As a young man, Dr. Sulaimon Giwa spent time as a Boy Scout and air cadet. A career as a police officer seemed like the natural next step for someone who wanted to dedicate himself to public service.

But after graduating from police college in 1999, Dr. Giwa felt there may be other ways to make a meaningful difference.

While working as a professional dancer, he decided it was time to go back to school. And that decision would lead him to become an internationally recognized scholar and a vital contributor to Memorial University.

Dr. Giwa attended Carleton University where he earned both his bachelor of high honours in criminology and criminal justice and his master of social work and social policy administration.

He completed his PhD at York University in 2017 and joined the faculty at Memorial that same year.

Currently, he is the interim dean, the associate dean (undergraduate programs) and an associate professor in the School of Social Work with a cross-appointment to the Department of Sociology.

He’s also the Endowed Chair in Criminology and Criminal Justice at St. Thomas University, and is an anti-racism, equity, diversity and inclusion trainer and consultant.

As an educator, researcher and activist, Dr. Giwa’s efforts focus on vulnerable and marginalized populations. He seeks to make marginalized groups more visible by bringing their stories and experiences out of the background, where they are often unseen and overlooked, and squarely into the foreground.

For Dr. Giwa, this visibility is of the utmost importance because it generates stability, safety and belonging.

To remain invisible is to be ignored. To be seen is to become a part of the conversation.

His work to bring the stories and voices of marginalized groups into the centre of the conversation is about far more than creating awareness.

These voices can help ensure that the policies and procedures we create together are founded on evidence, on the stories, experiences, needs and aspirations of real people.

 

Dr. Sulaimon Giwa speaking at a lunch and learn event on equity, diversity and inclusion hosted by the School of Graduate Studies in 2019. Photo from the Gazette.

 

Dr. Giwa has worked tirelessly to raise awareness about the marginalization of LGBTQ2S+ newcomers. And his efforts have inspired real organizational change, influencing the policies and practices of community organizations such as the Association for New Canadians and the YWCA.

At Memorial, he works with the Research Advisory Committee on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and is the co-chair of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Anti-Racism Committee.

In addition to his university commitments, he works on both the municipal and provincial levels to encourage and protect equity within our communities.

He’s the chair of the City of St. John’s Anti-Racism Working Group and the co-chair of the City of St. John’s Inclusion Advisory Committee. He’s also a member of the City of St. John’s Ad Hoc Budget Strategy Committee.

Dr. Giwa co-leads the training and education subcommittee of the Anti-Racism Coalition of Newfoundland and Labrador. He’s also an advisory board member with Relationships First—Restorative Justice Education, Newfoundland and Labrador Consortium/Centre and a board member with Quadrangle Community Centre of Newfoundland and Labrador.

This long list of committee work is indicative of his vigorous dedication to purpose-driven and informed policy transformation and implementation.

In 2023, he was named one of CBC’s Black Changemakers for Atlantic Canada and was elected to the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists, one of the nation’s highest scholarly honours.

In that same year, he received the President’s Award for Exceptional Community Service.

Most recently, in 2024, he received the Marilyn Harvey Award to Recognize the Importance of Research Ethics.

For Dr. Giwa, it’s important that we hold institutions accountable and work towards progressive structural changes with a sense of urgency.

He teaches us that it takes a committed collective effort to question existing systems and to change practices in meaningful and effective ways. And meaningful change requires dialogue.

A belief in the transformative value of dialogue is fundamental to Dr. Giwa’s research and activism. By centering the voices of individuals from vulnerable and marginalized groups, he has opened a space where people can be seen and heard.

In doing so, he has created a place to belong.