BHM2022
Black History Month 2022 ~ Thank you for celebrating with us
Thank you to our sponsors
Thank you to our community partners
Tribute to Veronica Tyrrell
For Black History Month, Pam Damoff, MP Oakville North-Burlington made a member statement in the House of commons paying tribute to Veronica Tyrell who was President of CCAH until her passing in October 2018.
Our Flag and Logo
2022 Creative Reflection Contest: Winners Selected
Sponsored by CCAH | Written | First place: Daniela Dampare | Second place: Roop Malhans
Sponsored by CCAH | Visual | First place: Yaeseul Cho |
Sponsored by Sheridan Alumni | Multi-media | First place: Grace Munene | Second place: Natan Tshilolo Muepu
CCAH BHM2022 Program Outline
January 29-March 3: CCAH In Celebration of 2023 Black History Month Art Exhibit | Oakville Town Hall | Queen Elizabeth Park Community and Cultural Centre | Curator: Joan Butterfield
A uniquely curated art installation of Afrocentric Art and Artifacts. A collection that will give our community the opportunity to proudly expose, connect and engage with others. An exhibit that will empower our community. An exhibit that will continue Veronica Tyrrell’s journey to instill pride in our culture, heritage and traditions. Enjoy 60 works of art on canvas, 10 ceramic and wooden masks, several works by other African Canadian local artists, cultural artifacts of carvings, sculptures and drums. Self-guide, but private tours can be requested at QEPCCC via info@ccah.ca.
Mayor Rob Burton will raise the flag alongside Members of Council and Black-led community organizations: CCAH, African Caribbean Council of Halton, BLing Events International Entertainment, Black Mentorship Inc, and Halton Black History Awareness Society.
How to spend 24 hours celebrating Black History Month | Visit Oakville
This February, explore and celebrate Black history in Oakville with an itinerary created by Visit Oakville in partnership with the CCAH. Read here about how you can spend a full day exploring all that Oakville has to offer for Black History Month.
Wednesday, February 2 @ 7:30 pm: Interview | Oakville Mayor Burton’s “Oakville Matters” | COGECO’s YourTV Halton
Oakville Mayor, Rob Burton, will interview CCAH President, Andrew Tyrrell, about Oakville Black History and 2021 Black History Month Events. Watch here.
February 1-28: The Underground Railroad: Next Stop, Freedom & Legacy Voices https://visitoakville.com/events/bmi-black-history-month-celebration/ Oakville Museum | 8 Navy St, Oakville | Please contact julian.kingston@oakville.ca with questions. Register your class here.
Through virtual tours, digitized artifacts, hands-on activities, stories, and a live interactive video presentation, this inquiry-based education program helps students immerse themselves into historical experiences that offer unique opportunities to experience our shared living heritage. Students will explore Oakville’s relationship with the United States in the context of the Underground Railroad. They will learn about how Oakville Harbour played a significant role in the journey to Canada for many freedom seekers. Key figures in the Oakville Underground Railroad story are introduced through the exhibition Freedom, Opportunity and Family: Oakville’s Black History, and excerpts from the multimedia presentation The Underground Railroad: Next Stop Freedom as well as more contemporary stories from the documentary Legacy Voices. Register with the Oakville Community Foundation: The Underground Railroad: Next Stop, Freedom & Legacy Voices Description – Community Classroom (theocf.org
February 1-28: Oakville Early Black History. Queen Elizabeth Park Community and Cultural Centre, Oakville | Halton Schools
Traveling exhibition created by the Oakville Museum; displays with pictures and cultural information. Exhibit will be installed once restrictions are lifted. Please contact andrew@ccah.ca to book the installation at your school or facility.
February 3, 10, 16: Imagining Futures: A Black History Month Special | Sheridan College | Register here
Join Sheridan alumni, the Student Leadership Development and Engagement team and the Sheridan Student Union for a series of 30-minute coffee chats – Imagining Futures: A Black History Month Special. Register here: Imagining Futures: A Black History Month Special | February | Sheridan College
St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) is in the eastern Caribbean and comprises a main island – St. Vincent – and 32 smaller islands which make up the Grenadines. In 2021, the people of SVG were impacted by the eruption of La Soufrière, the largest volcano at the highest peak. The CCAH partnered with two other organizations to assist families and students. Join us to learn more about this island, the project and how you can get involved. There will also be games and prizes, too. One lucky winner will take home a new Cuisinart Convection Toaster oven! So come ready to have some fun and win some prizes!
Thursday, February 10 @ 10:30 am: Virtual Author Visit with Lawrence Hill | Crowdcast | Presented by the CCAH, Halton Catholic District School Board, and Milton Public Library.
Join author Lawrence Hill for a virtual talk and Q&A. He’ll speak about his new book, Beatrice and Croc Harry, which is a meditation about forced migration, predation, danger, trust, and friendship. It gives readers reason to reflect about injustice and how to confront it, and about how perpetrators of injustice and those who have been wronged might meet again later in a place of respect and healing. For Grades 4 and up, including teens and adults of all ages. ASL interpretation provided by Canadian Hearing Services.
Thursday, February 10 @ 12:00 pm: Sizzlin’ Halton | Holy Trinity Catholic Secondary School | In-person | Private event
Chef Garfield, from our Sizzlin’ Halton Cooking Series, will be presenting to high school students about Caribbean cooking.
Thursday, February 10 @ 6:30 pm: Inspiring Future Generations with Gyimah Gariba | Virtual | Sheridan Alumni | Register here
Gyimah Gariba is a social change catalyst, and a proud Ghanaian-Torontonian who graduated from Sheridan’s Animation program in 2013. When he’s not designing covers for Marvel Comics, creating and executive producing new animated series (Big Blue for Guru Studio), or landing on Forbes’ “15 Young African Creatives Rebranding Africa,” Gyimah works tirelessly to break down barriers for the next generation through his art. Register here: Inspiring Future Generations with Gyimah Gariba | February | Sheridan College
Friday, February 11 @ 3:30 pm: Black History Month Community Roundtable | Virtual | Hosted by Anita Anand, MP Oakville | Local Black business owners and community leaders discuss issues they’re facing, the challenges of the pandemic, and how the federal government can be of assistance.
Saturday, February 12 @ 1:00: Clef Notes to Canvas | In-person at Coach House, Oakville Museum; Virtual by Zoom | Hosted in partnership with the CCAH and Oakville Museum and facilitated by local artist Omar “Oms” Hopkinson | Free supplies (canvas and paints) to be picked up from Oakville Museum. | Ages 16+ years|
This interactive art session, where creativity, music and awareness meet, will be hosted in a hybrid format with restricted numbers in-person and limited numbers virtually. Join us for a creative afternoon of music and visual art. The first part of the program focuses on “The Struggle” whereby participants allow the mood of the background music to evoke feelings that are translated onto the canvas. The second part focuses on the “Freedom” of creativity whereby participants allow music to influence exploration and expand upon the initial artwork created. All supplies provided; no experience necessary.
Tuesday, February 15 @ 12:00 pm: Home is a dream for youths living with mental health challenges | Virtual | Hosted in partnership with the CCAH, Kevin Flynn Mental Health Foundation, Oasis Youth Care, Home Suite Hope and Summit Housing
Halton Region, one of Canada’s most affluent municipalities, is not immune to social issues that impact other communities. There is a mental health crisis that is largely invisible and tightly linked to housing instability. With the pandemic, we recognized very quickly that groups which have historically experienced marginalization were further marginalized within our own backyards. While our proverbial ‘boats’ are sailing on the same lake, the quality of our vessels vary greatly. Youths are among those whose ‘vessels’ may not be equipped to navigate the pandemic waters and Halton has been no exception. Join us and community partners for an overview about the challenges facing youths experiencing housing insecurity and mental health challenges in Halton. The Kevin Flynn Mental Health Foundation will highlight their focus on research while Oasis Youth Care, Summit Housing, Home Suite Hope will discuss the services that do exist to support our youths in Halton Region.
Tuesday, February 15 @ 4:30 pm: Issues of Race | Virtual | Hosted in partnership with the CCAH and Halton Catholic District School Board | Private event
This 3-part session is designed in English for secondary students and focuses on creative expression regarding experiences with racism, understanding and addressing everyday racism in Canadian society, and conflict communication and resolution.
Tuesday, February 15 @ 9:30 am: Sizzlin’ Halton | Halton District School Board | Virtual | Private event
Chef Wayne, from our Sizzlin’ Halton Cooking Series, will be presenting to high school students about Caribbean cooking.
Did you know Oakville is rich in Black history? From the comfort of your home, join us for our guided virtual tours of Bronte Harbour and Kerr Village and explore sites related to Oakville’s Black heritage.
Wednesday, February 16 @ 12:00 pm: Oakville & the Underground Railroad | Virtual | Hosted in partnership with the CCAH and Halton Regional Police Services | Private event
Dr. Karolyn Smardz Frost, a Canadian historian and an adjunct professor at both Acadia and Dalhousie Universities, presents this 40-minute pre-recorded lecture on the history of Black History Month and Emancipation Day as well as integrating local Oakville history specific to landmarks, like the naming of schools, as it relates to the Underground Railroad.
Thursday, February 17 @ 6:00 pm: BLACKS Career Conversation Series: Imagining Futures | Virtual | Sheridan College
Black Leadership, Ambition, Collective Knowledge and Success (BLACKS) is a Career Conversation Series in partnership with Black Mentorship Inc. (BMI), Sheridan’s Career-Integrated Learning services, Student Affairs and the Alumni Relations team. In celebration of Black History Month, we have invited Sheridan students and alumni to dive deep into a conversation about “Imagining Futures”: it is now time for us – individually and collectively – to envision dynamic futures grounded in hope and how a better tomorrow may look. Join us to hear from alumni who are successful Black professionals, and Black students about their experiences and success stories. Register here: BLACKS Career Conversation Series: Imagining Futures | February | Sheridan College
Saturday, February 19 @ 1:00 pm: Clef Notes to Canvas | In-person at Studio at the Halton Hills Public Library and Cultural Centre, 9 Church Street, Georgetown OR by ZOOM | Hosted in partnership with the CCAH and Halton Hills and facilitated by local artist Omar “Oms” Hopkinson | Free supplies (canvas and paints) to be picked up from Halton Hills Public Library and Cultural Centre | Ages 16+ years
This interactive art session, where creativity, music and awareness meet, will be hosted in a hybrid format with restricted numbers in-person and limited numbers virtually. Join us for a creative afternoon of music and visual art. The first part of the program focuses on “The Struggle” whereby participants allow the mood of the background music to evoke feelings that are translated onto the canvas. The second part focuses on the “Freedom” of creativity whereby participants allow music to influence exploration and expand upon the initial artwork created. All supplies provided; no experience necessary.
Discover more Black History Month events hosted by the Town of Halton Hills: Black History Month – Town of Halton Hills (esolg.ca)
Tuesday, February 22 @ 12:00 pm: Progress towards equitable education for Black students and families in HDSB | Virtual | Hosted in partnership with the CCAH, Roots Community Services, Student and Family Advocate Program and Halton District School Board
Panelists: Curtis Ennis, Director of Education, Halton District School Board; Angela J Carter, Executive Director, Roots Community Services; Saud Juman, Chair of the Parent Involvement Committee for Halton and Co-chair of Parent Counsel at EJ James PS.
Black students have historically had lower academic and career outcomes than their peers from other racial and ethnic backgrounds. An explanation for the inequitable outcomes is embedded racism and discrimination built into the education system. Halton District School Board recently conducted research about the experiences of Black high school students within its network of schools and found that “challenge with racism and discrimination and a lack of response and accountability for racism in secondary schools are a systemic problem…” They have renewed their efforts to “providing learning environments that are free of racism and discrimination” through several measures. We’ll explore what’s being done to support Black students’ success in the Halton District School Board.
Tuesday, February 22 @ 1:30 pm: Sizzlin’ Halton | Halton District School Board | Virtual | Private event
Chef Delvon, from our Sizzlin’ Halton Cooking Series, will be presenting to high school students about Caribbean cooking.
Tuesday, February 22 @ 6:00 pm: Caribbean Cooking Night | Halton Catholic District School Board | Virtual | Private event for Saint Thomas Aquinas CSS
Students and their families will prepare a traditional Caribbean dish as Chef Delvon, from our Sizzlin’ Halton Cooking Series, guides them along.
Join the OPL to hear spoken word poems from the Bird of Paradise, Dionne Samuels as part of their Community Conversations series in honour of Black History Month. She is a Canadian spoken word artist and poet who explores ancestry and heritage through spirituality-infused prose. Come hear Dionne as she shares her poetry in this interactive and engaging program. The performance will be followed with a question and answer period.
Thursday, February 24 @ 1:00 pm: Allendale Long-Term Care | Milton | Private event
CCAH and Chef Garfield Houstan, Open Appetite Catering, will be serving Caribbean meals to staff of the long-term care facility to recognize their efforts with supporting our vulnerable seniors during these challenging times. Non-alcoholic beverages provided by Nickle Brook Brewing Co.
Thursday, February 24 @ 2:30 pm: Halton Women’s Place | Virtual | Private event
In celebration of Black History Month, the CCAH will discuss community engagement to frontline works at local charity Halton Women’s Place, an organization that provides shelter and crisis services for women and their dependent children.
Thursday, February 24 @ 6:00 – 7:30 pm: Elevate Greatness Meets Imagining Futures | Virtual | Hosted in partnership with the CCAH and Black Mentorship Inc
“Elevate greatness” is to promote others; it means no one is left behind. “Imagining futures” starts with a vision and then steps to make it happen. To achieve all this takes teamwork. MC: Bebe Ochu. Speakers: Anita Anand, MP Oakville; Pam Damoff, MP Burlington North-Oakville; Evangeline Chima, BMI; Andrew Tyrrell, CCAH; Rumina Ratansi, HR Executive Consultant; Ugonma Ekeanyanwu, African Storyteller; and Romaine Newell, Founder of Access Gourmet. Join us for a night of collaboration as we begin to wrap up another Black History Month and jointly celebrate our achievements, cultures, and communities beyond February.
Saturday, February 26 @ 2:30 pm: Celebrating African culture with stories – Ekiuwa Aire | Virtual Branch | Hosted by the Oakville Public Library | Ages 4-7
Join local author Ekiuwa Aire for a walk through of African culture through stories and discussion. Ekiuwa Aire is an award-winning children’s book author. She is passionate about sharing positive stories on African history with children. Ekiuwa’s debut title Idia of the Benin Kingdom has been the recipient of the Children’s Africana Book Awards, Kidsshelf Book Awards, and Eric Hoffer Book Awards. Her second book is titled Njinga of Ndongo and Matamba.
Sunday, February 27 @ 1:00 pm: Covid-19 Rapid Antigen Test Giveaway| Hosted by CCAH | QEPCCC, Oakville
The CCAH provided 1,188 free rapid tests to help keep the community safe!
Monday, February 28 @ 1:00 pm: Tansley Woods Long-Term Care | Burlington | Private event
CCAH and Chef Garfield Houstan, Open Appetite Catering, will be serving Caribbean meals to staff of the long-term care facility to recognize their efforts with supporting our vulnerable seniors during these challenging times. Non-alcoholic beverages provided by Nickle Brook Brewing Co.
Clef Notes to Canvas | Halton Catholic District School Board | In-person | Private event
Local artist Omar “Oms” Hopkinson facilitates this interactive art session, where creativity, music and awareness meet. Students enrolled in the African-Canadian Art History class at Bishop Reding CSS to participate.
CCAH BHM2022 Halton School Programs
The school programs listed below can be offered for remote class learning. All programs are in English. If your school is interested in offering one of these programs, please contact info@ccah.ca to book any school program.
1. Diana Braithwaite and Chris Whiteley
Blues and Jazz with Chris and Diana: Pre-recorded musical performance featuring jazz songs, and the spoken word created by multiple Maple Blues award winning artists Diana Braithwaite and Chris Whiteley. During the performance, they educate and entertain audiences with a musical journey through history to discover the early origins of jazz and the current music they performed. This 30-minute presentation is educational while entertaining. Program suited for elementary and secondary students.
Celebrate Canada’s Black History with Diana Braithwaite: This 30-minute upbeat video for students provides an overview of Black history in Canada by focusing on amazing and proud stories about outstanding African-Canadian legends from coast to coast with musical performances. Program suited for elementary and secondary students.
2. Steelpan Music Demonstration (15 mins) and Mini Concert (15 mins)
Pre-recorded performance and workshop to be securely broadcast via the Ministry of Education portals. Programs funded by Oakville Community Foundation’s Community Classrooms project. New content for 2022. Program suited for elementary students.
Dedicated to promoting diversity and inclusion, supporting cultural development, and encouraging civic engagement, the CCAH brings Caribbean music and education to Community Classroom participants. This vibrant and informative session about Steelpan has been designed with the young online learner in mind. Register with the Oakville Community Foundation: Steel Pan Demonstration and Mini Concert – Community Classroom (theocf.org)
3. Sizzlin’ Halton Caribbean Cooking Sessions
Sessions are designed for English Secondary students but are also an excellent opportunity for ESL students and participants in social justice or hospitality programs. These are 30-minute pre-recorded cooking videos followed by a 30-minute live-feed discussion with the Chef. There are 6 episodes to choose from. Sessions are broadcast via the Ministry of Education portals. Please contact info@ccah.ca to book.
4. Issues of Race
This 3-part session is designed in English for secondary students and focuses on creative expression regarding experiences with racism, understanding and addressing everyday racism in Canadian society, and conflict communication and resolution. | Format may be virtual through Zoom to allow for student interaction or via the Ministry of Education portals. Please contact info@ccah.ca to book.
a) Akil McKenzie, CEO of media production company, Falling Motion. He oversees 50 talented team members that work on commercials, music videos, films and weddings. Akil is a director, producer, cinematographer, editor, public speaker, and poetic artist. As a creative, Akil is always looking for new artforms to express thought and emotion. (15 mins)
b) Kara will focus on the meaning of systemic anti-Black racism and the challenges to finding an appropriate solution. Join Kara as she clarifies some confusion around common, misunderstood terms and unravels some reasons why anti-Black racism continues. (30 mins)
c) Jasmine Als, Conflict Communication and Resolution. Jasmine is a Durham College Campus Conflict Resolution Services Student Practitioner. She is currently focused on mediation and alternate dispute resolution. Before going to Durham College, she received her degree in Conflict Resolution Studies from the University of Winnipeg. (15 mins)
5. (Un)healthy Youth Relationships
Presented by Radius Child and Youth Services, in this workshop for secondary students, youth will learn about the different types of abuse and how unhealthy relationships can begin. We will cover several “red flags” or warning signs that could be indicators of an abusive or unhealthy relationships. Statistics regarding types of abuse in different populations will be presented, as well as the impact of abuse on victims. Finally, we will talk about how you can help a friend who might be in an unhealthy relationship, and where the person perpetrating the abuse can seek help. Please contact info@ccah.ca to book.
Join your hand with us for a
better life and future
Thank you to our sponsors
