VIBE AND VEGAS SHOW: GARY PIETERS

Gary Pieters is a school administrator in the Toronto school board with over 15 years of experience in the education sector and sits on many community boards. He was born in London, England then went to Ghana at four months of age. Gary was raised by grandmother until he was seven years old. He then went to Canada for a bit then went back to Guyana until he was nineteen years old. Gary has a Bachelor of Arts in African History and Politics and Bachelor of Arts in Teacher Education (Primary and Junior). He has been a teacher in Southern California. In 1999, he became a teacher in the Toronto District School Board. In 2005, he became a principal at a school in the Toronto School Board. In this interview which was recorded just before the recent Canadian federal election, Gary talks and shares about various subject including the importance of minorities getting involved in the current federal elections and the importance of voting and it is important to vote, what he felt was the number issue of the recent Canadian election, the importance of cities in Canada, the many examples of current Black leadership in Canada, time is now for Blacks to get involved in the political process and what it will it take to get more young Blacks involved, ; the importance of Africentric schools and the contrast between American vs. Canadian schools. During the recent Canadian election, Gary was a volunteer citizen blogger for CBC News during the last election. You can read his final entry at You can also read Gary’s article, “Who’s afraid of Africentric?”, in which he comments on why Africentric secondary school in Toronto