Gingerbread men and nativity scenes, Christmas trees and eggnog, caroling, turkey dinner, and the words Behave, Santa’s watching: These things mean Christmas to most. But in the islands of the Caribbean, it goes more like this: pasteles and Magi, century plants and spiked sorrel, masquerades, Jumbie Table, and Be good or John Canoe gwanna getchu. […]
This holiday season, something special is happening for the first time – the BBPA (Black Business and Professional Association) is unveiling its Christmas Marketplace. It’s not just your typical holiday shopping experience; it’s a celebration of Black entrepreneurship and creativity. The Christmas Marketplace is a platform that showcases a curated selection of products and services […]
Toronto’s city council has decided to rename downtown Yonge-Dundas Square. Last Thursday, Councillor Chris Moisie tabled a motion, with the Mayor’s support, to officially adopt the new name “Sankofa Square” for Yonge-Dundas Square by the end of the second quarter of 2024. The city says “Sankofa Square” has been selected as the new name for […]
By Canute Lawrence When I was a boy in Jamaica, Christmas time meant the world to me. Christmas was a magical time of year when everybody became extra-friendly, extra-kind, and extra-loving. Oh, yes! The Christmas breeze could be felt across the island coming from far ‘up-North’, and everywhere was a buzz of activities and excitement. […]
By Leo Gilling Twas a different kind of “breeze”. The cool December breeze was one that was welcoming, soft, gentle, and constant, yet mellow and almost “christmasy” It conjured up a change in mood, and then all of a sudden garden rocks, plants, walls and coconut trees were suddenly whitewashed as though it happened overnight. […]
A Burundian Christmas By Aline Nizigama Haguruka Burundian Women Association The Republic of Burundi is a small landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley at the junction of the African Great Lakes region and East Africa. It is bordered by Rwanda to the north, Tanzania to the east and southeast, and the Democratic Republic of […]
Only 36 square miles in size, this is the very definition of that fantasy island you thought you’d missed by 40 years thanks to cruise ships, resort hotels and charter flights. Just 12,000 Nevisians live on this onion-shaped island, lightly sprinkled with pink and turquoise-coloured cottages, verdant orchards and home-style restaurants where donkeys and sheep […]
By Neil Armstrong Even as the year is coming to an end and there is much mirth during the holiday season, there is also sorrow being felt by many in Toronto’s Black community who are mourning the deaths of three creatives almost within a week of each other — legendary reggae musician Bernie Pitters, filmmaker […]
In February KUUMBA will be the password for all things Black at Harbourfront By Stephen Weir Harbourfront is already planning to stage an eventful February as Ontario marks Black History Month (BHM) in 2024. Earlier this week, Harbourfront announced the return of KUUMBA, one of the city’s largest and longest-running BHM festivals. Although their program […]
On December 6, 2023, the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) welcomed the groundbreaking exhibition “Life Between Islands: Caribbean-British Art, 1950s-Now.” This unique showcase, hailed by The Times as “highly evocative” and praised by the UK Guardian as “exhilarating, mighty, and tender,” is making its North American debut in Toronto. The exhibition highlights the profound influence […]
