For Immediate Release - March 24, 2021
The Guelph Black Heritage Society will host the inaugural #ChangeStartsNow Anti-Racism Summit from April 29 to May 2, 2021.
This multi-day virtual summit will bring together speakers to address racism with the goal to engage and educate the community, as well as empower them to take action to dismantle racism and all its forms in our community and beyond.
The #ChangeStartsNow Education Initiative is an anti-racism project and is aimed at preventing and responding to racism in Guelph and Wellington County. This has been achieved by developing community resources and capacity to educate the community about racism, local Black history, and methods that members of the public can enact themselves to prevent racism and hate crime.
Presented with support from the Province of Ontario’s Safer & Vital Communities Fund, CIBC, Merged Media and in collaboration with the City of Guelph, University of Guelph Cultural Diversity Office, the #ChangeStartsNow Anti-Racism Summit will be held virtually and feature a series of free and ticketed events.
Passes are available now!
*Free Event*
Black Community Town Hall
Thursday April 29, 2021 @ 6pm
*Exclusive Events For Pass Holders*
John Ware Reclaimed Movie Screening and Q&A with filmmaker Cheryl Foggo – Friday Apr 30th, 6pm
Children’s Book Reading with Valene Campbell – Saturday May 1st, 11am
CIBC Banking Presentations – Saturday May 1st, 1pm & 2pm
Queer BIPOC Representation in the Arts – Saturday May1st, 3pm
Keynote Address: Robyn Maynard - Policing Black Lives – Saturday May 1st, 6pm
Freedom Fete with DJ Jinx – Saturday May 1st, 9pm
Nighthawks Panel Discussion - Sunday May 2nd, 2pm
My Place In This World - A Black Heritage Curriculum Discussion - Sunday May 2nd, 10am
BIPOC Youth Improv with Velvet Duke – Sunday May 2nd, 12pm (limited space)
unlearn. - Critical Thinking by Design – Sunday May 2nd, 6pm (limited space) or Thursday June 3rd, 6pm (limited space)
Event Descriptions:
Black Community Town Hall - Thursday April 29, 2021 at 6pm
A facilitated discussion about the issues affecting the Black community in Guelph/Wellington and the City of Guelph Community Plan to eliminate systemic racism. A Black-identifying space ONLY for members to feel safe, heard and seen. Preliminary data from the effects of systemic racism in Guelph/Wellington survey conducted by the Guelph Wellington Local Immigration Partnership will also be presented. This event is presented in collaboration with the City of Guelph.
John Ware Reclaimed Movie Screening & Q&A with filmmaker Cheryl Foggo – Friday April 30, 2021 at 6pm
John Ware Reclaimed follows filmmaker Cheryl Foggo on her quest to re-examine the mythology surrounding John Ware, the Black cowboy who settled in Alberta, Canada, before the turn of the 20th century. Foggo’s research uncovers who this iconic figure might have been, and what his legacy means in terms of anti-Black racism, both past and present.
Children’s Book Reading and Q&A with author Valene Campbell – Saturday May 1, 2021 at 11am
Enjoy a book reading and Q&A including “How to Write a Book”. Valene will read “The Amazing Zoe and Defeats the Germie Germlins”. When the Germie Germlins invade Planet Earth, they attack people and make them sick. Nothing seems to stop them, so the mayor of Niceville announces a lockdown - no school, no work, no going outside!
CIBC Banking Presentations – Saturday May 1, 2021 at 1pm and 2pm
Small Business Support for the BIPOC Community
- Are you looking for a loan to start or grow your small business? Do you just need to know where to start with your business account? Learn from CIBC experts on ways you can grow your business, apply for loans and grants, and also contribute to your community.
Careers in Banking
- Learn from the Black experts in the industry who represent senior positions in banking. Experts will share their experience - both good and bad, about the industry and how to create your passion for banking into a reality.
Queer BIPOC Representation in the Arts – Saturday May 1, 2021 at 3pm
Join Juno award-nominated artist and producer Alysha Brilla and artist/activist Syrus Marcus Ware for a conversation on queer BIPOC representation in artistic spaces. The discussion will be followed by a Q & A from the audience.
Keynote Address: Robyn Maynard - Policing Black Lives – Saturday May 1, 2021 at 6pm
Robyn Maynard will speak about research from her award-winning book Policing Black Lives: State violence in Canada from enslavement to the present, tracing the legacy of racialized and gendered surveillance and punishment from the slave ships to the prison, the migrant detention centre and the classroom. She will forward a vision for Black feminist liberation and abolitionist futures.
Freedom Fete – Saturday May 1, 2021 at 9pm
The Anti-Racism Summit Freedom Fete is a virtual event that highlights music, dance, and innovation as an ingrained part of the Black legacy. Genres such gospel, jazz, blues, salsa, R&B, rock and roll, soul, funk, house, techno, and hip-hop, have shaped the music and dance we know and love today. Guelph’s own DJ Jinx will be sharing the sounds of soca, afrobeats, dancehall, and reggae - music that traditionally centers Black freedom and liberation. Join us for a night of celebration, fellowship, and release for our community.
My Place In This World: A Black Heritage Curriculum – Sunday May 2, 2021 at 10am
My Place in This World: A Black Heritage Curriculum © is an exciting new, ground-breaking, Virtual Curriculum" by Lorraine Harris in collaboration with The Guelph Black Heritage Society. A must-have resource for every school and school board! Join this discussion to learn more about this Black heritage curriculum.
Youth Improv Workshop with Velvet Duke – Sunday May 2, 2021 at 12pm
Improvisation is a playful way for strangers to get to know each other, to share laughs and perspectives, or to have a break away from your day-to-day. In this two-hour workshop, we will play games and exercises to introduce you to the core skills of improvised comedy. No prior experience is required. **BIPOC IDENTIFYING YOUTH ONLY**
Guelph Nighthawks Panel Discussion – Sunday May 2, 2021 at 2pm
The Guelph Nighthawks are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Guelph, that competes in the Canadian Elite Basketball League. Coach, Nighthawks Player TBD, Dylan Howe VP Business Operations, will sit down and discuss basketball, the industry and other ways to get involved in the space.
unlearn. - Critical Thinking by Design – Sunday May 2, 2021 at 4pm or Thursday June 3, 2021 at 6pm
This session is inspired by the Socratic philosophy of, “I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think.” This session is designed to challenge participants to think critically about bias, stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination. For more information visit unlearn.com
Proceeds from the summit will support the #ChangeStartsNow Education Initiative.
The Guelph Black Heritage Society (GBHS) is a registered charity. Registration # 80158 3907 RR0001. Tax receipts will be issued for donations $25 or greater.
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