Inaugural Dave Barrett Lecture in Child, Family and Community Welfare
Contact: Dr. Christopher Walmsley, TRU School of Social Work and Human Service, (p) 250-371-5559
October 15, 2008Challenging Racism in the Small City will be the topic of Dr. Wanda Thomas Bernard’s lecture at the inaugural Dave Barrett Lecture in Child, Family and Community Welfare at Thompson Rivers University Tuesday, Oct. 28 at 11:30 am in the Cafeteria of the Culinary Arts Building.
Dr. Bernard is the Director, School of Social Work, Dalhousie University and a Member of the Order of Canada--an honour she received for her work on race and racism. Dr Bernard is the author of numerous publications on racism, diversity education, and Black mothering and fathering. At Dalhousie, she is also a faculty member in School of Nursing, Women’s Studies and the Faculty of Graduate Studies.
Barrett will also speak the day before on Closing Down Institutions: Rethinking our Social Responsibilities on Monday, Oct. 27 at 12:30 pm in the Grand Hall of the Campus Activity Centre.
“We are fortunate to have two distinguished Canadians on our campus at the same time,” said Dr. Christopher Walmsley, Associate Professor School of Social Work and Human Service and chair of the organizing committee.
“Both are passionate speakers, dedicated social workers, and outstanding human beings,” Walmsley added. “This lecture series is an opportunity to honour a political leader in our province who took the welfare of children seriously. It is also an opportunity to start a dialogue about racism in our community under the leadership of another distinguished Canadian.”
Barrett, a professional social worker, was Premier of British Columbia from 1972 to 1975. His government is best remembered for the introduction of the Agricultural Land Reserve and the creation of the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia and a list of social policy initiatives that were part of the government’s legacy including; the creation of the BC Council on the Family; the first Royal Commission on family and children’s law in the province; the first study on the adoption of Aboriginal children to non-Aboriginal homes and the placement of Aboriginal children in non-Aboriginal foster homes.
Before entering public office in the 1960s Barrett was a social worker and continuing to serve as a MLA after the 1975 provincial election until 1984. He was also a Member of Parliament from 1988 to 1995 and is an Officer of the Order of Canada.