Join us for a soulful evening of conversation with two remarkable guests — lawyer, ethicist, and lifelong Jazz devotee Peter Thurton, and artist, community builder, and cultural educator Rudi Quammie Williams!
The evening opens with Peter sharing his phenomenal Jazz Presentation Series, a project that brings prominent Jazz musicians worldwide to Toronto doing presentations in an intimate home setting. Quammie, himself a multi-disciplinary artist and percussionist whose life’s work weaves African and Diaspora music into community healing and education, will bring his own rich experience to the conversation.
Together, the two will explore jazz not merely as a genre, but as a living expression of Black heritage and spirit. The dialogue will also turn to something closer to home: fatherhood, mentorship, and the raising of the next generation. Both Peter and Quammie are devoted fathers who have spent decades investing in young people — through mentorship, community organizations, and quiet, everyday acts of presence and love. Their conversation promises to be as honest as it is inspiring, touching on what it means to show up for Black youth, to pass on culture and values, and to build community from the inside out.
Free English Online Event, transcript in other languages available on Zoom
Time: Thursday April 2, 2026 at 7:30-9 P.M. (Eastern Time)
Zoom registration link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/mdAseI4lQWi0z6tpMRmXGw
Zoom will open 15 minutes prior.
Guest Speaker Introduction
Peter Thurton
Peter is a Canadian lawyer specializing in financial services and energy law, with over thirty years of experience advising some of Canada’s largest institutions — including Manulife Financial, CIBC, Royal Bank Insurance, and Enbridge Inc. His practice has centred on corporate governance, regulatory compliance, ethics, and, more recently, workplace investigations and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
Peter was appointed to establish market conduct standards for Canada’s entire brokerage industry; served as lead counsel and media spokesperson for Manulife Financial during an international labour crisis; led the company’s first major outsourcing agreement in Asia; and was selected to advise the South African banking sector in Johannesburg as it transitioned to a post-apartheid economy. He has also provided strategic counsel on a high-profile workplace harassment matter covered by leading newspapers worldwide, and is currently advising a Caribbean island on its new constitution.
A sought-after speaker on corporate ethics across North America and internationally, Peter has lectured at Rome Business School since 2020. He holds a law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School and an undergraduate degree from St. Francis Xavier University, where he was a Rhodes Scholar Finalist and recipient of multiple academic awards.
Outside of law, Peter is a passionate reader of Greek and Medieval philosophy — particularly the works of Thomas Aquinas — as well as an avid gardener and jazz collector. Since his recent retirement, he volunteers with two Toronto churches supporting Afghan refugees and those in need, and serves on the Advisory Board of the Art Gallery of Ontario, focusing on the global acquisition and promotion of art by Black artists. He also spends several months each year in Italy, a country he loves deeply. A lifelong mentor to lawyers, law students, and medical residents, Peter considers his greatest achievement to be raising his son, Matthew Miles.
Rudi Quammie Williams, MBA, Hons BFA
Quammie brings two decades of experience across government and non-governmental organizations, with a career defined by public service, community development, and a commitment to equity and inclusion. A business consultant and facilitator, he works with a diverse range of clients — including the City of Toronto, the TTC, Toronto Community Housing, and the City of Brampton — to build resilient, inclusive institutions free of anti-Black racism.
Quammie is co-founder of Adinkrafarm Consulting Inc. and co-founder of Ujima Fathering Centres, a non-profit supporting African Canadian fathers in building meaningful relationships with their children. He has contributed expertise in organizational development and change management to initiatives including CAFCAN and The Lions Circle, and served as project manager for the Canadian Institute for People of African Descent (CIPAD) feasibility study — laying the groundwork for a national applied research institution centred on African Canadian scholarship.
A multi-disciplinary artist, Quammie integrates arts and culture into African-centred learning. He co-founded several community arts organizations — Usafiri, Sankofa, and Baro Dununba — dedicated to African and Diaspora music and dance, and has led percussion workshops for women in the shelter system as a means of spiritual healing and empowerment.
Everybody is welcome. This is an evening of music, meaning, and authentic human connection not to be missed!
For inquiries, please contact info@eawlc.org. Thanks!
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