Tired Voices: Black History Month

I think it’s fair to say we’re tired of talking about the traumatic episodes in black history; does that mean tired of having socially progressive conversations? No, but tired of being identified by ancestral trauma(s),Yes. 

The underlying beauty of the culture in Toronto is that it consists of splashes of many different ethnic backgrounds, Caribbean/African culture being key components. We are the only city where you can conveniently find baasto, jollof rice and jerk chicken accompanied with a side serving of canjeero & banana hugging one another on the same plate; packed in tighter than the train at Yorkdale station on Boxing Day. 

I know what you’re thinking… What does a $20 dinner plate and the social climate in one of the most influential cities in pop culture have to do with each other?

In all honesty… nothing. But In theory, that well represented dinner plate is a testimony to the power of UNITY in the city, via the culture(s). Diverse cultures, ethnicities and religions that are foreign concepts to each other somehow aligned in one small space with one another to create something magical. That is Toronto.

Attempting to showcase each and every positive contribution black history has made to society in only a measly 28 days is like trying to count every grain of sand on the beach in 1 day… In my eyes a win for the culture would be to not only acknowledge the individual ethnicities that make the culture beautiful but also champion them on a year-round basis, let’s start today.

#BlackHistoryMonth🤞🏼🫂🤞🏽✨🤞🏾💎🤞🏿