Tyrell Laing spoke from hs heart during the Black Lives Matter movements in Prince George last summer to provoke conversation.
Today (Feb. 10), the UNBC Timberwolves basketball player was formally announced as a guest panelist for a nationwide event promoting Black History Month alongside other inspirational voices across Canadian university sports.
The Prince George product was invited by U SPORTS, the governing body for the highest level of athletic competition in the country, to speak on the success of the Black community and the issues that hold up barriers other races are still dealing with.
Prior to the local protests in June 2020, Laing asked the UNBC Athletics department if they could create a video that would tell his emotional story of how he experienced racism in his hometown.
In late January, the video was honoured and recognized regionally for its contribution to society with the District VIII Grand Gold Award from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), which oversees schools in western Canada and the U.S. northwest.
"It wasn't that long ago when I went on Kijiji and I was actually looking at an ad or a post for a basement suite being rented," Laing said in the video, a fifth-year guard with UNBC
"And at the end of the price, in brackets, it said 'Whites Only.' You become accustomed to certain things and it's a sad reality in today's day and age that somebody would have to get used to being treated differently.
"It makes me proud to represent a culture, it makes me proud to represent family."
Dubbed as U SPORTS Conversations, the event is bringing in nine panelists and prominent Black and BIPOC personalities from across Canada, including Laing.
U SPORTS Interim CEO Dick White says using a national platform is crucial in highlighting advocates and work accomplished by its athletes.
“This is an important opportunity to listen to their experiences, educate our network and support our Black teammates and colleagues as they empower the next generation.”
Black History Month is formally recognized every February on a global scale.
The live event is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 16 at 3 p.m. Pacific Time on the U SPORTS Facebook and Twitter pages.
Hosted by Savanna Hamilton from NBA TV Canada, the other eight speakers are as follows (in alphabetical order):
- Donnovan Bennett
- Sportsnet personality; Former running back, Western Mustangs football
- Tyra Blizzard
- 2020 graduate, Ottawa Gee-Gees women’s basketball
- Tenicha Gittens
- Head coach, Concordia Stingers women’s basketball
- Kryshanda Green
- 2020 graduate and team captain, Ryerson Rams women’s hockey
- Dr. Ivan Joseph
- Vice-President Student Affairs, Wilfrid Laurier University
- Charles Kissi
- Head Coach, Guelph Nighthawks (CEBL), former police officer
- Lee Anna Osei
- Head coach, St. FX X-Women basketball and Founder, Black Canadian Coaches’ Association
