This event is presented by UBC Connects at Robson Square in partnership with the UBC Faculty of Education and the BC Black Educational Leaders Association.
February 21, 2026
UBC Robson Square Theatre
1:00–4:00 PM (Registration opens at 12:30PM)
The BC Black Educational Leaders Association, in partnership with the UBC Faculty of Education and presented by UBC Connects at Robson Square, invites community members from all backgrounds to come together for a thoughtful and engaging exploration of anti-Black bias and its impacts across the education, healthcare, and justice systems.
The afternoon will begin with a distinguished keynote address by Dr. Leland Harper, whose scholarship and leadership will help frame meaningful dialogue and shared learning. Also featured will be presentations by Clinical Counsellor and founder of Brothers Brunch Vancouver, Bernard Piprah, Honourable Justice David St. Pierre, and UBC Associate Professor, Faculty of Education, Dr. Glory Ovie. The event will conclude with a panel discussion and an opportunity for the audience to ask questions and engage directly with the ideas.
This gathering is designed to connect local networks, educators, cultural organizations, and broader community initiatives committed to equity and social justice.
Agenda
12:30PM
Registration
1:00PM
Opening Remarks
1:15PM
Keynote Address: Dr. Leland Harper. Reclaiming the Numbers: Data as a Tool for Repair
1:50PM
Bernard Piprah, M.A.
2:15PM
Justice David St. Pierre
2:50PM
Panel Discussion
3:30PM
Dr. Glory Ovie, Faculty of Education, UBC
3:45PM
Closing Remarks
Speakers
Dr. Leland Harper is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Siena Heights University, where his research examines how race, language, and systems of knowledge production shape public discourse, institutional practices, and everyday understandings of injustice. He is the co-author of Racist, Not Racist, Antiracist: Language and the Dynamic Disaster of American Racism (Lexington 2022), editor of The Crisis of American Democracy: Essays on a Failing Institution (Vernon Press 2022), Into the Fire: The Intersection of Race and Communication (Vernon Press 2025), and The Future of Race in Canada (Vernon Press, 2026), and is the editor of the Philosophy of Race series at Vernon Press.
In 2021, Dr. Harper founded Leland Harper Consulting, a Toronto-based consulting firm that aids organizations across North America in their journey toward becoming more just, equitable, diverse, inclusive, and antiracist
Bernard Piprah, M.A. is a Registered Clinical Counsellor of six years and a mental health professional for thirteen, operating a private practice in British Columbia called BKP Counselling. His group work includes facilitating programming for incarcerated Black men in B.C., centering dignity, healing, and culturally-informed mental health support. Bernard is also the founder of Brothers Brunch Vancouver, which was covered by CBC for its innovative approach to Black men’s wellbeing.
Justice David St. Pierre
The Honourable Judge David St. Pierre is a former criminal defense lawyer and jurist whose commitment to justice, equity, and mentorship is shaped by lived experience and a deep belief in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. After completing an undergraduate degree in psychology at the University of Alberta and working as a professional musician, he earned his law degree from the University of Calgary, where he helped found the Black Law Students’ Association of Canada and contributed to human rights initiatives. Following 15 years of criminal law practice in Vancouver, he was appointed to the bench in 2009, embracing the role of impartial adjudicator with a strong appreciation for the judiciary’s role in safeguarding constitutional rights. Having personally navigated financial barriers to legal education, Judge St. Pierre co-founded the St. Pierre, Romilly, Nathanson Entrance Award in Law for Black Students in 2021 to support and mentor incoming Black law students, advancing greater access, diversity, and representation within the legal profession.
Dr. Glory Ovie is an assistant professor at the Department of Educational Studies, Faculty of Education. She holds a PhD from the University of Calgary. She is a former K-12 teacher and administrator. Dr. Ovie was also a visiting scholar at the Universidad Nacional, Sede Regional Brunca in Costa Rica.
Her research interests include crisis management in schools, educational leadership and administration, equity, diversity, inclusion and decolonization, the intersections of teaching and learning, mental health and well-being, and research methodologies. Dr. Ovie’s research seeks to disrupt the status quo in teacher education, making practices more inclusive, equitable, and anti-racist. In her research, she employs mixed methods and qualitative studies, including ethnographies, duo-ethnographies, and narrative inquiry.
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