Brampton Celebrates Black History Month

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Tuesday, February 1, 2022 to Monday, February 28, 2022
All Day Event
Online

Every February, Brampton residents are invited to participate in Black History Month festivities and events that honour the legacy of Black Canadians, past and present.

This month promises to celebrate and raise awareness of the many achievements and contributions of Black Bramptonians who, throughout history, have done so much to make Brampton a livable, compassionate and prosperous city it is today.​​​​​​​​​

Check out our Author of the week, City of Brampton's 2021 Arts Walk of Fame​ Inductee Ian William's Disorientation; which considers the impact of racial encounters on ordinary people.

As you participate in events throughout this month share your experiences on Twitter and Instagram with #BHMBrampton for a chance to have your photos displayed on this website.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

February 1 – DJ Versuz Battle featuring Musically in Motion & DJ WHATSNEXT?

February 2 - Lunch & Learn with MOYO HCS

February 8 - Performance curated by Off the Record

February 9 - Lunch & Learn with MOYO HCS & Virtual Panel Discussion with The Brampton Museum of African History and Culture

February 14 - Fitness class with Matthew Bonas Yoga

February 15 - Performance by Desiree McKenzie in partnership with ACCIDA

February 15 - Celebrating Black History through language and culture in partnership with Brampton Library

February 16 - Lunch & Learn with MOYO HCS

February 19 - Performance by the Brampton Festival Singers

February 21 - Yoga & Meditation with Matthew Bonas Yoga

February 22 - Performance by Travis Knights in partnership with ACCIDA

February 23 - Lunch & Learn with MOYO HCS

February 26 - The Underground Comedy Railroad Tour

March 1 - Exploring our Brampton Cultural Mosaic with the Brampton Festival Singers


Activities

Performance Series - DJ Versuz Battle - feat. Musically in Motion vs. DJWHATSNEXT?

​Brampton natives DJ Allan of Musically in Motion and DJ Jamaal A.K.A DJ WHATSNEXT? battle it out taking their queues from the hilarious and competitive party-starting game AuxGod​, streamed live from the Rose Theatre.

Click here​ to launch performance.

MOYO Lunch & Learn - WEEK 1 - Introduction to ABR, Intersectionality, Power & Privilege

​Featuring:

  • ​General overview of discrimination faced by ACB communities
  • Tools for allyship and advocacy
  • Trivia

Click here​ to register for session.

Performance Series - The Playback: Side A - Curated by Off the Record - explicit lyrics & mature content.

Performance curated by Brampton native and acclaimed performer Shade Waheed of Off the Record Entertainment, streamed live from the Rose Theatre.

Click here​ to launch performance.

PAMA in discussion with the Brampton Museum of African History and Culture - Virtual Panel

​Learning from the last, action in the present, looking to the future. 

Why the Brampton Museum of African History and Culture is important, and a snapshot of the history and culture. 

Click here​ to register for the session.

MOYO Lunch & Learn - WEEK 2 - Supporting Black Women

Featuring:

  • ​Specific discussions around discriminations experienced by black women and femme-identifying individuals
  • Allyship
  • ​Trivia on Black Women Activism
Click here​ to register for session.

Couples Fitness Class

​Brampton native, acclaimed yoga + fitness instructor Matthew Bonas hosts a fitness class designed to challenge!


Click here to launch session.​

Celebrating Black History through language and culture

​Join us for an evening of Black history and culture with virtual partner presentations. Learn about the influence of African music and language on pop culture, cook Jamaica’s national dish with Chef Horace Spence, and deepen your knowledge about history in an interactive format. Presented by Brampton Library in collaboration with ResQ Youth International and the Black Youth School Success Initiative (BYSSI).

Click here​ to register.

Performance Series - Desiree McKenzie

​Born and raised a Brampton kid, Desiree McKenzie will share new poems and stories of her growth into adulthood, identity, mental health and her reflections on the world as a person of colour.

Click here​ to launch performance.​

MOYO Lunch & Learn - WEEK 3 - Supporting Black 2SLGBTQ+ Individuals

​Featuring:

  • ​Specific discussions around discrimination
  • Allyship
  • Trivia on Black 2SLGBTQ+ Individuals
Click here​ to register for session.

Couples Yoga + Meditation Session

​Brampton native, acclaimed yoga + fitness instructor Matthew Bonas hosts a yoga and meditation session.


Click here to launch session.​

Performance Series - Travis Knights Performance

​Leave your preconceptions at the door and discover the richness of tap dance and jazz improvisation with this unique and captivating performance by Brampton's Travis Knights, streamed live from the Rose Theatre. 

Click here​ to launch performance.

MOYO Lunch & Learn - WEEK 4 - Celebrating Black Excellence

​Featuring:

  • ​Highlighting Black Activism as a whole, Black organizations, etc.
  • Highlighting Black Entrepreneurship
  • Reflection on Black History Month
  • Taking advocacy past Black History Month
Click here​ to register for session.

All for the Hustle - Fireside Chat 2022

​The Brampton Entrepreneur Centre is hosting an online Fireside Chat for Black History Month with a panel of experts to learn how they grew their startup into an established business! 

The panelists will provide you with the knowledge to reach your audience, grow your business, and reach your goals.

Having come from diverse industries such as fashion, startup ecosystem, financial sector and e-commerce, our experts will also share their entrepreneurial stories with you.

Click here​ to register. 

The Underground Comedy Railroad Tour

​Canada’s first-ever all-Black comedy tour, now in its 10th year! Join Keesha Brownie and comics Daniel Woodrow, Sashka DC, Tamara Shevon, and Kevin Christopher.

Entertainment, streamed live from The Rose.

Click here to register for the free performance.

Exploring our Brampton cultural mosaic - A celebration of Black History Month for families

A presentation by the Brampton Festival Singers.

A family-friendly program to celebrate Black culture with music, stories and visual arts. And through this, foster the community to a better understanding of their neighbours in the Brampton mosaic. 

To register, please send a note of interest via email to robertbhennig@gmail.com​

Additional Information

​Elevate your Black History Month experience by giving back to your Black community. The Experience Box is curated with items created entirely by Black-owned businesses. For the first 50 people who make a donation of $20 or more to the R.E.S.T. Centre, we will be issuing this year's limited edition Experience Box

The box includes:

Disorientation - A Novel by Arts Walk of Fame Inductee Ian Williams​

AuxGod Music Battle Card Game

Lavendula Tea - Lavender and Tea Tree Body Scrub by Sugar Plum Scrubs​

and more!

Visit here​ to make your donation to R.E.S.T. Centres

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Jemane Kent started 410Noir in response to his passion for music. Starting out as a stand up comedian, he gained an appreciation for live entertainment which then inspired an open mic night closer to home. The demand for more platforms that allowed artists to express themselves was very apparent to Kent. He created 410Noir to let artists know that it is possible to create something impactful without having to travel far distances. ​

Brampton-based Shade Waheed is a Humber College music business graduate, an A&R at Sony Music Canada and the Creator of Off the Record. Since 2018, she has partnered with the City of Brampton, under her brand BVO Sessions which has recently been rebranded, to promote GTA hip-hop and R&B artists, with a focus on Brampton artists, giving them a platform to share their music with a wider audience through live off-the-floor video recording.

With Off the Record, Shade is furthering her goal of providing audiences with intimate, quality sessions from new and exciting Canadian artists. Her focus is to bring artists into a physical space surrounded by musical motifs to help paint a picture of how music has transformed throughout the generations.​​

Matthew has been immersed in yoga for over 15 years and fitness for over 20. As a teen he was encouraged by his father to stay active and participated in competitive baseball, soccer, and basketball. In his early 20s, Matthew was heavily involved in weight training and around the same time he was being encouraged to compete in bodybuilding, he was introduced to yoga. His views on health and wellness were transformed. He was motivated to explore yoga teacher training to learn more about the yogic science, including asana, meditation, yoga philosophy, and pranayama. He made two visits to India, first studying hatha yoga in Goa in 2012 and again in Rishikesh in 2016 completing his 500-hour Yoga Teacher Training. As owner and director of Matthew Bonas Yoga Inc. (MBYI) Matthew manages a corporate wellness centre in Toronto, teaches virtual yoga classes, and instructs one-on-one yoga sessions. He has taught at several yoga studios and gyms throughout the GTA, and has hosted international yoga retreats and led workshops in India, Panama, Costa Rica, and British Virgin Islands. Matthew's passion for yoga and wellness continues to motivate and inspire others to pursue a fit and healthy lifestyle.​

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For over two decades, Moyo (previously known as Peel HIV/AIDS Network) has provided a growing array of health promotion, education, social and support services for people living with, affected by, and at systemic risk of HIV. Through collaborative efforts and effective service delivery, Moyo has become the leading HIV/AIDS service provider for Peel’s communities of Mississauga, Brampton and Caledon.​​

​Black History Month is an important way to recognize and celebrate the contributions of Black Canadians as part of the cultural mosaic of our community. Black History Month reflects on the past, present and future contributions and experiences of people across the dispora. 

Each year, the Office of Mayor Patrick Brown recognizes and celebrates outstanding black citizens in our community who have achieved milestones in the past year. 

Click here​ for more information.

​Desiree Mckenzie (she/her) is an award-winning poet, arts educator, national poetry slam champion, voice actor, and photographer from Toronto. Her poetry and voice have been featured in works for CBC’s Poetic License series, VIBE Arts NExT Exhibit, When Sisters Speak, Clearco Financial’s International Women’s Day Campaign, Kids Help Phone and Home Depot. In 2020, she was awarded the JAYU iAM Arts for Human Rights Award recognizing creatives doing exceptional work where the arts and human rights intersect. As a facilitator, she works with organizations like Unity Charity, JAYU, Poetry In Voice, and VIBE Arts, bringing poetry into classrooms and community spaces across the country. In March 2021, she released her EP, Wet Hair, now available on streaming platforms.​

Restoration and Empowerment for Social Transition or (R.E.S.T.) Center is a not for profit organization incorporated on July 23, 2015. R.E.S.T. is primarily engaged in interventions aimed at promoting transition to housing programs that provide diverse, multi-faceted supports for youth leaving the care system in its preventive efforts to end homelessness. Support programs include affordable housing, mentorship, counseling, education, life skills and employment training opportunities.​

Click here​ for more information.

​Tap Dancer. Performer. Choreographer. Speaker. Believer.  Travis Knights is realizing his dreams, pounding rhythms on wood floors all over the world. His talent and dedication have earned him audiences in Shanghai, Dusseldorf, Paris, New York, and Vancouver to name a few. He currently lives in Brampton, Ontario and hosts The Tap Love Tour Podcast, available on spotify, soundcloud and apple podcasts, (make sure to subscribe) featuring interviews of a myriad of inspiring artists.  

Click here​ for more information.

​The Arts, Culture & Creative Industry Development Agency is a unique organization incubating under the City of Brampton focused on growing, celebrating, advocating for and connec​​ting the sector through the provision of a rang​e of programs, services and resources. We are a key partner in delivering the City’s ambitious vision for arts, culture and creative industries as articulated in the City’s strategic vision and Culture Master Plan.

Vision: A thriving, confident, and valued creative scene and cultural ecology is the heart of our prosperous mosaic city.

Mission: To incubate, advance, connect and advocate for Brampton’s arts, culture and creative industries.

Values: Passion and Ambition, Diversity and Inclusiveness, Service, Community and Collaboration, Excellence and Innovation, Optimism. 

Click here​ for more information.​

​DJ WhatsNext? or more often just Jamaal, takes pride in putting on for the Past, Present and Next generations. Building bonds through music Jamaal is One of Canada’s most revered and versatile DJ’s in the event / nightlife space and a well respected DJ Audio Editor / Remixer Worldwide. 

"Uniting People from all walks of life through music is what feeds my passion for DJing"  ​

​Adubea is a singer songwriter from Brampton Ontario, Canada.

Her sound can be described as soulfully Jazzy and her influences include the likes of Lauryn Hill, Mos Def, India Arie, Amy Winehouse and many others. Adubea has been seen on stages such as the former HardRock Café, ModCLub, Revival Lounge, The Rose Theater and been apart of festivals like Toronto Music Week festival, and Toronto independent music festival.

Under her belt, she has released projects like her debut, Just Thinkin’, and Lost Files, alongside singles such as If, Smile, Bonnie and Clyde and more.

​Meet Ty’Dre, a recording artist from Brampton, Ontario. His uplifting sound and infectious lyrics are reminiscent of artists such as Blxst and J Cole.

In 2021, Ty’Dre released his debut EP ‘Purpose’ which was well received from supporters and critics alike. Ty’Dre’s music was featured on the Apple Music playlists ‘Northern Vibes’ and ‘The New Toronto’ along with being placed on the UK’s BBC 1Xtra. His growing catalogue has accumulated 400K+ streams, solidifying his position in the Toronto music scene.

​Mannie is a 21 year old singer from Toronto Canada, whose life revolves around everything artistic. From a young age, it was evident that creativity was something that came naturally to him. From singing in church, to participating in school musicals and city-wide talent shows, Mannie always knew he wanted his voice to be heard. "Storytelling is a big part of my culture, and I love doing that through music. I want people to be able to relate to my music and learn from the stories I tell."​

Born in Kumasi, Ghana and raised in Toronto, Canada, Martin "Prempz" Prempeh is Torontos most notable dancer and choreographer. Dancing is something he lives, breathes and loves to do and has high hopes in becoming successful. With the ability to move his waist in different directions and his non-stop flips, he never fails to grasp an audiences attention. His notable classes called "Prempz Wednesdays" that were held at Gotta Dance have become a spot to learn, share and exchange positive energy no matter what age or level. His talent and passion has lead him to many opportunities of working with and opening for artists like Ruff N' Smooth, Yemi Alade, French Montana, Davido, Burna Boy and many more. Aside from being a individual dancer, he is also apart of The Black Stars and Real 3D. Being named the King of Azonto in Toronto, his experience and drive has lead him to uphold that name proudly. He hopes to further his career in dance with those who inspire him and gain a greater title.​

​With a passion for music from an early age, DJ Allan joined the entertainment scene in 2001 where he played at local parties and later became a radio host on vibes 105.5 FM. 

In 2013, DJ Allan founded Musically In Motion Entertainment Services providing DJ service in Brampton and surrounding areas. 

​Jane Abieyuwa Igharo was born in Nigeria and immigrated to Canada at the age of twelve. She has a journalism degree from the University of Toronto and is the critically acclaimed author of Ties that Tether and The Sweetest Remedy. She writes about strong, audacious, beautifully flawed Nigerian women much like the ones in her life.

For additional information about Jane Igharo and her work, click here​.

Visit the Brampton Library and read this month's blog about Black History Month at the Library and in the community written by Chief Executive Officer Todd Kyle. 

Click here​ for more information about events and authors featured throughout the month.​

Louisa Onomé is a Nigerian-Canadian writer of books for teens and adults. She holds a BA in professional writing, a MA in counselling psychology, and is represented by Claire Friedman at InkWell Management.

A part of the Author Mentor Match round 3 cohort, she is also a writing mentor and all-around cheerleader for diverse works and writers. When she is not writing, her hobbies include picking up languages she may never use, crying over her favourite video games, and perfecting her skincare routine. She currently resides in the Toronto area.

For additional information about Louisa Onomé and her work, click here​.

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Ian Williams is the author of six books of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. His latest book, Disorientation​, considers the impact of racial encounters on ordinary people. 

Williams completed his Ph.D. at the University of Toronto. After several years teching poetry in the School of Creative Writing at the University of British Columbia, Williams returned to the University of Toronto as a tenured professor of English. He was the 2014-2015 Canadian Writer-in-Residence for the University of Calgary's Distinguished Writers Program. In 2022, he will be the Visiting Fellow at the American Library Paris. 

For additional information about Ian Williams and his work, click here. 

Black History Month is Proudly Sponsored by

​Contact​

Festival and Events Office
2 Wellington St W, Brampton​
905.874.2000

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