On Friday, January 27, 2017, as part of acknowledgement of the contributions of many living and past notable heroes and heroines of African-Canadian and African-American heritage and other diverse and notable icons, the Our Lady of Wisdom Catholic School community was very glad indeed to welcome, Mr. Shaun Boothe, “an award winning hip hop artist and motivational TEDX speaker.” Shaun wasted no time in inspiring and involving the audience of students from grades 2 to 8 to think about how they too have “the courage to find their own paths” and create their own legacies in the face of what may seem daunting obstacles. Through the art form of Rap and Hip Hop music, Shaun narrated the iconic lives of Terry Fox, Malala Yousafzai and Bob Marley as part of his Biographies series. Most importantly, students learned that social change on a local and global level is possible through positive leadership and the courage to make difficult informed decisions.
Students engaged in a thoughtful question and answer session in which they learned about Shaun’s motivation to do what he does and inspire others. Furthermore, students were then invited to complete the Post-Show activities and create their own Bio Rap or poem celebrating a hero (positive leader) of their choice.