Toyin Adetoro (she/her)
Delivery Lead, IT Command Centre
Medavie Blue Cross

Toyins pic sized

What are your family’s roots and how do you honour your heritage?

I am a Black African of Nigeria descent who migrated to Canada in my adulthood. I honour my heritage by teaching my children about my cultural values, language, food, attire, and music, also by celebrating some cultural days and sometimes wearing some cultural outfits or accessories depending on the occasion.

How do you think your life differs from those of your parents and grandparents?

My grandparents and parents lived and raised the family in my home country without relocating like I have done. I believe they took less risks than me in that aspect. They also had less opportunities and access to technology than I do have now.

However, some of the positive values they instilled in me has helped in shaping me to be adaptable and optimistic enough to take the risks of starting life all over in a different country.

Who were your heroes growing up?

My late parents are my heroes of all time. They lived the values of integrity, accountability, care, hard work, faith, gratitude, love, and contentment. Late Nelson Mandela is also my hero; he exemplified focus, perseverance, peace, and forgiveness.

What makes you most proud about the legacy of Black Canadians?

I am proud of the legacy of Elijah McCoy, who invented the automatic lubricator for train engines and that of Mary Ann Shadd who was the first Black female newspaper publisher. She established a racially integrated schools for Black refugees and was also one of the first Black women lawyers. In addition, Lincoln Alexander, who made history three times as the first Black member of parliament, cabinet minister and provincial lieutenant governor of Ontario.

How important is Black representation in the workplace?

Black representation is important in the workplace to demonstrate commitment to diversity which can lead to increase productivity and profitability, innovation, better decision making and improve company reputation. There is more emergence of Black people in leadership positions in recent years and I believe it’s a mission that needs to be embraced by all strategic organizations who are envisioning growth and sustainability.

How can co-workers be better allies to their Black colleagues?

Co-workers can be better allies to their Black colleagues by empathizing with them on how much of a challenge it can be adjusting to a different culture, different environment, struggling to make people understand their accent and even learning a new language sometimes. Learning a bit more about their Black colleagues’ culture can also help to understand their perspectives and become better allies.

From a Black perspective, what are the most important steps we can take as organization to achieve greater inclusivity?

An organization can achieve greater inclusivity by educating the entire workforce starting from the top, about diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), making recruitment more inclusive and engaging with employees for feedback.

Volunteering to be a member of the DEI council with the goal of contributing to the inclusivity initiatives of the organization and see things from others’ perspectives are some of the steps I have taken to foster inclusivity in the workplace.

What is one fact of your life as a Black person that you would like others to know?

The content of anybody’s character is more important than their skin tone. We may never be able to realize the possibilities or discover the true beauty of the soul that dwells beneath the skin if we don’t remove the barriers of bias towards the skin colour.

How can Canada become a more inclusive country?

Canada can become more inclusive by increasing representation of the diverse communities in politics, media, and business, and by making communities more accessible to all, engaging more with the communities, and encouraging organizations to be more inclusive.


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