“Generation X Marks the Spot” is an exhibition that explores the intersection of Black history with youth activism in the late 1980s in Mississauga, which was sparked by the tragic shooting of 17-year-old Michael Wade Lawson. Lawson was fatally shot by Peel Regional Police on a residential neighbourhood street. His untimely death deeply resonated with the youth of the area, igniting a generation of Caribbean-Canadians to band together against police brutality and systemic injustices.
As part of her master’s thesis at the Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University), Dayo Kefentse (Managing Director, DAYO Media & Communications) interviewed four Gen Xers to capture their experiences as activists during this critical moment in time. Now in their 40s and 50s, their reflections about their determination to challenge police brutality and demand societal change are captured in an audio documentary that serves as the cornerstone of this exhibition.
The exhibit also includes a compelling dialogue between Kefentse and Ingrid Pellew-Berkeley, former Deputy Chief of Peel Regional Police. Pellew-Berkeley, who was at the scene of Lawson’s shooting, offers exhibit visitors a unique look at how Lawson’s death affected policing in Mississauga and other parts of Ontario.
Event Recap
“Generation X Marks the Spot” stands as a testament to the resilience and activism of a generation whose voices against injustice continue to impact Mississauga today. This project is on display at the Bradley Museum until December 2024. It was funded through the Museum’s BIPOC Community Curator Program.
In 2021, Dayo Kefentse (DAYO Media & Communications Founder and Managing Director), interviewed four Generation Xers about their experiences as young activists and changemakers. Heather Infantry, Shawne Gray, Dee Baptiste and Charles Senior were all part of the Black Action Defense Committee (BADC) on the youth team during a time of change and unrest.
They are now in their 40s and 50s, but back in the day, in the late 1980s and early 1990s, they were part of a growing group of young Caribbean-Canadians who were creating a distinct Canadian culture. These young activists were serious about making a change.
Back in the late ‘80s, Ingrid Pellew-Berkeley was a new police constable with the Peel Regional Police. In December 1988, she was called to the scene of the shooting of a young Black teenager on Willowbank Trail, a suburban street in Mississauga. It was particularly difficult for her because the shooters were also members of the Peel Regional Police.
In this one-on-one interview as part of Generation X Marks the Spot, the now-retired Deputy Police Chief Pellew-Berkeley speaks with curator Dayo Kefentse about how that shooting impacted her both personally and professionally. They discuss Black life in Mississauga during that time, their reflections on the impact of Michael Wade Lawson’s death 35 years later and the future of police relations with the Black community across Ontario.
– Dayo Kefentse
Aryana Singh – Marketing Coordinator
Curtis Hannam – Junior Public Relations Assistant
Jonsaba Jabbi – Research Assistant
Jamin Pelkey – Thesis Supervisor
Kate Womby Browne – Editor
Khalia Badawi – Graphic Communications Intern
Jamin Pelkey, Professor, Toronto Metropolitan University
It began as a peaceful protest on May 4, 1992. But it turned chaotic amid simmering anger.
Mississauga’s Bradley Museum (1620 Orr Rd.) is hosting “Generation X Marks the Spot,” an exhibition presented by curator Dayo Kefentse, that revisits the late 1980s to uncover how young activists sparked change after teen Michael Wade Lawson was shot and killed by police in Mississauga.
Curator Dayo Kefentse presents Generation X Marks the Spot, exploring Black history in Mississauga. This exhibition features an audio documentary that looks back at the late 1980s and reveals how young activists with the Black Action Defense Committee (BADC) sparked change after the shooting involving a Black teen in Mississauga. It also features an interview with Ingrid Pellew-Berkeley, a former Deputy Chief with Peel Regional Police, about how Michael Wade Lawson’s shooting changed policing in the city.
Dayo Kefentse’s exhibition ‘Generation X Marks the Spot’ documents seminal anti-racism struggle.
As Black History/African Heritage Month in North America kicks off, the team at DAYO Media & Communications is excited to share news from their very own managing director, Dayo Kefentse, an alumna of the University of the West Indies.