History

The Horace Patterson Foundation Inc. is a registered non-profit charitable organization dedicated to the promotion of leadership and community involvement of African Heritage youths, while supporting their efforts in achieving their career goals by furthering their education.

The Foundation was established in 1992 to honour the late Horace Patterson. The foundation's primary purpose is the annual awarding of scholarships to youth of African heritage attending a recognized post-secondary institution. To date "80 scholarships" have been awarded.


Horace Patterson Biography
(1940 - 1982)

Horace Patterson was born in Jamaica, West Indies on August 10, 1940. After completing his early education in Jamaica, he came to Canada to pursue post-secondary education at the University of Manitoba from which he graduated with a first class honors degree in Political Science in 1969.

Horace’s interests and accomplishments were considerable. As a student Horace was active in a variety of pursuits. A compelling, formidable and eloquent debater, he represented the University of Manitoba on several occasions in the annual McGowan Cup debates earning superlative praise for his oratorical skills and well-organized presentations. He served as the President of the University of Manitoba Students Union (U.M.S.U.) from 1968-1969 having won election as the first Black student to assume that office. He was also active in the Caribbean Students Association serving as President and held several positions in the International Students Organization in the 1960s.

During his tenure as UMSU’s President, Horace was instrumental in introducing some far-reaching changes at the university which later resulted in students’ evaluation of faculty members, student representation on the university’s Senate and Department Councils.

In 1968 Horace, along with some colleagues from the Caribbean and Africa, founded the Afro-Caribbean Association of Manitoba largely to combat the rising incidence of racial discrimination particularly in the areas of housing and employment. Horace was one of the leaders who lobbied the government of the day to enact legislation in human rights.

After graduating from the University of Manitoba, Horace was appointed an Executive Assistant to the Hon. Saul Cherniack, Finance Minister in the NDP’s first administration in Manitoba. From September 1970 to July 1973, he was a Lecturer in the Department of Political Science at the University of Manitoba; he was also an active Board member of the Manitoba Association for World Development, a non-governmental organization which undertook special developmental projects in the Caribbean and other lesser developed countries.

One of Horace’s enduring legacies was his role as a member of the NDP government’s task force on post-secondary education in Manitoba in the early 70s. As co-author of the 1973 Task Force Report on Post- Secondary Education in Manitoba, Horace played a pivotal role in drawing up a blue print for the government’s policy on post-secondary education in Manitoba.

In 1973 Horace returned to his native Jamaica initially to head the National Youth Service of Jamaica and subsequently became Executive Director of the Voluntary Organizations for the Upliftment of Children.

The strength of his leadership, commitment to excellence and belief in the human spirit attracted the attention of leaders in the Caribbean so in 1980 he was offered and accepted a position as Director of the Regional Youth Development Center of the Commonwealth (Caribbean) Secretariat with headquarters in Guyana.

It was in fulfilling this mission that he met his untimely death in a tragic accident in 1982. As noted by the positions he held, a good deal of Horace’s adult life was devoted to helping young people develop their innate talents through education and training in a variety of disciplines and pursuits. The Foundation which now bears his name, is a fitting tribute to his memory.


DUMISANI PRODUCTIONS

Dumisani Productions is a Winnipeg based youth group established in 1991 by then sixteen year old Chioma Patterson. Dumisani Production was created to facilitate black youths' expression of their artistic talents. The group is a sub-committee of the Horace Patterson Foundation and is opened to youth 25 years of age and under.

2007 - 2008 Board of Directors

Officers

Lois Patterson, President
Email: hpfdn@mts.net


Adaoma Patterson-Sharpe, Vice-President
Email: acpconsulting@yahoo.ca

Syd Kirwan, Treasurer
Email: sydkirwan@hotmail.com

Janet Cross, Public Relations
Email: crossjm@shaw.ca

Roslyn Sutherland, Secretary
Roslyn_Sutherland@cwb.ca
rassjs@mts.net Directors

Iva Henry
Natalie Cross, Director Youth Services
Mae Little
Jacqueline Sumter