CBC Nova Scotia’s community advisory board
How it works
Every two months, board members meet with a team of CBC journalists to provide advice about specific reporting projects and long-term editorial outlooks and offer general feedback on CBC content. Members may form smaller boards for specific coverage needs and serve as a sounding board during breaking news events.
The board is not a decision-making body and does not oversee editorial decisions. Rather, it provides an opportunity to share valuable perspectives and insight for consideration by CBC Nova Scotia’s editorial team.
Meet the board
Each board member will participate in a two-year term. Read more below (biographies submitted by board members).
Akintunde (Akin) Odeniyi
With a master of business administration degree, master of science in media communication degree, and master of technology entrepreneurship and innovation degree, plus two decades of cognate experience, Akintunde (Akin) Odeniyi has robust working knowledge in marketing communication, media planning, branding, corporate reputation management, stakeholder engagement, advertising, project management, policy and program development. Akin is also a media entrepreneur and currently works with the Government of Nova Scotia.
As an immigrant from Nigeria, Akin has a deep interest in volunteering and providing support to newly landed immigrants to help them adjust and settle into their new communities quickly. With his lived experience, Akin knows how diversity and inclusion can be powerful tools for individuals and communities in driving their goals.
Serving on the board will provide an opportunity to share Akin’s lived experience, discuss challenging ideas and help bring African Nova Scotian issues to the mainstream where it can be accurately captured in reporting and programming. More so, this board will allow Akin the opportunity to build relationships between historical African Nova Scotians and African immigrants by learning and sharing experiences to build better communities.
Alvero Wiggins
Residing in Halifax, Alvero Wiggins has made a positive impact on the young people in his home community of Uniacke Square. With deep roots in the historically rich Black Nova Scotian community, Alvero has lived the struggle of being Black in Canada. A devoted father of four and accomplished photographer, he is also passionate about music, art, travel and sustainable food cultivation.
Alvero is pleased to join the board to help create much needed change in support of his community through continued promotion of diversity, equity and inclusion in the media industry. Give him a shout on Instagram @an_abstract_vision.
Asiah Sparks
Asiah Sparks is a storyteller, activist and African Nova Scotian teenager from the historically Black community of Lake Loon. In addition to being Halifax’s first youth poet laureate, her past accomplishments include the provincial Volunteer of the Year Award and Halifax Regional Municipality’s Volunteer of the Year Award in 2022.
Participating on the board is an amazing opportunity to contribute context and perspective to how African Nova Scotian people, stories and culture are portrayed. With an understanding of how those stories have hidden and changed in media throughout history, Asiah feels this board is a great place to contribute to changing the narratives.
Dr. Chadwick (Chad) Williams
Chadwick (Chad) Williams is an assistant professor of medicine at Dalhousie University and a gastroenterologist and inflammatory bowel disease specialist at the Dartmouth General Hospital. Dr. Williams completed his bachelor of science and medical degrees at Dalhousie University prior to completing an internal medicine residency and gastroenterology residency at the University of Calgary. He completed an inflammatory bowel disease fellowship at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, Calif.
Dr. Williams is a member of several organizations including the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology and the American Gastroenterology Association. He is currently the internal medicine site lead and the endoscopy site lead at the Dartmouth General Hospital. Dr. Williams is the current chair of the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion subcommittee.
Moreover, Chad is a proud African Nova Scotian with his forebears having lived in the province for centuries. He is committed to the care of Nova Scotians and to mentoring and educating the next generation of physicians.
Curtis Whiley
Curtis Whiley brings a wealth of expertise in housing and land-related matters to the board. Currently serving as the manager of Nova Scotia’s Land Titles Initiative, Curtis has a significant background in navigating complex land and housing issues. In addition, he is the driving force behind the Upper Hammonds Plains Community Land Trust, a transformative initiative focused on community-led land democracy.
Curtis envisions a future where media acts as a catalyst for positive change and equitable representation, aligning perfectly with CBC Nova Scotia’s mission to amplify diverse voices and stories.
Deanna Sparks
Deanna Sparks is an eighth-generation African Nova Scotian currently living in Lake Loon, one of the four communities known as Preston Township.
Deanna has been involved in the performing arts for many years as a former member of the acclaimed acapella group Four the Moment and the Nova Scotia Mass Choir. She performed in Little Shop of Horrors and Gospel of Colonist at Neptune Theatre. She has written radio documentaries including “I Hear What You’re Saying,” “All Saints Day” and “Stories my Grandfather told Me.” She has also written and produced the documentary “The Panther Next Door.”
Dennis Adams
A registered social worker and well-known member of the African Nova Scotian community, Dennis Adams combines his skills of non-profit management with more than 30 years of experience working with youth as the executive director and chief harmony officer of LOVE (Leave Out Violence) Nova Scotia.
LOVE prioritizes the health and well-being of young people with real-time, non-judgemental support and programs that leverage strengths and capacities to help youth reconnect with themselves, find their voice and live free from violence. LOVE provides services in schools and wrap-around programs with teams located in the Halifax Regional Municipality, North Preston, Sipekne’katik and Membertou.
Dennis has served youth within regional school boards, large health centres and in private practice, and has received awards for his commitment to a holistic perspective that emphasizes prevention and community development. These days, Dennis doubles as an executive coach for new, young executive directors in the non-profit sector and is a strategic planning consultant.
Dennis joins the board to continue to give voice to youth and to help give an accurate portrayal of the African Nova Scotian experience.
Eddy Carvery III
Eddy Carvery III is not only a dedicated father of three and a proud Africville descendant, but also the grandson and namesake of renowned civil rights activist Eddie Carvery. With a background as a small business owner, public speaker, and co-host and co-creator of the award-winning podcast Africville Forever, he passionately advocates for justice and a better way of life for his people.
In his recent role as implementation lead at the Halifax Port Authority, Eddy laid the foundations for pathways to port careers within the Black and African Nova Scotian community, showcasing his commitment to positive change.
Eddy is thankful for the opportunity to join the board to contribute and work alongside CBC staff and fellow Black/African Nova Scotians. The media’s portrayal of his people has always been a powerful tool and it is an honour to be a part of this very important initiative which may help the rest of Nova Scotians and Canadians see his people from a different lens.
Godfred T. Chongatera
Godfred T. Chongatera, originally from Ghana, is a partner at McCarthy Chongatera Law LLP in downtown Halifax. His legal practice is in the areas of criminal defence, immigration and family law, including child protection law, and corporate commercial law.
Godfred is a community activist and an active member of the African Nova Scotian and diaspora communities in Nova Scotia on issues including immigration and policing relating to visible minority communities. He has appeared on local television news, and local and national radio programs regarding immigration and refugees in Africa. He is also interested in fair and equal representation of marginal communities at various levels of government.
Godfred enjoys playing football (soccer), running, reading, politics and economics. He is interested in volunteer work with local community organizations. He is an active and leading member of Rotary, both at the local level and internationally.
Joining the board affords him the opportunity to bring his perspective on equal and fair representation and treatment to the CBC storytelling process.
Guyleigh Johnson
Guyleigh Johnson is a published author, spoken word artist, community advocate and arts facilitator from north-end Dartmouth. She has a passion for youth engagement, writing and speaking about topics surrounding healing, leadership and implementing changes in her community.
Guyleigh published two books Expect The Unexpected (2016) and Afraid Of the Dark (2018) through Pottersfield Press. In 2018, she won the Ancestral Roots Award, presented by the Delmore “Buddy” Daye Learning Institute (DBDLI). This year, she won the Inspirational Griot Award for her short film Scratching the Surface presented by the Emerging Lens Cultural Film Festival. She is currently an advisor at Dalhousie University’s Black Student Advising Centre.
Guyleigh is excited to be a part of the board because representation and community engagement are so important. “It’s not how the world views us, it’s how we view ourselves.”
Javiere Gordon
Javiere holds a bachelor’s degree in history and a postgraduate certificate in human resources management. Javiere champions equity and inclusion through his current role with Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC), and in previous work with Valley African Nova Scotian Development Association (VANSDA) and as a member of NSCC’s Black Community Council (BCC).
Javiere is pleased to be serving on the board considering its alignment with his values of inclusive communities and potential impact on increased cultural competence.
Josh Creighton
Josh Creighton is a lifelong resident of north-end Halifax, with a passion for community development and entrepreneurship. Josh began his work with the Halifax Chamber of Commerce as community engagement specialist, which he excelled at for the simple fact that his work aligns with his personal beliefs and values. Josh has since moved into the corporate partnership specialist role with the chamber.
Josh joins the board to help ensure that positive, transparent information is being shared about those from his community.
Kardeisha Provo
Kardeisha Provo is a filmmaker born and raised in Canada’s largest Indigenous Black community of North Preston, Nova Scotia. She strives to make herself, her community and the world better through creative visual storytelling. Kardeisha is a recent graduate of The Remix Project 15.0 film program.
In 2021, she released a short film titled North Preston: The Untold Story as part of the Being Black in Canada Series which won Best Direction, Documentary Series at the 2022 Canadian Screen Awards.
Kardeisha is an advocate for the youth of her community by bridging barriers of communication. She has created a collective called Kaleidoscope Network that caters to sharing resources and expertise to creatives across the globe. She speaks her truth and challenges the perception of the experiences of Black people in Canada.
Kenneth M. Fells
Kenneth M. Fells has ancestral roots stemming from the historically segregated communities of Greenville and Yarmouth, as well as the New England Planters and Black Loyalists. He is an educator who brings a unique perspective to the school environment by utilizing action research and highlighting the lack of cultural proficiency that contributes to high numbers of disengaged Black males. He is a signatory of Nova Scotia’s 1994 Black Learners Advisory Committee (BLAC) Report on Education.
Fells has worked with the Canadian Armed Forces and the Department of National Defence, as well as with the Atlantic region’s Defense Visible Advisory group reporting to the Admiral Maritime Command.
As a passionate advocate for equality, diversity and the amplification of underrepresented voices, Fells is honoured to bring his perspective to the board. He believes engaging in open dialogue and constructive discussion is crucial to foster greater understanding, create positive change and address systemic challenges that affect Black communities.
Lisa Dennis
Lisa Dennis is an African Canadian mother of two teenagers and has been a rehabilitation professional since 1999 serving people of all walks of life, including military, aboriginal health, pediatrics, geriatrics and brain rehab, in four provinces. She is finishing her doctoral studies at Boston University with a focus on cultural competency in the school-to-prison pipeline. She is an entrepreneur, educator, clinician and public speaker on Black health issues including trauma, racism in health care and social determinants of health. In her spare time, she enjoys djembe drumming, teaching Zumba, weight training and aquafit.
Lisa is pleased to join the board where she can give input on issues that are important to Black Canadians and help hold media accountable to sharing stories on Black people that don’t perpetuate racial bias.
Dr. OmiSoore H. Dryden
Dr. OmiSoore H. Dryden (she/her/hers), a Black queer femme and associate professor, is the James R. Johnston Endowed Research Chair in Black Canadian Studies within the faculty of medicine at Dalhousie University. She is also the interim director of the newly established Black Studies Research Institute in STEMM, and is the co-lead of the national organization The Black Health Education Collaborative.
Dr. Dryden brings her commitment to Black LGBTQI communities, addressing anti-Black racism and improving Black health to the board.
Semira Abdu
Semira Abdu moved from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to Antigonish, Nova Scotia, to complete her undergraduate studies almost 10 years ago. In 2018, she graduated in applied mathematics, moved to Dartmouth and started her business, which exports different Canadian-made goods to people in Ethiopia, as well as imports Ethiopian-made goods and spices to Canada.
Semira volunteers at a local not-for-profit organization called Berhan School where she teaches math to East African children living in Halifax.
She joins the board to share her insights, perspectives and observations in hopes it will deepen the stories CBC covers about the African Nova Scotian community. She is grateful to have been selected to serve on this advisory board.
Shekara Grant
Shekara Grant is an eighth generation Black Loyalist descendant with ancestral ties to Cherry Brook and Weymouth Falls, two of more than 50 historic African Nova Scotian communities. She speaks both English and French, having graduated from Dalhousie University with combined honours in sociology and French, and a certificate in intercultural communications. Shekara founded the Weymouth Falls Community Land Trust.
She is joining the board understanding that the media has a responsibility to share stories in ways that will properly reflect Black communities not just now, but seven generations from now.
Steve Berry
Steve Berry is from the south end of Yarmouth and is currently deputy mayor of the town. He is a board member of the JSTRONG Fund, a community organization that supports youth in accessing sports, and is involved in many community-building projects. He is going into his 18th year as an African Nova Scotian student support worker.
Steve joins the board as he hopes that this opportunity will allow the community to better engage with youth, give a voice to more rural issues and highlight the positive efforts of the African Nova Scoian community as a whole.
Sylvia Parris
Sylvia Parris is president of SVParris Consulting and CEO of the Delmore “Buddy” Daye Learning Institute (DBDLI). Her work in education, strategic facilitation and the community is rooted in core Africentric principles. She is a seasoned collaborator and social justice change agent, as well as proud mother and nanny.
Sylvia, who is an entrepreneur and one of the recipients of Atlantic Business Magazine’s Top 50 CEOs for 2022 and the RBC Social Change Award for 2020, has influenced change in the corporate and private sectors.
She looks forward to her role as a member of the board to support structural growth and systemic change and to work collaboratively with community members on the board and CBC staff.
Tanya Deveau
Tanya Deveau grew up in the Annapolis Valley and now lives in Dartmouth with her five amazing children. She graduated from Dalhousie University with a bachelor of social work degree in 2004. Since then, she’s worked in many roles with the provincial Department of Community Service including in long-term care, foster care and adoption. Tanya is currently a victim services officer with the Department of Justice.
Tanya is excited to join the board to provide perspectives on important topics that directly affect her, her family, her community and other marginalized individuals.
Tanya McHarg
Tanya McHarg is a registered social worker with more than 22 years of experience who uses an intersectional, Africentric and anti-oppressive lens to support holistic health and healing for people of African descent. She completed her degree in sociology at St. Thomas University with a research focus on systemic anti-Black racism within the RCMP, and her social work degree at the University of Calgary.
Tanya began her career with a non-profit organization supporting people experiencing homelessness, addiction and mental health issues. She spent 17 years with the Government of Alberta in areas such as child intervention investigations, training and facilitation, and has been team leader of the PSECA team (Protection of Sexually Exploited Children Act) to address child sexual exploitation and human trafficking.
Originally from New Brunswick, Tanya’s paternal grandmother was an African Nova Scotian from Annapolis Royal. In 2022, Tanya followed her dreams and moved back to the East Coast. She joins the board to further her commitment to supporting people of African descent to heal from trauma and to thrive not just survive.
Treno Morton
Treno Morton graduated from Queen’s University with a bachelor of arts with honours in geography and planning, a certificate in urban planning studies, and a minor in global development studies. His goal is to use his lived experience, coupled with his education, to create more inclusive communities and counteract the gentrification constantly impacting his community.
Treno is currently a community engagement specialist for the non-profit organization Inspiring Communities. He also has experience working with and advising local community groups, non-profit organizations, the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) and some government entities.
In his free time, Treno serves on the Africville Heritage Trust Board (AHTB) and the African Descendants Advisory Committee for HRM. He is also the co-owner and director of operations at Fumes Rolling Papers Inc., the first local Black-owned products to be sold in the NSLC. The company was founded in 2020 by himself and his two brothers with the intent of re-establishing Black ownership in the cannabis industry.
Wayne Desmond
Wayne Desmond was born and raised in New Glasgow, Pictou County. He was raised by his parents, Joy and Wayne Desmond, and maternal grandparents, Jay and Evelyn Reddick.
Wayne kept himself busy outside of school as an athlete and a community volunteer. He received a bachelor of arts from Saint Mary’s University, and his juris doctor degree from Dalhousie Law School. Wayne worked as a research assistant on the African Nova Scotian Research Ethics Framework project and is currently employed with MacGillivray Injury & Insurance Law.
Wayne joins the board because he believes that access to justice is heavily influenced by the media, and having a voice at the table can help ensure justice for all.
William Bowers
William Bowers was born in South Africa to dual ethnic parents. He immigrated to Nova Scotia with his wife and two children in 2019 and settled in beautiful Cape Breton Island. William’s dedication to community service is born from his experiences growing up during apartheid which shaped his views on the importance of embracing diversity in community and ensuring everyone has a voice. The aforementioned served as his inspiration to be part of the newly formed board.
William holds a master of business administration in community economic development, a bachelor of commerce degree with honors in human resources, as well as advanced labour law and human resources management qualifications.
Currently serving as a regional manager with the province and sessional lecturer at Cape Breton University, William also held management roles within the health-care, retail and gaming industries.
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