Wilson A. Head
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Born September 30, 1914
Nationality Black American, Cherokee Indian, Northern European.
Citizenship Born in Milner, Georgia, USA - became a Canadian citizen February, 1965.
Occupation Social worker, sociologist, civil/human rights activist, public speaker, professor of Social Work at York University, Downsview, Ontario. Parents Evander Head, 1892-1925 - share cropper. Evelyn Whittle, 1898-1981 - housewife, maid. SIBLINGS
Frank Head Marvin Head Minnie Head Glenn Head
Spouse(s) Phyllis Drescher, September, married 1947 - 1965 with whom he had 4 children.
Sandy Ada Chapman - 1972 to his death.
Children Norman Head, October 1948, born in U.S.A.
Gregory Head, February 1953, born in U.S.A.
Renee Head, November 1958, born in U.S.A.
Cynthia Head, 1963, born in Windsor, Canada.
Died October 9, 1993, Toronto, Ontario
Dr. Wilson A. Head (1914–1993) was an American sociologist and community planner known for his work on race relations and human rights in the United States and Canada (ref. 1- back cover).
Early life
Wilson Head was the son of a Georgia sharecropper, the eldest of five children. With the death of his father from an unknown illness when Wilson was 11 years of age, leaving his mother, aged 27, to raise her family of 5 children (ref. 1, page 27). Wilson graduated from Booker T. Washington high school in 1933. He worked as a janitor at Eastern Airlines in Atlanta, Georgia to earn the money for college (ref. 1, page 61).
Wilson Head graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Education with a major in Sociology, 1940, Tuskegee Institute, Tuskegee (ref. 1, page 93), Alabama, by which time he had been named in "Who's Who among Students in American Colleges and Universities", 1940. (ref. 2)
In his memoires, A Life on the Edge: Experiences in Black and White in North America (1), Dr. Head reviews the poverty and injustices to which Black people in the southern United States were subjected, and which he experienced during his early years (1). In the 1930's, Dr. Head took part in a series of "sit-ins" on restaurants and bars, and protested against barbers, shop keepers, and movie house owners who would not serve blacks a decade before the civil rights movement began with the Montgomery bus boycott by Rosa Park's refusal to sit at the back of the bus (ref. 1, page 183) and (ref. 3, page 50-51).
Health
Dr. Head was diagnosed with cancer of the prostate in 1979 (ref 1, page 349), which eventually led to his death in 1993. His ashes are encrypted at Knox United Church, 2569 Midland Avenue at Sheppard Avenue East, Agincourt, Ontario (ref. 4).
Beliefs
Wilson was raised in the Baptist Church, but became a member of the Quakers (also called Society of Friends) in the 1940s. The Quakers gave him supported his own convictions of pacifism, egalitarianism, and conscientious objection to military service (ref 1, page 116, ref. 5, page 195).
Career
Career: He worked at times with the Congress of Racial Equality (ref. 1, page 183) and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (ref. 1, page 242). He was director of community development and community organization at Flanner House in Indianapolis, which served poor and indigent Black people (ref. 1, page 178). Elsewhere, his practice involved helping youths to overcome mental health problems (ref. 1, page 255). In 1981, then president of the National Black Coalition of Canada, he testified before the joint House Senate Committee on the Canadian Constitution (ref. 7).
Prior to immigrating to Canada in 1959, he had worked in Chicago as director of Parkway Community House (ref. 1, page 215), and in Ohio as the head of the state of Ohio Juvenile Diagnostic Centre (ref. 1, page 225). In Ontario, he worked as director of various community service departments, and in 1965 became director for the Social Planning Council of Metropolitan Toronto (ref. 1, page 260). When he came to Canada, he became the executive Director of the Windsor Group Therapy Project (ref. 1, page 251), and in 1965 he became the Director of research and planning with the research and planning council of Metropolitan Toronto (ref. 1, page 267).
He lectured part-time in social work at a number of educational institutions including the University of Windsor, 1960-1964, University of Michigan, 1962-1964, Wayne State University, 1963-1965 and Sir Williams College, Chicago, 1961-1964. He was involved with a number of organizations including the Canadian Civil Liberties Association of Toronto as vice-president, 1967 (ref. 1, page 291). Dr. Head was the first chairman of the Bachelor of Social Work Program at Atkinson College, York University. He wrote numerous articles and research studies including, "The Black Presence in the Canadian Mosaic" (ref. 8 and 9).
Dr. Head regularly, throughout his career, performed volunteer activities to help poor communities, including organizing playgrounds, basketball and tennis courts, setting up community centres, dance halls, establishing boy scout troupes, putting on series of one-act plays, and camps for youth. Whatever city he lived in, he soon became known as someone who could be called on at anytime to speak at various events, work shops, luncheons, churches, educational institutions, etc. (ref. 1, page 349) It was this volunteer community service that led him to receive the Harry Jerome award in Toronto, Ontario, 1988 for community service (ref. 10).
Legacies
Founding Chairman, UARR (Urban Alliance on Race Relations), Toronto, Ontario, still today a strong advocacy voice Ontario. UARR "Addressing inequality in our society is critical. We work primarily and proactively with the community, public and private sectors to provide educational programs and research through our non-profit charitable organization" (11).
Who's who in Black Canada 2: Black success and Black excellence in Canada: a contemporary directory / Dawn P. Williams, 2006.
His autobiography Life on the Edge: Experiences in "Black and White" in North America - 1993 - has a forward by the late Honorable Lincoln Alexander, and an Epilogue by Madame Rosalie Silberman Abella (ref. 1, page 357).
Founding Chairperson of the School of Social Work, York University, Downsview, Ontario, 1966. The York University School of Social Work has since grown into a large, well recognized school. Students at York University School of Social Work receive a professional social work education that is characterized by a commitment to human rights and social justice (ref. 12).
"A scholarship in Dr. Wilson Head's name has been set up at York University to provide financial assistance to one or more students each year who demonstrate a particular interest in the areas of human rights, race relations and/or peace. The first scholarship was awarded in September, 1994". (ref. 1, back cover).
"The Dr. Wilson Head Institute, 675 King Street West, #202, Toronto, Ontario was established in the Spring of 1995, to advance and promote human rights and diversity management." (ref. 1, back cover).
EDUCATION
1. Booker T. Washington High School, Atlanta, Georgia, 1933. 2. Bachelor of Science in Education with a major in Sociology, 1940, Tuskegee Institute, Tuskegee, Alabama. 3. University of Georgia, Master's degree in Social Work 1942. 4. Ohio State University, doctoral degree in Sociology, Adult Education, and Social Psychology, 1958.
Honors/Awards
1. Alpha Kappa Mu, a national honor society, 1940 (ref 13). 2. Harry Jerome Award, 1988 for community service (ref 13, and 10). 3. Honorary Doctor of Laws degree, York University, 1982 (ref 13). 4. Abdu'l-Bahá Race Unity Award, "Ye are the fruits of one tree and the leaves of one branch", 1982 (ref 13). 5. Outstanding Achievement for Voluntarism, from the Minister of Culture and Communication, Ontario, 1989 (ref 13). 6. The Commemorative Medal for the Anniversary of Confederation (1992), approved by Her Majesty The Queen, honours Canadians who have made a significant contribution to their fellow citizens, to their community or to Canada (ref 13). 7. The Good Servant Medal, The Canadian Council of Christians and Jews, 1987 (ref 13). 8. Urban Alliance on Race Relations award, 1986 (ref 13). 9. Presentation to Dr. Wilson Head in recognition of his Lifelong Contributions to Race Relations and World Peace Efforts, 1993 by Elaine Zembia, Minister of Citizenship (ref 13).
References
ref 1: *Life on the Edge: Experiences in "Black and White" in North America, published 1995, University of Toronto Press. ref 2: *Who's Who in Black Canada 2: Black success and Black excellence in Canada: a contemporary directory. Main Author: Dawn P. Williams. ref 3: The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr., edited by C. Carson, Grand Central Publishing, New York, 2001. ref 4: Knox United Church, 2569 Midland Avenue at Sheppard Avenue East, Agincourt, Ontario. ref 5: The Perennial Philosophy, Aldous Huxley, Harper Collins Publishers Inc., New York, NY, 1945. ref 7: Http://archives.library.yorku.ca/exhibits/show/pushingbuttons/black--caribbean-community/national-black-coalition-of-ca) ref 8: http://www.archivescanada.ca/english/search. Wilson Adonijah Head. Ref 9. The Black Presence in the Canadian Mosaic, Wilson A. Head & Jeri Lee, 1975. ref 10: Wilson Head and Jeri Lee - Toronto: Ontario Human Rights Commission, 1975), and "The Adaptation of Immigrants". (ref: Head, W.A., study, “Adaptation of Immigrants: Perceptions of Ethnic and Racial ..... Toronto Onyx Lions Club - “A Tribute to Dr. Wilson Head”. 1989. 15. 1.) ref 10: http://bbpa.org/harryjeromeawards/the-alumni/1988-alumni/ ref 11: http://urbanalliance.ca/about-us-2/about-us/ ref 12: http://www.yorku.ca/laps/sowk/ ref 13: On display 8th floor, Ross Bldg., York University, Downsview, Ontario, Canada. ref 14: http://www.alphakappamu.org/index.html
OTHER RESOURCES: Dr. Wilson Head Inst., 675 King St. W. #202, Toronto, ON. M5V 1M9. Wilson A. Head FONDS, MG 31, D 148, Finding Aid No. 1458. York University, Downsview, Ontario, Canada, Ross library stacks.