Though Black History Month is an important learning opportunity, it can occasionally be seen as a focus on the past, rather than acknowledging the present challenges Black Canadians face, as well as the many achievements, especially those of Black youth.
That’s why this year’s Black History Month will be capped off with Black Future Week, and Sudbury.com will bring you all the information about the future of the Black community in Sudbury.
Until then, there is so much to learn and enjoy as part of Black History Month in Sudbury.
The observance of the month grew from the ideas of historian Carter G. Woodson and since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month.
February was chosen for two important birthdays that occur in the same week: Abraham Lincoln, and Fredrick Douglass, an American social reformer, abolitionist, orator, writer, and statesman who escaped enslavement and became a national leader of the abolitionist movement in Massachusetts and New York.
Black people and Black communities have shaped this nation since the arrival of Mathieu Da Costa, a navigator and interpreter, in the 1600s. The Loyalists who came here after the American Revolution and settled in the Maritimes were people of African descent, and soldiers of African descent have fought for this land as far back as the War of 1812.
But in Canada, observance of Black History Month did not begin in earnest until 1995, when the House of Commons officially recognized February as Black History Month in Canada. In February, 2008, Senator Donald Oliver, the first Black man appointed to the Senate, introduced the Motion to Recognize Contributions of Black Canadians and February as Black History Month.
For those in Sudbury who would like a chance to learn, a chance to try new cuisines, see traditional and modern fashions and best of all, support the Black community in Sudbury, there are a number of events here in town.
Black History Month Gala, Feb. 4
Wes Hall, perhaps best known for his role as an investor in the CBC television series Dragons’ Den, is delivering a keynote address at the annual Black History Month Gala on Feb. 4. Hosted by the Afro-Heritage Association of Sudbury, Hall is delivering the address during an event set to take place at the Steelworkers Hall (66 Brady St.) beginning at 6 p.m. Alongside Hall’s keynote speech, the Feb. 4 gala will include Afro-Caribbean food, entrepreneur showcases, networking, a fashion show, live band performances and dancing. Tickets range in price from $35 to $100, and are available online by clicking here as well as at the Northern Ontario Black Economic Empowerment Program (NOBEEP) office at 73 Elm Street.
Université du troisième âge de Sudbury event, Feb. 5
Ahmed Saba speaks about the representation of various African countries in Greater Sudbury at the next Université du troisième âge de Sudbury event. The event runs at the Northbury Hotel Feb. 5 at 11:45 a.m. Tickets cost $25 for members and $30 for non-members. Phone 249-360-5847 to make reservations.
Jazz Sudbury Black History Month celebration, Feb. 25
Jazz Sudbury is getting ready for its inaugural 2023 Black History Month celebration on Feb. 25. This addition to the Jazz Sudbury calendar promises to be a captivating event that features Order of Canada composer/pianist Joe Sealy. “Africville Stories” is Joe Sealy’s new presentation that builds on his Juno award-winning “Africville Suite”. Africville Stories will present lesser-known poignant and uplifting new stories about the people and their community. Established in 1847, “Africville” was nestled on the shores of the Bedford Basin at the north end of Halifax and was Canada’s oldest black community until it was razed in the late 1960s as an “urban improvement” measure. Event runs at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 25 at Place des Arts. Tickets for Africville Stories will be available for purchase through Place des Arts.
African Cabaret 2023 presents Amadou Kienou, Feb. 25
The African Cabaret includes the “famous dinner with a thousand African flavors” and a dance party with a DJ. This unique and fascinating evening in Sudbury begins at 6 p.m. This event features master drummer Amadou Kienou, who hails from Burkina Faso, West Africa. A descendant of the Dafin people, Kienou was initiated as a djeli or griot (an oral historian), one of a long line of griots whose role is to preserve and transmit their people’s history, culture and values. Now bringing the traditional to the contemporary, Kienou delights international audiences with his unique polyrhythmic expression of emotions and memories.
You can find more information or purchase tickets here.
Jenny Lamothe is a reporter with Sudbury.com. She covers the diverse communities of Sudbury, especially the vulnerable or marginalized, including the Black, Indigenous, newcomer and Francophone communities, as well as 2SLGBTQ+ and the downtown core.
