Healthy Communities
Heritage, Health and Hope: Black History Month at the YMCA
02 February 2016 - by June Findlay
Hear the words “Black History Month” and you may think of people like; Mathieu DaCosta, the first recorded free Black man in Canada during the early 1600s as a translator in the exploration parties in France’s “New World”; Rosemary Brown, the first Black woman elected to a provincial legislature in Canada; or Peter Sloly, Deputy Chief of the Toronto Police Service (and a current member of the YMCA Board of Directors)—all people who faced adversity in the form of racism to excel in their personal and professional lives and do their part in building the communities in which they lived.
[mks_dropcap style="rounded" size="52" bg_color="#dd3333" txt_color="#ffffff"]In[/mks_dropcap]the coming 29 days, we will celebrate the achievements of Black Canadians focusing on the contributions Black Canadians have made—and continue to make--in education, medicine, art, culture, public service, economic development, politics and human rights.
The YMCA of Greater Toronto looks at this month-long celebration as an opportunity to highlight the achievements the Black community has made to to improve our city by focusing on the social, economic, environmental, and cultural factors that affect a diverse community. In our mission of serving the communities we work in, we also want to look for ways to increase our knowledge about those who live in said communities, while supporting the ability for all individuals to reach their full potential by promoting and supporting initiatives true to our mission.
The Black Experience Project, in which YMCA of GTA is a founding partner, is a research project that focuses on the community’s contributions and opportunities as well as the challenges and barriers it faces. Because the health of any one group affects us all, the knowledge obtained and the benefits of the research will extend well beyond the Black community.
[mks_icon icon="fa-arrow-circle-right" color="#dd3333" type="fa"] Read more about what we are learning from Black Experience project
Building healthy communities is what makes us who we are. By recognizing opportunities to learn about each other such as those presented during Black History Month, those communities become that much stronger, richer and able to cultivate hope for a future where equality is not only the norm, but practiced and taught for generations to come.
Join us for three events we will be hosting in recognition of Black History Month:
[mks_dropcap style="rounded" size="52" bg_color="#dd3333" txt_color="#ffffff"]In[/mks_dropcap]the coming 29 days, we will celebrate the achievements of Black Canadians focusing on the contributions Black Canadians have made—and continue to make--in education, medicine, art, culture, public service, economic development, politics and human rights.
The YMCA of Greater Toronto looks at this month-long celebration as an opportunity to highlight the achievements the Black community has made to to improve our city by focusing on the social, economic, environmental, and cultural factors that affect a diverse community. In our mission of serving the communities we work in, we also want to look for ways to increase our knowledge about those who live in said communities, while supporting the ability for all individuals to reach their full potential by promoting and supporting initiatives true to our mission.
The Black Experience Project, in which YMCA of GTA is a founding partner, is a research project that focuses on the community’s contributions and opportunities as well as the challenges and barriers it faces. Because the health of any one group affects us all, the knowledge obtained and the benefits of the research will extend well beyond the Black community.
[mks_icon icon="fa-arrow-circle-right" color="#dd3333" type="fa"] Read more about what we are learning from Black Experience project
Building healthy communities is what makes us who we are. By recognizing opportunities to learn about each other such as those presented during Black History Month, those communities become that much stronger, richer and able to cultivate hope for a future where equality is not only the norm, but practiced and taught for generations to come.
Join us for three events we will be hosting in recognition of Black History Month:
