Author: Dwayne Brown, PhD student in Education

Dwayne is a Teacher with the Toronto District School Board and PhD student at York University's Faculty of Education, studying mental health in relation to Black male student success. He grew up in the Jane-Finch community where he experienced much loss, heartache and anger. He understands the damage that such emotions as anger and helplessness, coupled with the inability to identify and effectively cope with these emotions (and the continuum of other emotions we experience), can do to a person's perspective and the way they navigate the world. Ultimately, he endeavours to provide youth with the same opportunity and skills that were essential in allowing him to overcome the adversity that tried to define his circumstance.