Adrienne Coddett, Founder and Opportunities Broker
3dreads@gmail.com
Adrienne Coddett is a high-school educator who has become a respected local leader and mentor through her significant contribution to Ottawa’s youth population in general, Black youth specifically. She has created and organized an annual Black Youth Conference Day during Black History Month where she provides a forum for black youth expression and cultural exploration.
Adrienne has also performed groundbreaking work raising awareness amongst youth of the global impact of HIV/AIDS, and galvanizing Ottawa’s black youth communities to be active on a worldwide scale by participating in the International Black Youth Summit taking place every year on the first weekend of August somewhere in the world.
As a seasoned high-school basketball coach and co-founder of the Ottawa Phoenix boys competitive basketball team, Adrienne has helped shape numerous young men into some of Canada’s best basketball players using basketball as a transformative agent in their lives.
Adrienne is also well known in Ottawa as a co-host of the Black on Black public affairs radio show, which is broadcast every Saturday morning on CHUO 89.1 FM, the University of Ottawa radio station. Black on Black has been a fixture on CHUO’s Saturday line up for the past 18 years and is a source of information on and about Ottawa’s black communities.
In 2011, Who’s Who in Black Canada . In 2008, Adrienne was named the Community Builder of the Year by the 2008 Leadership Ottawa cohort. In 2005, Adrienne was nominated for the YMCA-YWCA Women of Distinction award. Also in 2005, she was the Community Foundation of Ottawa’s Investing in People Award winner, a reverse grant in support of people in the community who have shown imagination and leadership in addressing issues and opportunities in our community.
Her organization, 3Dreads and a Baldhead (founded in 2000), provides opportunities for people in black communities to transform their lives by maximizing their physical, mental, spiritual, and economic potential. 3Dreads and a Baldhead has several programs/initiatives: Be More Academy, the Black Youth Conference Day, BlackYouthaPalooza, Young Sisters Bookclub, “An Evening with…” Literary Series, Sisterhood Anthology, CIBC Run for the Cure Team, Sisterhood Walking and Social Club, and Ottawa Phoenix Basketball.
Motto: “Doing Our Spiritual Job Towards Our Destiny”
Michelle Walker – Researcher and Creative Designer, BYCD/BYCW Curriculum
I am known for the conversation that I can generate and act upon – this is how my commitment and support of the Black Youth Conference began and has flourished in whatever role I performed. I am happy in my current assignment of Resident Researcher and Creative Designer (i.e. of ideas) which allow me to assist in the curriculum development and the evolution of 3Dreads and a Baldhead generating positive programming in our international communities. Outside of 3 dreads I am an Human Resources professional engaged in relationship building with myself, family, friends and community.
Aliai Lual – Ambassador of Pure Awesomeness and Admin Assistant
University of Ottawa student Aliai A.A. Lual learned from her parents about reaching out and giving back. After fleeing their war-torn homeland of Sudan and resettling their young family in Canada, the Luals worked several jobs to raise enough money to sponsor other South Sudanese families. Inspired and encouraged by other role models like educator and previous Y Women of Distinction Award nominee Adrienne Coddett, Aliai channelled her passion for youth empowerment into various volunteer activities at school and within the wider community. A long-time volunteer with the 3Dreads and A Baldhead organization, she has been instrumental in organizing the Black Youth Conference Day. This annual event brings together black youth from local schools with the aim of fostering community involvement. Last summer, Aliai interned in New York at Break the Chains (www.breakchains.org), a non-profit organization that seeks to rationalize drug policy within communities of colour. As an addiction and harm reduction advocate, she works closely with Ottawa Police Chief Vern White on these issues. While working part time and studying biology and chemistry at university, Aliai is team manager for the Ottawa Phoenix Basketball program and an academic mentor to youth needing help with homework and advice on post-secondary education. This focused and resourceful young lady has already seen the fruits of her labour pay off. In 2008, the United Way honoured her with a Community Builder of the Year – Youth to the Future award. In 2009, Aliai was a Y Women of Distinction award nominee. Ottawa Life Magazine named her one of the most prominent people in the Capital city for 2009. This is further affirmation of her exceptional abilities as a leader and advocate.
“I believe that through transformation and empowerment we can all reach our goals to develop a vision that grants access to the life of our dreams”, she states. “It is up to us to own our choice to empower ourselves to transform our community and be the change we want to see in the world,” she adds.
Jackie Lawrence - Coordinator, “An Evening with…” Literary Series
Jacqueline Lawrence is a diversity strategist by day. On Saturdays, she is one of the hosts/producers of CHUO 89.1 FM’s Black on Black. She is also the Program Director for 3Dreads and A Baldhead’s Literary Series that has hosted readings with writers such as Colin Channer, Kwame Dawes, Lawrence Hill, Beverly Manley, Rachel Manley and Lorna Goodison. In between these activities, she manages to follow her spirit to scribble poems. As a poet, Jacqueline received the Editor’s Choice Award from the National Library of Poetry for her submission to their River of Dreams anthology. Along with her writers’ collective “Write on the Edge”, they have published two chap books. In October 2006, Jacqueline released her fist solo chapbook, Surrender. She has enjoyed sharing selected pieces from her pending collection “invisible visibility: on being black, fat and a woman” with audiences in Ottawa, Toronto and Jamaica.
Soyini Cornette - Board Member
An avid supporter of human achievement and social advancement, Soyini Cornette has used every opportunity in both her professional and personal capacities to advance these causes. At the professional level, she has participated in national and international forums such as the United Nations Secretary General’s Study on Violence against Children (North American Consultation) and the National Aboriginal Conference. She incorporates and promotes the outcomes of these and other forums in her work with youth and young adults with whom she engages. Through her work with her mentor Adrienne Coddett, since 2001 she has assisted with the facilitation of the Annual Black Youth Conference Day in Ottawa and is presently coordinating the young women’s Book Club for 3Dreads and a Baldhead. Soyini also participates annually in the International Black Summit to which she was introduced by Adrienne in 2004 when they travelled to Ghana. Soyini and a team from Ottawa travelled to New Orleans in 2007 for Project Dignity, a project centered on rebuilding the homes, and lifting the spirits of those ravaged by Hurricane Katrina. Soyini, a volunteer with the AIDS Committee of Ottawa, is also a Federal Public Servant and holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree, Honours, in Political Science from Carleton University, as well as several Professional Certificates.
Her “living life to the fullest” attitude is at the forefront of everything she does and keeps her grounded from moment to moment.
Renee Dutchin – Secretary
Renee A. Dutchin is an Ottawa native. As a child her parents instilled within her strong family values including the golden rule ”always treat others as you would like to be treated”. As a result, she has taken on the task of spreading that philosophy to all she comes in contact with. She is a Social Sciences graduate (with a minor in nursing) of the University of Ottawa and because education and knowledge is the key to success is she is currently pursuing a Business degree with the objective of obtaining her Masters. Professionally she has worked in diverse areas, such as medical and customer service. Now, Renee is applying her vast experience to an opportunity to create her own unique consulting firm. As a proud mother of a wonderful little boy she also offers her free time to organizations whose mandates are to serve culturally diverse groups of people including the youth of our community.
Michelle Simms- Board Member
Gary “Andrew” Gallimore - Treasurer
Gillian Roseway - Registration/Board Member
