February is Black History Month across the country, and in recognition of the storied lives of those that came before us, and in light of the work we still have ahead of us, we offer the following events and information:
For over 25 years, February has been referred to as Black History Month in Canada, following a motion introduced by the Honourable Jean Augustine – the first Black Canadian woman elected to Parliament. It is the month in which we celebrate the contributions that Black historical figures have made to our society. Names like Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, and Martin Luther King Jr. – and more recently, Viola
Desmond – are well ingrained in our minds. Celebrating the past has always been the focal point of Black History Month.
The Guelph Black Heritage Society (GBHS) will be celebrating our 2nd Annual Black HERITAGE Month in February 2022. This month will commemorate past and present accomplishments within the Black community and set sights on our bright future ahead. While we will continue to acknowledge the resilience and bravery of those who came before us, we must recognize that Black history and
experiences are much more than the narrative of enslavement.
Freedom Walk & Flag Raising – February 1, 2022 at City Hall @ 8:30 am
Join us as we raise the African Nova Scotia flag at City Hall. After the flag raising, we will walk to the
Heritage Hall where there will be a flag raising dedication and blessing.
The African Nova Scotia flag was introduced in February 2021 and created by artist Wendie L.
Wilson. The flags colours of red, gold and green are used by people of African descent across the
world. Red symbolising the sacrifice African Nova Scotian people have endured, gold represents
cultural richness and green for fertility, growth and future generations. The symbol at the flags
centre is Wilson’s own interpretation of the African Adinkra symbol “Sankofa” meaning “go back
and fetch it”. The Sankofa bird represents the spirit of the African Nova Scotians, a resilient people
who have never forgotten their history and continue to build on lessons learned in the past to
create a new future.
NEUROroyalty Presents: The BIPOC Mental Wellness Journey – Thursday February 3, 2022 @ 7pm
(online)
Dr. Ally will be providing a special NEUROchat that will be focused on fueling your pain into your
passion and purpose. We will be taking a closer look at key relationships that require immediate
attention to optimize mental wellness within the BIPOC community at an individual and community
level. Together we will chat about solutions that will empower you to build character ethics,
regulate emotional wellness, and a new found resiliency among the BIPOC community.
*Please note & respect that this space is reserved for BIPOC & BIPOC family members only.
Free admission. Suggested donation $10 per person.
To register for this online event:
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/neuroroyalty-presents-the-bipoc-mental-wellness-journey-tickets251167046397
De-Escalation Workshop: How to Deal with Hate Motivated Incidents – Thursday February 10,
2022 @ 7 pm (online)
Join GBHS board members Kween & Christine for a verbal de-escalation workshop that reviews
meeting and safely responding to the care, welfare, safety and security of our community. We will
cover tips and tactics on how to respond to and dissipate highly stressful or emotionally charged
verbal interactions in the safest manner possible. The workshop will conclude with a Q&A section
from participants.
*Please note & respect that this space is reserved for BIPOC & BIPOC family members only.
Free admission. Suggested donation $10 per person.
To register for this online event:
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/245824276027
Wellington County: Black Heritage Reclaimed – Thursday February 17, 2022 @7pm (online)
Listen to a talk by University of Guelph PhD student Wencke Rudi as she presents her research on
the historical Black community in Wellington County and the Queen’s Bush.
Free admission, suggested donation $10 per person.
To register for this online event:
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/wellington-county-black-heritage-reclaimed-tickets-22400940716
DiverseWorks Presents: Anti-Black Racism in the Arts – Saturday, February 19, 2022 @
2pm (Online)
In honour of Black Heritage Month, we are discussing and dissecting how anti-black racism
continues to affect the arts sectors from Waterloo Region and Wellington and across
Canada as a whole. Our Panel will share personal experiences with racism, speak to the
work they are doing to dismantle oppressive systems and offer suggestions of how
everybody can engage in the necessary work of bringing equity, safety and prosperity for
Black Folks into our mainstream culture as Canadians.
Moderated by Raechele Lovell and featuring panelists MPP Laura Mae Lindo, Selam Debs,
Kween, Kevin A. Ormsby and Natalie Sebastian.
Free admission.
To register for this online event:
DiverseWorks Presents: Anti-Black Racism in the Arts – A Panel Discussion Tickets, Sat, 19 Feb 2022
at 2:00 PM | Eventbrite
Fourth Friday at the Guelph Museum – Friday February 25, 2022 @ 7pm
Featuring a musical performance by Verese Vassell-Bowen. Verse is a singer, songwriter and
recording artist. She graced the Canadian gospel scene with her debut album “Forever
Praise”. Veresse has graced the stage with Third World, Shaggy, Maxi Priest, Juno award winning
artists Toronto Mass Choir, Sharon Riley, Carlos Morgan as well as Dean Bridgewater, Carrie WilsonGuse, Sammy Duke, Rufus John, Michael Austin Harris and Trevor Dick, to name a few of Southern
Ontario’s finest musicians and singers.
Event starts at 7 pm. Free admission, Guelph Civic Museum, 52 Norfolk Street, Guelph
Rapid Response: Collecting Experiences Exhibit – now until February 28, 2022
View the Rapid Response: Collecting Experiences in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter Protest
2020 exhibit at the Guelph Museum, 52 Norfolk Street, Guelph.
For more information:
https://guelphmuseums.ca/event/rapid-response-collecting-experiences-as-they-are-lived/
Rapid Response: Collecting Experiences Exhibit – now until February 28, 2022
View the Rapid Response: Collecting Experiences in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter Protest
2020 exhibit at the Guelph Museum, 52 Norfolk Street, Guelph.
For more information:
https://guelphmuseums.ca/event/rapid-response-collecting-experiences-as-they-are-lived/
Proceeds from Black HERITAGE Month events will go towards the Give a Cup Capital Campaign. The mission of the Give A Cup Campaign is freedom. Free us from our mortgage so that we will be able to allocate additional resources towards our on-going #ChangeStartsNow Education Initiative. The #ChangeStartsNow Education Initiative provides educational programming on Black history and culture as well as relevant resources on diversity, discrimination and anti-racism.
The Guelph Black Heritage Society (GBHS) is a registered charity. Registration # 80158 3907 RR0001. Tax receipts will be issued for donations greater than $25.
Established in 2011, the mission of the Guelph Black Heritage Society is to restore and maintain Heritage Hall, originally known as the British Methodist Episcopal (BME) Church, built in 1880 by formerly enslaved Black individuals and their descendants who arrived in the area via the Underground Railroad.
The building is a cultural, historical and social community centre serving to promote Guelph and Wellington County’s distinctive place in Southwestern Ontario’s rich Black heritage.
Change Starts Now: Our Stories. Our History. Our Heritage
The Guelph Black Heritage Society is pleased to announce the release of the booklet Change Starts Now: Our Stories. Our History. Our Heritage. There is an absence and erasure of Black history in Guelph, Wellington County and in Canada in general. The GBHS is doing their part to change this narrative and create resources for our community.
Written by Natasha Henry, B.A (Honours), B.Ed, M.Ed, PhD(c ), History Department, York University, Change Starts Now: Our Stories. Our History. Our Heritage is a history of the Guelph British Methodist Episcopal (BME) church which was established in 1870. Learn about the Guelph BME Church and the stories of the people who helped build this community.
The cost of the booklet is $20 and available for purchase online at: https://square.link/u/5ryiIvQU
The GBHS would like to thank Musagetes, PS Guelph & Guelph Community Foundation for their support
of this project.
For more information, email info@guelphblackheritage.ca
Proceeds from the sale of the Change Starts Now: Our Stories. Our History. Our Heritage booklet will go towards the #ChangeStartsNow Education Initiative. The #ChangeStartsNow Education Initiative provides educational programming on Black history and culture as well as relevant resources on diversity, discrimination and anti-racism.
The Guelph Black Heritage Society (GBHS) is a registered charity. Registration # 80158 3907 RR0001. Tax receipts will be issued for donations greater than $25.
Established in 2011, the mission of the Guelph Black Heritage Society is to restore and maintain Heritage Hall, originally known as the British Methodist Episcopal (BME) Church, built in 1880 by formerly enslaved Black individuals and their descendants who arrived in the area via the Underground Railroad.
The building is a cultural, historical and social community centre serving to promote Guelph and Wellington County’s distinctive place in Southwestern Ontario’s rich Black heritage.
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