Kamala Jean Gopie facts for kids

Kamala Jean Gopie is a Canadian leader and activist who was born in Jamaica. She works to make communities better and fairer for everyone.

Early Life and Education

Kamala Jean Gopie was born in Jamaica. Her family came to Jamaica from India a long time ago to work. After finishing high school, she moved to Canada in 1963.

She studied at the University of Toronto. She earned two degrees: a Bachelor of Arts in 1975 and a Master of Education in 1990. Before becoming a well-known community leader, she worked as a teacher for the North York School Board. She is famous for her work helping communities in Toronto, Ontario.

Working for the Community

Kamala Jean Gopie has held many important roles. From 1979 to 1980, she was the president of the Jamaican Canadian Association. This group helps people from Jamaica in Canada.

She also advised the government on how to support different cultures and citizens. She was part of the Ontario Advisory Council on Multiculturalism and Citizenship from 1980 to 1984. She later led the Urban Alliance on Race Relations, which works to improve relationships between different racial groups. In 1982, she helped start the Black Business and Professional Association. This group supports Black business owners and professionals.

In Politics and Public Service

Kamala Jean Gopie has also been involved in politics. In 1981, she ran for a seat in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, which is like the provincial parliament. She received many votes in the Oakwood area. In 1984, she tried to become a candidate for the Liberal Party of Canada in the federal election, but she was not chosen.

In 1986, she was appointed to the Ontario Housing Corporation, which helps with housing. She also became the head of the Harry Jerome Scholarship Fund. This fund helps Black Canadian athletes go to school. Later that year, she helped organize an event in Toronto for Desmond Tutu. He was a famous leader from South Africa who fought against unfair racial laws called apartheid.

Working for Fair Policing

In 1989, Gopie was part of the Ontario Race Relations and Policing Task Force. This group looked into reports that police services in Ontario were not treating all races fairly. The task force suggested that the government should set goals for hiring more police officers from different racial backgrounds. At that time, most police officers in Ontario were white men.

Gopie supported the appointments of William McCormack as the chief of the Toronto Police Service in 1989 and Susan Eng as the head of the Toronto Police board in 1991.

Awards and Recognition

Kamala Jean Gopie has received many awards for her important community work. In 1996, she received the Order of Ontario, which is one of the highest honors in the province.

In the 1990s, she served as a Governor for the University of Toronto. This means she helped guide the university. In 1998, she was appointed to the federal Immigration and Refugee Board, which makes decisions about people coming to Canada.

Today, the University of Toronto has a special award called the Kamala-Jean Gopie Award. It is given to students who are interested in issues that affect women of Indian descent from the Caribbean.