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About

To bring about organizational change towards equity and cultural pluralism has been Charles’ work and passion for the past three decades, resulting in a wide range of experience including the public, private and the non-profit sector.

  • Charles developed equity frameworks and designed accompanying education and training programs for organizations including the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), the Canada Council for the Arts, Sony Centre for the Arts, Ontario Association of Art Galleries, Ontario College for Art and Design University (OCAD) , the University of Toronto Scarborough, the Writers Union of Canada, the Shaw Festival, and George Brown College.

  • Charles led equity-focused organizational change programs at large organizations including the Canadian Human Rights Commission, the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC), the National Ballet of Canada, Elementary Teachers of Toronto (ETT, the Toronto chapter of the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario) and the University of Windsor, Ontario. 

  • Charles provided guidance to develop and implement equity and diversity policies and programs to numerous organizations/initiatives, including the Ontario Science Centre, Metro Toronto Special Committee on Child Abuse, Toronto Community Housing Company, Eva’s Initiatives, Toronto Theatre Alliance, African Canadian Legal Clinic, Ryerson University’s (now TMU) School of Nutrition, College of Dietitians of Ontario, McMillan Binch Mendelsohn, Ontario Human Rights Commission, Inspirit Foundation,  Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers, and the Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons.

  • Charles has investigated workplace and human rights complaints for a number of different organizations and institutions.

  • Charles has been the Project Lead for the Canadian Network for Equity & Racial Justice (CNERJ), a rapidly growing network of community leaders, data experts and advocacy organizations from across the country working to create a community-led national knowledge and advocacy hub.

  • Charles has served in Toronto’s Municipal Government (the former Metro Toronto) as the city’s Manager for Access and Equity. Some of the policies and programs Charles developed include the provision of employment benefits to same sex partners; a response to the Federal Government’s Right of Landing Fee; a critique of the Toronto Police employment equity policy implementation; the inclusion of equity and diversity into the annual budget and strategic planning process; guidelines on contract compliance; human rights management; and equity and diversity organizational development and change.

  • Charles further served as the first Equity Advisor to the Law Society of Upper Canada and, in that capacity, guided the development of numerous policies and programs promoting equity and diversity in the legal profession. He also was the Equity Advisor to the Canadian Bar Association in which role he authored several papers and guided the production of the Take Action on Equity and Diversity, a resource guide and toolkit for law firms for preventing harassment and discrimination.

  • Charles founded and led the Cultural Pluralism in the Arts Movement Ontario (CPAMO) and was the organization’s Executive Director from its inception (2009) to 2023. In that capacity he developed and led a number of equity-focused change initiatives with local and national Arts Services Organizations, including the 2-year CPAMO-POC education and training program.

  • Charles has been a lecturer in cultural theory, cultural pluralism in the arts, and social justice for over twenty years (Humber College, Ryerson University (now TMU), University of Toronto Scarborough).

  • Charles is a Research Associate with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. 

  • Last not least, Charles is a writer who has not only authored numerous books and articles in the field of equity, diversity, inclusion and anti-racism (list of publications) but is also a published poet with five books of poetry to his name.

 If you are interested in having a conversation, please get in touch!