Husky basketball alumni and 2018 graduate, Dejazmatch James, is the definition of a "game changer." On the court, he was a player that did it all: score, pass, rebound and play defense, and off the court it's no different. This young man prides himself of being a community activist and making a difference, as he coaches basketball and teaches Black and Indigenous history to the next generation.
The community activist desire within James came to light after he graduated from George Brown College's Community Work program in 2018. His George Brown diploma qualified him for advanced standing for the Bachelor of Arts program in Community, Economic and Social Development at Algoma University. He enrolled in the fall of 2018 and in 2020 he graduated Cum Laude and received the Award Of Excellence. James decided to go with this program because it focused on many social issues, including one which was dear to his heart: his capstone thesis was titled 'The Qualitative Impacts of Gun Violence in Lawrence Heights.' His work on the paper sparked a fire within him to start creating change in his community.
"I connected with politicians and community members and we put together events such as the Safety Walk on September 22nd. A large number of residents, along with our local politician, came out and walked in solidarity to address the issues in Lawrence Heights, such as the gun violence, lack of resources, lack of safety measures, and rent-to-own social housing," he explained. "The momentum from this snowballed and now motions are being passed at the city level. Lawrence Heights will now get a community resource hub implemented, a street level convenience store, and now we are pushing for rent-to-own housing."
James' efforts won't stop there. He wants to continue to push forward and make changes in his community in order to give the residents and children the opportunity to grow up in a safe environment.
A good way to inspire change is by teaching the next generation, which James does as a teacher of grade 10 Black and Indigenous history as well as a Course Developer at UChenna Academy. He thinks giving the students a different perspective and knowledge will go a long way.
"Black and Indigenous history are topics in the education system that don't go into much depth. I didn't learn about the contributions Black people made in Canadian History. All I knew is that my people were slaves, but we were so much more than that, and now knowing what I know, I am inspired and feel empowered," he said. "Learning and celebrating the culture and tradition of Indigenous people and seeing how resilient they are through all the oppression they faced and still face is incredible. Indigenous History and current issues is a topic I believe should be in every classroom."
The third way James hopes to create change is through the game he loves: basketball. Sports is a perfect way to bring people together and teach life lessons. The former Husky player and now Assistant Basketball Coach with BallMatics Elite experienced firsthand the power of sport throughout his career, and hopes to do the same for the children he teaches.
"When youth see the challenges people face [and how they persevere], it could inspire and motivate them to empower themselves and tap into [their] potential within," James explained. "I want youth to be great at basketball, but I also want them to be great at life outside the court as well."
Before James went to Algoma University, he spent five years playing for the George Brown Huskies Men's Basketball team. In that span, he graduated from both the Hospitality – Hotel Operations Management and Community Worker programs. Additionally, his resume in athletics is lengthy to say the least: in 84 career regular season games, he compiled a total of 1,166 points, 384 rebounds, 178 assists and 141 steals. His efforts were recognized by the OCAA in 2016 when he was awarded OCAA East Division First-Team All-Star and Team MVP, and again in 2018 when he was named an OCAA East Division Second-Team All-Star. James made a similar impact in the playoffs, averaging 16.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 13 games. He was a key contributor to the Huskies squad that fell just short in the 2017 OCAA final, losing to the Sheridan Bruins on a buzzer beater. As silver medalists, the team still qualified as a wildcard that year to represent George Brown at the national stage in the CCAA Championship.
To this day, James is grateful for the opportunity to have represented George Brown and will always think of himself as a Husky.
"It was special, I really felt and still feel like I am part of the family," he said. "Being a Husky is something I will be forever, although I am no longer there physically, my heart is always at George Brown. It was hard to say goodbye when my time was over [at George Brown], but I'm fortunate to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard."
