Published February 18, 2022 09:45

(from Canada.ca)

In our community

The London Black History Coordinating Committee (LBHCC), London Public Library (LPL) and many additional partners have come together to offer a variety of events and activities.

Check out LBHCC's website for the event schedule.

Visit London Public Library's website for a list of their events.

• February 20th starting at 8:00 p.m. - TD Sunfest Celebrates Black History, Black Futures Month with Joyce N'Sana and Canalon De Timbiqui. This celebration will be streaming on Facebook and YouTube. Free to watch however donations are welcome and appreciated.
• February 20th  from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. - Purchase tickets here . Be a part of history in the making. London’s newest award ceremony, the essence and culture awards, will take place Sunday, to honour individuals who stand out in the Forest City’s Black community. The awards ceremony is organized and presented by London Afrocentric Community Association (LACA).  The Essence and Culture Awards was created by a group of businesses and Community organizations which joined forces to form a group known as the London AfroCentric Community Association (LACA). The mandate/mission of LACA is to unite London’s many Black Communities in spite of our differences and because of our shared similarities, by recognizing the contributions of the nominees and recipients of these awards. Congratulations to all of the nominees and the Lifetime Achievement award recipients!
• February 23rd - African Caribbean Winter Market at Innovation Works - An all-day market featuring food, art, and wares from local African, Caribbean, and Black artisans, artists, and vendors. Free registration to attend either the morning session or afternoon session.
• February 23rd from 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. - No Going Back - A panel discussion with Greg Frankson, editor of AfriCANthology and members of the London Black History Coordinating Committee. If Canadians have shown an unprecedented interest in learning Black stories over the last 20 months, how can we build on these gains? What could this look like in London? What could be the role of the arts in this moment? Join this panel conversation in-person at Innovation Works, London, or virtually. Click here to register for free.

TVDSB's Equity and Inclusive Education has shared their 2022 Black History Month School Resource Guide. The guide contains curriculum connections, virtual guest speakers and professional development opportunities. (You must request access through a Google account).

Afrobiz.ca lists Black-owned businesses in our community that we can support. Check out the growing list here!

Check out The Saidat Show on social media and make sure to follow her for a boost of positivity.

Have you heard about WeBridge Community Services? Check out their website here and you can find out how it all started if you read this article, published in the London Free Press in August 2021.

Did you know about W.E.A.N. Community Centre and the London Black Community Library? Check out Where We Are Now (W.E.A.N.)'s website for details. You can also read about it in this Global News article.

Learn from Home

• February 24th and 25th - 11:00 a.m. - Future of Good and the Foundation for Black Communities is hosting hundreds of changemakers from across the country to celebrate the achievements of Black leaders in social impact and build an anti-racist social impact sector. Tickets range in price from free to $119.88. Click here to register or to learn more.
• March 5th from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. - The Canadian Race Relations Foundation is convening youth on a national platform to highlight best practices and critical learnings of youth doing anti-racism work so we can support their initiatives and learn from their ideas. Click here to register for free or to learn more about this event.
• March 21st from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. - Black to the Future Summit - The Black To The Future (BTTF) Summit is certain to be one of the most important gatherings for engaging thought leadership within the local, regional and international Black-led, Black serving and Black focused (B3) nonprofit community, bringing about change between service providers, government and industry partners. Click here to register or learn more about BTTF.

February is Black History Month - Visit Canada.ca for their digital toolkit which includes social media graphics, poster, colouring page, and to learn more.

CBC Radio-Canada marks Black History month with a varied programs across all platforms. Check out the archives here.

Celebrate and learn about the meaningful contributions of Black creators from  CBC Calgary and CBC Edmonton.

The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) has provided free streaming of 30 NFB Canadian films on their website. These films portray the multi-layered lives of Canada’s diverse Black communities. Click here to visit their website and start watching!

Kanopy is accessible with your London Public Library card. Check out their curated list in honour of Black History Month. If you don't have a library card, you can register for a temporary e-Account here.

TVO Kids is also celebrating Black History Month. Watch the full episode of Xavier Riddle where he and his friends travel back in time to meet an important person who once rode the bus. There are several full episodes available to watch in the playlist on YouTube.

The Africville Museum in Nova Scotia is currently closed to in-person visitors however you can take a virtual tour. For the month of February, the film Africville: Can't Stop Now is available to stream for free on Vimeo. Check out their website for details on how to access the film. Charitable donations can be sent to support the museum's programs and projects via their CanadaHelps page.

In the news and on the Web

Mental Wellness Support - Call and/or Text

Our sibling Club, BGC Ottawa, has compiled a list of mental health and wellness supports for African, Caribbean, and Black diaspora. You can find the list as a shared Word document here (select "Mental Health & Wellness Resources"). Please note that this is an on-going list, not a complete list of every resource available.

Here are some additional support lines you can connect with at any time:

• Kids Help Phone - text TALK to 686868, call them at 1-800-668-6868, chat with them online at www.KidsHelpPhone.ca (Adults can also text at WELLNESS to 741741)
• Kids Help Phone is now offering 24/7 support over the phone in Arabic.1-800-668-6868, press 3 to speak through an Arabic interpreter.
• Crisis Text Line powered by Kids Help Phone (Must be signed into Facebook to use this Messenger tool)
• Atlohsa Family Healing Services - Call 1-800-605-7477 (24/7 crisis support)
• Tandem: formerly Crisis Intake Team (CIT): call 519-433-0334 ( London and Middlesex), for 0-18 years and caregivers
• Call or text Naseeha - Mental Health Youth Line at 1-866-627-3342 (available 12:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., every day including weekends)
• Muslim women can call NISA Helpline - 1-866-315 NISA (1-866-315-6472) (available 12 hours per day, 7 days per week.)
• Call The Support Line - CMHA Elgin-Middlesex * : 519-601-8055 or toll-free 1-844-360-8055.

For Indigenous Community Members:

• Atlohsa Family Healing Services - Call 1-800-605-7477 (24/7 crisis support)
• Indian Residential School Survivors Society at 1-800-721-0066 (24/7 Crisis Support)
• Hope for Wellness – Indigenous helpline: 1-855-242-3310 (online chat support available through their website) - Support is available in Cree, Ojibway, and Inuktitut upon request.

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