GUELPH – During Black Heritage Month, the Guelph Black Heritage Society (GBHS) will feature its #ChangeStartsNow initiative, providing educational programming on Black heritage and culture.
The GBHS calls on the community to honour our past, celebrate today, and look toward the future.
With the support of the City of Guelph’s Re-emerging Legacy Festivals and Events Support Program, the following events, programs and activities will be presented in February:
- Freedom Walk and Flag Raising – Feb. 1, 8:30am at Guelph City Hall;
- NEUROroyalty Presents: The BIPOC Mental Wellness Journey – Feb. 3, 7pm, online. This workshop is reserved for BIPOC and BIPOC family members only;
- De-Escalation Workshop: How to Deal with Hate Motivated Incidents – Feb. 10, 7pm, online. This workshop is reserved for BIPOC and BIPOC family members only
- Wellington County: Black Heritage Reclaimed – Feb. 17, 7pm, online. Listen to University of Guelp PhD student Wencke Rudi as she presents her research on the historical Black community in Wellington County and Queen’s Bush;
- DiverseWorks Presents: Anti-Black Racism in the Arts – Feb. 19, 2pm, online;
- Fourth Friday at the Guelph Museum featuring musical performance by Verese Vassell-Bowen – Feb. 25, 7pm.
- Rapid Response: Collecting Experiences Exhibit – now until Feb. 28 at the Guelph Civic Museum; and
- Lantern Ale at the Royal City Brewing Company. Lanterns were used as beacons by ‘safe’ houses along the Underground Railroad and came to be a symbol of freedom. Royal City Brewing Company has developed this artisanal brew for GBHS and a portion of proceeds will go to GBHS.
“We can’t just focus on the past,” said GBHS president Denise Francis.
“Black History Month has traditionally been about slavery but there’s more to our past than that.
“I hope people will enjoy a variety of events with us. There’s the opportunity to learn, to be educated and be entertained.”
All events are free but donations are gladly accepted.
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 – freedom from a mortgage so GBHS will be able to allocate additional resources towards the ongoing #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.
Visit www.guelphblackheritage.ca for more information; email info@guelphblackheritage.ca with questions.
