For Dr. Cranla Warren, the only thing better than being selected as one of 100 Accomplished Black Canadian Women is the opportunity to educate others and help find future nominees for the prestigious honour, which is presented every two years.
A Stratford resident of 15 years, Warren is proud of her award, presented earlier this year, and looks forward to hosting a virtual 'fireside chat' on Sunday, Nov. 27, which is part of the award process and allows recipients to reach a broad audience on specific subject matter.
Warren, vice-president of leadership at the Institute for Health and Human Potential, will present 'Responding to Stress in the Workplace', a popular topic and one that the organizational psychologist feels is relevant to many.
"Even though the people that are hosting are subject matter experts and Black women, the learning really is for everybody," she told StratfordToday. "It is really broadening your knowledge base to give you new information. I invite everyone to watch it because there is no better way to learn than opening up your mind to new perspectives, ideas and thoughts and sharing information from a different lens than your own."
Warren said her fireside chat will touch on the signs of stress and its impacts while framing stress is not an individual problem. Through her role as an organizational psychologist, Warren will talk about organizational systems and what organizations can do to help buffer stress.
"My hope is we have a good turnout and it’s interactive, where people can ask questions and (it has) meaning for them."
Warren holds a Ph.D in organizational psychology and graduate degrees in psychology, philosophy and social work. In her role at the Institute for Health and Human Potential, she interacts with leaders and human resource professionals from different sectors and has worked with fortune 500 companies.
The 100ABC Women awards were started by The Honourable Dr. Jean Augustine, the first African-Canadian woman to be elected to Canada's House of Commons, in 1993. Per its website, Augustine also co-authors a book, published every two years, that aims to "highlight, document, acknowledge, and support the accomplishments of Black Canadian women in terms of their social, educational, political, and professional accomplishments."
The book creates an archive of sorts over time, Warren said.
The overall project grew from discussion and a conclusion that the publication would inspire Black girls and women by showcasing examples of many contributions Black women have made and continue to make in Canadian society, realizing an opportunity that had not previously existed.
"Dr. Augustine determined that Black women are not being recognized, there are women out there doing really great things," Warren said.
Warren said she had not heard of the awards before being informed that she was receiving one, but quickly determined that she needed to pay it forward by helping find nominees. This will ensure that recognition of Black women continues to grow in the country, she said.
Warren is also involved locally with the Community Equity Action Team (CEAT), which makes recommendations to Stratford Police Services' board of directors. Ultimately, CEAT aims to "strengthen public trust by bridging relationships between the police service and Black, Indigenous and equity-deserving communities," per the SPS website.
When Warren moved to Stratford, there were not that many people of colour, she said, and people would often ask her if she was an actor at the Stratford Festival.
"CEAT is about helping Stratford welcome diversity in what is quickly becoming less of a homogeneous community. It requires broadening our collective scope and (finding out) how to connect and collaborate and build stronger communities. We want to make sure we are a group that is visible and people can reach out to us."
While there is a collective belief that there is no racism in Stratford, Warren said the action team sees incident reports that suggest otherwise.
"So we have education, we are raising awareness and building relationships. We are really gearing up on how we can support raising awareness in the community and build a better connection between SPS and the broader community in Stratford."
Whether locally or on a national scale, Warren said she will continue to educate and mentor and continue to be an active role model for others.
"I don’t just represent black women. I live my life to be of service to people in a broader sense, that is important to me. It is really the contribution to making a difference and being of service for me."
You can sign up for the fireside chat at this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_8ZsEFI3rSUioSIEHmUS5hg
