strength in community; some gain strength by being that community for others. And the seeds we plant today matter whether or not we’re the ones to sit under their shade.
