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Every February, people across Canada participate in Black History Month events and festivities that honour the legacy of Black people in Canada and their communities.
The 2024 theme for Black History Month celebrations is “Black Excellence: A Heritage to Celebrate; a Future to Build.”
We celebrate the rich contributions and accomplishments of Black people in Canada, past and present, while aspiring to embrace new opportunities in the future.
HSH joins the CCAH celebrating Black History Month
Home Suite Hope works closely with the Canadian Caribbean Association of Halton (CCAH) year-round and proudly took part in the CCAH’s annual Black History Month Celebration kickoff.
This year's kick-off event was held February 1 at the Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts. HSH Executive Director Sara Cumming attended (centre right in photo above) with (from left) HSH Case Worker Temisha Jacques, Program Manager Nikkian Hanson-Daley and Program Coordinator Jovelle Reid. The event introduced a host of events celebrating local Black history and culture locally throughout February.
"We need to remember Black individuals do amazing things EVERY month not just in February,” said Sara.
Nowhere is that more apparent than at HSH. The staff who attended the celebration are accomplished Black women who give their time and talent to HSH working alongside Sara, a professor of sociology at Sheridan College and a strong ally.
The HSH staff work with HSH Mentors and Industry Council representatives, as well as community agencies, volunteers and supporters to assist HSH single parents and their families as they journey from poverty to self-reliance. Many of these people are accomplished Black individuals. And many of HSH's single parents are Black women who need support to pursue their dreams.
HSH is grateful to the CCAH for the work it does in the community and for the lead it takes on championing Black history and inclusion and diversity.
The CCAH was established in 1977 and promotes awareness that unity in diversity, full and active participation, unbiased inclusion, and the capacity to value differences equally are essential to the social, cultural, and economic growth of Halton.
Membership is open to anyone who shares those interests and objectives and there are lots of opportunities for youths to get involved.
Led today by Andrew Tyrrell, the CCAH was championed over many years by the late Veronica Tyrrell, for whom the Town of Oakville named Veronica Tyrrell Park at 3183 Buttonbush Trail, Oakville and declared August 27 to be Veronica Tyrrell Day. Veronica was the long-time CCAH president and instrumental in expanding the agency’s profile within the community. She was an exemplary community leader and a tireless advocate for diversity and inclusion.
The CCAH works closely with Halton Region schools, operates a community steel band and offers programs such as: New Horizons for Seniors, Parang, Sizzlin’ Halton Caribbean Cooking, a library Reading Corner focusing on Black authors in Milton, and Black history bike and walking tours in Oakville. It also partners with the Halton Regional Police Service to enhance its community-based policing approach as well as co-delivers diversity and youth-focused programs.
The CCAH participates in events throughout the year, including: Black History Month, Emancipation Day, Culture Days and the Carousel of Nations. The February 1 event at the Oakville Centre kicked off a series of special events and celebrations across Halton.
Guest speaker Anthony Sherwood spoke about his passion for shedding light on Oakville’s Black history. The celebration also included performances by Juno Award-winner Jully Black, singer Geri Defoe, Arthouse Children’s Choir, Girl Power’d dancers, the CCAH Steel Band and a reading of the original poem Precipitation and Storm Water by Jane Asante Tutu and Fara Olawale.
For more about the CCAH and Black History Month events, visit https://ccah.ca/
Watch for our blog post later this month as we highlight the awesome Black women who work at HSH.
