Tribute lecture honours UTM alumnus while raising awareness around gun violence
When Michael Oppong Berchie’s life was cut short on a winter night in 2021, the recent University of Toronto Mississauga alumnus was eager to start the next chapter of his life, including a career in his chosen field of accounting.
He was 23.
On May 27, his life was honoured with the Michael Berchie Tribute Lecture.
Berchie was a victim of gun violence. The lecture, in collaboration with the Berchie family, pays tribute to his memory — but also serves a second purpose.
“Through this tribute to Michael, we will be raising awareness about the important issue of gun violence and its impact on victims and their families,” says Alexandra Gillespie, UTM’s Vice-President and Principal. She adds that she hopes the lecture, which was delivered online via YouTube Live, creates a space to discuss the issue.
“I was devastated when I learned of Michael’s tragic passing in February of 2021,” says Rhonda McEwen, UTM’s Vice-Principal, Academic and Dean. “I was sad — but I was also angry and shaken, that someone with so much life, and so much promise could be taken away from his family, his friends, and his community at such a young age.”
She recalls that Berchie, who received a bachelor's degree in commerce in 2020, was known as a dedicated UTM student who helped his classmates. For example, he shared tips for success in a notoriously difficult economics course.
Kuda Chiromo was a recipient of Berchie’s studying advice, but their relationship stretches back to elementary school. Chiromo was the new kid in Grade 5 when Berchie befriended him.
“Michael will always have a place in my heart, as someone who inspires me to be selfless in my actions,” Chiromo says.
When Berchie was killed, Dexter R. Voisin was the dean of the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work and the Sandra Rotman Endowed Chair in Social Work at the University of Toronto.
Now serving as the Jack, Joseph, and Morton Mandel Dean of Applied Social Sciences Case Western Reserve University, Voisin was the special guest speaker at the Michael Berchie Tribute Lecture.
Voisin notes the news headlines and statistics about gun violence don’t tell the story of the lives lost, or why young Black Canadians tend to bear higher rates of gun violence.
In his address, Voisin delves into the broad historical, political, economic and racial factors behind the issue.