Brampton Celebrates Black History Month

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Monday, February 1, 2021 to Sunday, February 28, 2021
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.​​​​​​​​​

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 9 – Performance curated by Off the Record Entertainment

February 11 – Wellness Hour by Matthew Bonas Yoga

February 16 – Performance curated by 410Noir

February 18 – Black-owned Restaurant Tour hosted by Azalea Hart and curated by Black Foodie

February 23 – Intimate Panel Discussion curated by Jones & Jones Productions

February 24 – Master Mixologist meets T by Daniel​

Activities

Black Political Empowerment Conference - Part 1

Recognizing the significant impact politics play in the development of cities and our country, this two-day conference will present informative and inspiring conversations with Black political leaders and allies. The conversation will focus on the critical importance of building Black political capital as a means of working towards the elimination of systematic racism, social, educational and corporate inequality but most importantly, inspire individuals, families and youth to participate in the arena of politics. Please click here to register for this event.​

Performance Series - Curated by Off the Record Entertainment - Explicit lyrics & mature content.

Performance curated by Brampton native and acclaimed performer Shade Waheed of Off the Record Entertainment. Click to launch performance​.

Black Political Empowerment Conference - Part 2

Recognizing the significant impact politics play in the development of cities and our country, this two-day conference will present informative and inspiring conversations with Black political leaders and allies. The conversation will focus on the critical importance of building Black political capital as a means of working towards the elimination of systematic racism, social, educational and corporate inequality but most importantly, inspire individuals, families and youth to participate in the arena of politics. Please click here to register for this event.​

Wellness Hour - Yoga + Meditation

Brampton native, acclaimed yoga instructor Matthew Bonas hosts an Afro-inspired yoga and meditation session. Clear here to launch session​.

Performance Series - Curated by 410Noir

Performance curated by Brampton native and master MC Jemane Kent of 410Noir. Video will air at 8:00pm on City of Brampton Black History Month home page.​ Click here to launch performance.​

Best and Black in Brampton Food Tour - Hosted by Azalea Hart

Brampton native and BlogTO host Azalea Hart visits some of Brampton's best Black-owned food spots, as featured in the NEW Brampton Food Guide. Click here to launch video.​

Performance Series - More Than A Month - A Virtual Round-Table Discussion curated by Jones & Jones

As the world experienced an awakening to racial injustice, they looked to the nearest Black friend and colleague for answers and direction. How can those in the Black community move the conversation forward while processing the weight of their own experiences in the moment? This and more will be discussed during the #MoreThanAMonth virtual round-table talk. ​Don't forget your Experience Box! Check out additional information below on how to get one. 

Click here to launch part one.

Click here to launch part two.

Click here to launch part three.

Click here to launch part four.​

T by Daniel + Trevor Burnett - creating cocktails

Watch Brampton natives Daniel Lewis (T by Daniel) and Trevor Burnett make the perfect tea-infused cocktail as featured in the Experience Box. Video will air at 11:00am on City of Brampton Black History Month home page.​

Click here to launch part one.

Click here to launch part two.​

Black Youth Leadership Conference

Young people in our city have critical challenges to overcome and much work to do in order to prepare for success. This event will provide an opportunity to give young people the platform to discuss and share their challenges, concerns and dreams. This full day conference will focus on solutions to some of their challenges and engage in dialogue to help find ways to support their success. In addition to giving young people the platform to speak, the conference will hear from professionals and motivational speakers. For more information on participation, please contact economicantiblackracism@brampton.ca ​

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 Roots Community Services Organization, we will be issuing the Experience Box which will also be shared and experienced by the panelists in our event on February 23rd.

The box includes:

Limited edition Brampton-themed candle by 6ixWicks

3 pk of hand sanitizer by Unforgivingly Pur

Convo and Chill Conversation Starter Game

Lapsang Lava tea with tea-infused cocktail recipe card by T by Daniel and Trevor Burnett​

100% natural Vanilla silk lip balm by Superior Shea Butter Blends​

Visit here​ to make your donation to the Roots Community Services!

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​Azalea Hart is a digital host and YouTuber with a passion for lifestyle, entertainment, and her Trinidadian roots.

She is a self-proclaimed foodie who is dedicated to creating compelling and entertaining content in all realms for digital digestion. Hart takes pride in her storytelling abilities and captivating her audiences with humour, positivity, and creativity.

A proud Canadian of Trinidadian heritage, Hart’s passion for carnival and Caribbean culture is the reason she is on a mission to share Caribbean culture with the masses while steadily building her entertainment empire.

Hart’s YouTube channel focuses on pop culture and trending topics which has amassed over 200,000 subscribers and 40 million views.

A graduate of Seneca College’s Broadcast Journalism program, Hart began her broadcasting career as an intern at Bell Media for the Specialty Channels include E!, MUCH and M3 in 2015.

Currently living in Brampton, Hart is one of the digital hosts for the popular media publication, blogTO as well as a co-host for a celebrity news YouTube channel, Before They Were Famous.​

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.​​

Author, entrepreneur and motivational speaker Daniel Lewis is the proud founder of the award winning tea company T By Daniel. His people-focused outlook on entrepreneurship and his experiential business tactics have garnered him and his company nationwide recognition and many awards and honours such as a 2016 Business Excellence Award and 2017 Top 40 Under 40 Entrepreneurs. Daniel's success with his retail tea brand have even landed him an opportunity to serve HRH The Prince of Wales during his 2017 Royal Tour in Canada. 

With his official public speaking platform Daniel Speaks he touches on his non-traditional approaches to retail, marketing, customer service, sales and the world of entrepreneurship with audiences all across Canada and abroad.

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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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​Roots Community Services Inc. (RootsCS) is a multi-service charitable organization that provides culturally-relevant programs and services to inspire individuals, primarily from the Black and Caribbean communities, to make positive changes in their lives and within their communities. Their vision is to be a leader in the transformation that would ensure equity and equality for Black and Caribbean communities within the Region of Peel and beyond.

For more than 30 years, RootsCS, which is based in Brampton, has been giving hope to and uplifting individuals in the Region of Peel through caring and compassionate counselling and support. At the heart of their programs is the desire to reduce poverty and help individuals and families lead healthy and productive lives. Activities, developed from a culturally-sensitive perspective, are geared toward empowering their clients and helping them find their inner strength and abilities to create solutions to the challenges they face.

RootCS assists their clients by providing pathways for them to achieve their full potential and assist them in finding solutions to improve their health, well-being and quality of life. They equip them with tools and techniques to help them make informed choices that will positively impact their lives and their communities.

To learn more and to make your donation to receive the Experience Box, visit here​!

​Trevor Burnett currently resides in Toronto and has travelled the globe extensively as a Bon Vivant of spirits and the culture of cocktails. He is well known for his passion for adventure and his innate sense of hospitality.  Burnett has worked as a guest lecturer and special events consultant with respected organizations including the French Embassy in Washington D.C, world class cruise lines Regency and Silversea, and has appeared on Entertainment Tonight, Etalk, Breakfast Television and has been featured in countless publications including Chatelaine magazine, the Globe and Mail, the National Post, PAX Magazine, Chilled Magazine and online media ranging from the New York Daily News to the Times of India.  In addition to his online corporate and private cocktail classes, 2020 marked the year that Trevor began hosting TIPSY the virtual Showgame from his Toronto based studio featuring cocktail and spirits themed games which include ‘BOOZEY BINGO’, ‘Tiki A Plinko’ and more.  ​

Vanessa Lewis is a multidimensional creative human, currently working as a Senior Graphic Designer at The Rose Brampton. On her journey she has created and designed visual experiences for 15+ years.

Vanessa is proficient in Graphic Design, Editorial, Branding, Creative Direction and Video Editing. Throughout her career, she has embarked on many trades that helped to express her creativity. She started fresh out of college, interning at STYLE magazine, one of Toronto’s top fashion magazines at the time. When one of her professors saw her passion for editorial design, she made some calls and had Vanessa working at a desk right beside the Creative Director.  Shortly after that internship ended, Vanessa landed a junior position at a broadcasting agency in downtown Toronto. Two years later, that job allowed her to work with upscale clients such as Nickelodeon, Walmart, CPAC, STYLE HOME and Fashion Week Toronto. 

Fast forward through Vanessa's career, she has been fortunate enough to work with other amazing companies such as Yellow Pages, Toronto Star, Free the Children and various Publications. 

All of those experiences led Vanesaa to work with the City of Brampton, where she moved to start her family. Out of 56 applicants, Vanessa was chosen as one of the top three candidates for the Graphic Design position at the Rose. Six years later, she has had the pleasure of launching six performance seasons, published ads for Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, NOW magazine, City Parent and many more. ​

Black History Month is Proudly Sponsored by

​Contact​

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

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