 
Vision
We are a group of men and women from diverse
ethnic backgrounds, who investigate and celebrate the rich historical and
present contributions woven by Black Canadians into the fabric of Canadian
History.
Mission
Statement
Affirming Black Canadian History through
celebration, Education and Outreach.
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Throughout the year, BEAT members plans fundraisers, outings, and social
events, as well as holding a wonderful spirit renewal retreat in the fall to
help us to focus on where God wills us to go in the upcoming year.
We invite our church
community to participate in these exciting, fun and educational activities,
culminating in the much anticipated Black History Month in February, during
which we celebrate Black Canadian achievements through music, dance, word
and our ever popular Potluck and Cabaret.
There is a place for you in
BEAT, whether you would prefer to actively work on a project for a short
period of time, or would like to join the core group and be part of the
ongoing plans and events throughout the year.
For more information, contact
BEAT@MCCToronto.com
_____________________________________________________
Black History Month, February 2007
KNOW YOUR PAST
UNDERSTAND THE PRESENT
CHART THE FUTURE
“TO GLORY LAND”
The theme this year was
"To Gloryland".
The concept was
know your past, understand the present, chart the future.
February 4, soloist Dawn Sinclair
During service we
will opened Black History Month with the proclamation.
February 11, soloist Mark Cassius
Our service was followed by an African Market and will included a bake sale.
February 18, soloist Marcus Nance accompanied by Franklin Brasz
During service, we welcomed guest speaker, Rev. Michael Blair from the
Christian Resource Centre in Regent Park.
February 25, soloist Thom Allison
Our Annual Black History Month Cabaret featured Phyllis Walker, Shawn
Pendenque and other performing artists in a powerful spoken word exploration
of self discovery and black history.
Living In Gratitude
by Philip Debarros
Martin Luther King Jr. had
a dream where we are all equal regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual
orientation or our abilities. We have come a long way since Martin shared
his dream with us but we still have a long way to go.
As a homosexual man I don't have the same rights or acceptance as
heterosexuals. For instance, I can only hold another man's hand
walking down the street in what is usually the gay village of a large city.
We're lucky to live in Canada where same sex relationships are legal. I
could be jailed or even executed for being who I am in many other countries.
I am also a person with African blood and a family history of
discrimination, some of it internalized. My brothers & I drove our mother
crazy because we wouldn't wear short sleeve shirts in public on warm spring
days. We were ashamed that our arms were dark when other people's were not
yet suntanned. We couldn't tell our white mother the truth. Imagine being
uncomfortable in your own skin. I also didn't eat watermelon, one of my
favourite foods, for many years because it was associated with being black.
I have come a long way from then, being proud of my African ancestry & my
skin color. Being part of the BEAT team has been a major influence in this
continued pride. The wonderful people I've met & worked with in BEAT as well
as the learning of the history & accomplishments of people of African
descent. As we learn we will be sharing this information with you. It's all
our history.
I also have Jewish blood. My father is Jewish by Jewish law and my mother's
sister was told that their name was one of the ones Jews took when they
chose to convert in the Spanish Inquisition. I consider most of my DNA to be
Jewish. Having been raised a Roman Catholic of Portuguese descent I had no
knowledge of being Jewish even though our family acknowledged the
connection. The first time I really got to know Jewish people was when I
worked at the Jewish Community Center. Thanks to the wonderful people I met
I'm now very proud of my Jewish heritage. I get upset when I hear of
anti-Semitism. The denial of the 20th century Holocaust is very upsetting to
me. I challenge anyone who feels this way to find me an equal number of my
relatives who are not descended from my great, great grandfather. If they
can't tell me why not. I'll provide my DNA & ask other family members to do
the same.
This church is one of the places where I can be myself. It supports my
philosophy of equality, peace, spiritual & personal growth. I approach life
in a peaceful manner by first looking into the face of a stranger &
recognize a brother or a sister. We're lucky to live in a city with such
cultural diversity which allows more tolerance. We have the calling to be
peace-makers. I want to be able to walk on any street in this world and not
feel concern for my safety. To have the joy I feel when I come to church &
have my smiles returned from the people I encounter in this neighborhood. I
carry this joy wherever I can.
Letting go of past pain & sorrows. Stopping further pain and insecurity has
been a journey for me for the last 35 years. To get to know myself & love
myself. Letting go of the negative thoughts & perceptions has made me
stronger, even more compassionate. A very different person to who I was.
Let's live Martin's dream so that we can finally and truly say "Free at
last, free at last, thank God I'm free at last".
A Lot Can Happen
In The
Dark
by Caroline O'Reilly
Close your eyes; it's dark beneath those eyelids - with plenty of room to
imagine a moment in Canadian History that ignited the hearts of the entire
population of New Glasgow, in 1946.
On November 8th, in 1946 Viola Desmond's life was changed in the dark;
beneath the white and blue glow of the Roseland Movie Theatre screen. Viola
was a successful beautician in the area who owned her own salon. She was
also the
first recorded Black woman in Canadian history to refuse to pay a 1cent
surcharge for balcony seating - the area of the theatre segregated for
blacks.
Viola was 32 years old when she was pulled out of her lower section seat and
asked to move to the balcony. When she refused, she was escorted out of the
theatre by police and spent twelve hours in jail. Her spontaneous act of
defiance threw Viola into the centre of what became the most publicized
event in Canada's history of racial discrimination.
The newly formed NSAACP (Nova Scotia Association for the Advancement of
Coloured People) was eager to help - their fundraising efforts helped Viola
pay the $20 fine that she was eventually charged and also helped publicize
the case, which resulted in Viola being sentenced to 30 days in prison.
It wasn't until 1954 - 8 years later - that Viola would be allowed to sit
where ever she wanted in a Nova Scotia theatre. Viola has been described as
"Canada's Rosa Parks" for her courageous act of resistance in the dark - it
shed light on a controversy that most Canadians were silent about and
reminds us that the world can be changed - even in the dark!
For further reading, look at these websites:
www.catchdaflava.com/BeforeRosaParksWasViolaDesmond
www.bbcns.com/viola.htm
www.cyberus.ca/~acdac/womenjun.html
www.cbc.ca/maritimemagazine/archives/2006feb_w1.html
We
Are Africa
By: Shawn A.G. Pendenque
We are Afrique, We are Africa.
The rhythm of the times
have moved us to this land;
Chains on my forefathers hands
Chains on my forefathers hands
Bang, on the beat of the drum,
Bang, are the shots from the gun.
Let not the protest songs be done.
Let not the protest songs be done.
My skin it gleams as black as night
My skin it seems lends feet to fight.
I am you as you are me,
So to, we fight for solidarity.
Free your people, free my people,
Chase this evil from our lands.
The slavery bands have soon come down
In shapes of men with wicked tongues.
Pass laws pon dem who leave undone
The past in tattered journeys lost.
We must at any cost be free.
We must at any cost be free.
Umoja, Ujimaa shout loud and explicitly.
The time for rest is past.
Long gone are the nights of waiting.
Long gone are the nights of waiting.
We are the country skin
We are the fight within
We are the sand and the sea,
the blood and the leaves.
We are the night and the day
The dying and the living.
We are the orphaned child.
We are the rights of those who can not speak.
We are the light of God,
In a world of darkened minds so weak.
Promise me this one thing I say.
Promise me this one truth determined.
Promise me that you will keep them safe.
The souls of those who are eternal.
Let your spirit breath it in.
Look at the color of your skin.
Yes deep within
Yes deep within
So weight the truth be taught and thin.
This is not the end for us my friend.
For we hold hands as one united glory.
Forged in stories
Forged in stories.
You, you, you, and you are me.
I am you. And we is who we be.
We are Afrique, Africa is we.
Celebrating The Life
Of Olivier le Juene
by Caroline O'Reilly
Slavery is centuries old; a terrible and harsh reality of human history that
reflects the truth that as a species, we're not always brilliant at
witnessing God's beauty in one another. Though Canada is widely understood
as a nation with a history free of slavery - such isn't the case: slavery
was legal in British North America until August of 1834 . (1)
The earliest recorded slave in Canadian history was a young boy baptized in
1629 as Olivier Le Jeune, in Quebec. Olivier died a young man, in 1654. His
life is a quiet tale, with very little written about him, except that he
worked as a domestic servant and mostly like died a "freeman."(2) His
original master, on the other hand, was David Kirke. David and his immediate
allies -- for their efforts in defeating the French, were granted what is
known today as Newfoundland - and offered a coat of arms which survives as
the coat of arms for the entire province.(3)
History isn't in the habit of holding the lives of slaves in high regard.
Unfortunately, Olivier's life was not understood as a life worth recording
and so there are no flags flying high at the gates of provincial borders,
honoring Olivier Le Jeune. He was never granted a coat of arms by the crown
for being a 7 year old who survived a trip across the Atlantic with his
captors. Madagascar, his nation of origin, isn't recognized as a contributor
in building the foundations of this country. (4)
And so changing the course of history means shining light and God's love on
lives not typically valued or understood as having worth; it means opening
our eyes to the reality that a small 7 year old was shipped across an entire
ocean to help establish this nation; it means remembering that there were
men and women of African descent planting seeds; growing food and working in
the homes of our "founding fathers" -- whose work and contributions were
never recorded. Let's not forget them. Infact, let's remember and praise
them - the work of their lives was part of the birth of this nation.
(1) www.africaonline.com
(2)
www.blackstudies.ca/gallery/lejeune.htm
(3)
www.heritage.nf.ca/avalon
(4)
www.mysteriesofcanada.com
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