volume 3 issue 1 february/march 2007 black history 2007 ... · black history 2007 edition volume 3...

Black History 2007 EditionVolume 3 Issue 1

FactIn 1518 the first slave weredispatched across theAtlantic

Maiko performing at the Legislatureon IWD. She is accompanied byJames, guitarist, from Dr. Rage andthe Uppercuts Band.

Governor General, MichaelleJean in Africa

Symbol of Black Resilience

First Nation people performs minipow wow to welcome newcomers

Children at Congress of BlackWomen’s Kwanzaa Celebration

Winnipeg Rapper Ndu

February/March 2007

Global Eyes Magazine March 20072

Global Eyes Magazine is published between 4 times a year. Theaim of this publication is to promote the contributions of people ofAfrican descent in their communities and to inspire youths to continuebuilding on the legacy left by our forefathers. We also try to bridgeunderstanding between Blacks and other cultures to promote humanrights and understanding in the world.

Publisher: Elsa May ArcherEditor: Ethel DanielsAdvertising: Beatrice WatsonContributors to this edition:

Mailing Address:671 Rathgar Avenue,Winnipeg, Mb R3L 1G6.Thanks to all our supporters.

email address: [email protected]

INSIDE:

Cover story - NDU p12

Career Fair - p10

Haiti Needs Teachersp14

Foods that trace backto Africa p16

Regulars:Global Briefs p3Letters to my daughterp13Global Counsellor p13Zizi’s continuing sagap23 Much more

Josiah Henson was born aslave on June 15, 1789 in CharlesCounty, Maryland. He was soldthree times before he reached theage of eighteen. By 1830, Hensonhad saved $350 to purchase hisfreedom. After giving his masterthe money he was told that theprice had increased to $1,000.

1444 - first slaves brought toPortugal from Mauritania1445- Portuguese contractedwith sub-Saharan Africa1471 - Portuguese arrive in the GoldCoast1482 -Portuguese builds Elmira Castle onthe Gold Coast1488- Bartholomew Diaz goes round theCape of Good Hope1490 First Portuguese Missionaries goesto Congo1490 - Sugar Plantations established onthe island of Sao Tome1500 - first slaves shipped to Spanishcolonies in South America via Spain1516 - Benin ceases to export male slaves1518 - first direct shipment of slavesfrom Africa to the Americas1780’s - slave trade at its peak1776 - American war of Independence1787 - “Thoughts & Sentiments on theEvils of Slavery” by Quobbna OttobahCugoano published.1789 - French Revolution. “Life ofOlaudah Equiano” published.1791- Slave revolt in Haiti (SantoDomingo) led by Toussaint L’Overture1804 - Haiti independence. Danes passlaws against slave trade1807 - British passed declaring slavetrade illegal1808 - North America abolish slave trade1814 - Dutch outlaw slave trade1848 - Emancipation of all French slaves1865 -slavery abolished in the USA1888 - Slavery abolished in Bra

Slavery Timeline

These roses are for our ancestorswho died in the struggle for freedom,who fought so that their heirs wouldhave a better life. Thanks to all ofthem, we are here today.

Sean Hervoamong U of Mstudentsvolunteers whowent NewOrleans p.5

Barbadoscelebrates40thIndependenceanniversaryp.25

Remember

Check it out!

A TypicalSlaveMarket inAfrica

MillenniumLibrary reconizesRose Tilbrookp14


Global BriefsGuyanese in theUSA and else-where reveled inthe fact thatJason David #42,Right QuarterCornerback forthe IndianapolisColts who playedin the recent

super bowl, son of Walter David and DawnMcLean David of Linden, DemeraraGuyana, that he is a “home boy.” Jason’s dad was a former sprinter forLinden and a Trade School alumnus. Hismother Dawn was a nurse at the Mackenziehospital. Here is the connection, Jason wasborn in Edmonton Canada but moved toCalifornia when he was four after his parentsseparated. Jason dad still lives, works andcoaches track and field in Edmonton. Jason is tiny but considered to be quitetough guy. He played college ball at Wash-ington State. Edmontonians also basked in Jason’ssuccess.(Thanks to Sandra Seeraj for this tip)

This year we commemorate the 200thanniversary of the Abolition of theSlave Trade Act which outlawed theslave trade throughout the British Em-pire. This marked the beginning of theend of for the transatlantic traffic inhuman being. The British Governmentapologized and condemned slavery asevil act.Marking this historic event has giventhe world an opportunity to examinethe way we treat each other as humanbeings. It is not a time for pointing fingers. Itis a time to look ahead and recognizehow far we have come as a people. Thejourney is far from over but we are onthe right path.After two hundred years of separationfrom our ancestral homes and discon-nect from our roots, it was uplifting tolisten to Oprah’s history on PBS re-cently. Through the miracle of moderntechnology she was able to trace herroots to a tribe in Liberia. And in thenot too distant future it might becomeso easy for any individual to trace hisor her root and connect the dots. Forsome reason, unbeknownst to me, thisinformation is important to people. Itengenders pride and centeredness,heals and consolidates.The other day I met a young womanfrom the Caribbean who told me thather partner is a man from Sierra Leone;She said that when she compared sto-ries her grandmother told her, theymatched the stories of her partner’sgrandmother.. The circle is closing.After two hundred years, Africanswithin the Diaspora and those of thecontinent are reconnecting as theyshould. This alone is cause for cel-ebration.Together we must now fight the en-emies of progress – racism, discrimina-tion, homophobism, ageism, sexism andall the isms. That is our task. We mustmake this world a garden for our chil-dren where they will be judged only bythe fragrance of their individual rose.

EditorialTake One - 200 Years ofFreedom

Removing BarriersPoor people of Winnipeg willbenefit from traditional bankingservices due to an investment of$300,000 by the three levels ofgovernment in the CommunityFinancial Services Project Thetwo year pilot project will nowafford banking services to poorpeople what other middle andupper income households take forgranted. It is hoped that thisinitiative will help save this groupof people much needed dollarspreviously spent on chequecashing services, Payday Loanand Western Union outlets.The Community Financial ServesCentre, temporarily located atMount Carmel Clinic, will moveinto the former Royal BankCanada Branch at 888 MainStreet after the renovation iscompleted. Among the servicesthat will be offered includes microcredit to allow clients to buildtheir credit history.

Portrait of A Beautiful BlackWoman

Supermodel Tyra Banks shows offher svelte figure after being called“fat woman.”

Guyanese Ballplayer

Ricky Martin, Puerto Rico’s top popsinger was named king of the 50th annualNational Puerto Rican Day Parade in NewYork. Parade organizers said the honorrecognizes Martin’s musical success andhis efforts to fight the exploitation ofchildren worldwide.Martin, named Person of the Year in 2006by the Latin Recording Academy, acceptedwith gusto. “I amhonored and veryhumbly accept theinvitation toparticipate in the50th anniversary ofthe national PuertoRican parade,” hesaid.

Ricky Martin Named KingofPuerto Rican Parade


In 1915, Woodson, an African-American, scholar, historian andHarvard graduate, founded theAssociation for the Study of NegroLife and History, which brought aunique and positive perspective tothe study of Black history. OnFebruary 12, 1926, he initiated thesecond week of February as BlackHistory Week. That week waschosen because it included thebirthday of Fredrick Douglass, arunaway slave who later became aprogressive advocate of anti-slaveryand women’s suffrage.

. Douglass founded newspapersand delivered many lectures aboutthe evils of slavery. Through hiswritings and personal interaction,he educated a targeted internationalWhite audience about the need toeradicate slavery. Douglass’ friendsand associates included members ofthe British Parliament and Irelandliberation leader Daniel O’Connell.Their support helped to abolishslavery in England, Ireland, and theUnited States.

During the 1960s, Black HistoryWeek was extended to BlackHistory Month in order toaccommodate the demand for anincreased number of Africanheritage activities. The activities areorganized to highlight and celebratethe numerous past and presentcontributions that Blacks make tosociety. Events are usually in majorcities and towns with a reasonablepopulation of Blacks, and take place

in all artisticf o r m s ,i n c l u d i n gs p i r i t u a lr e f l e c t i o n sand tours toAfrica. This isalso a monthin which weforecast our“progress” toregain our

productive identity after many year

of nursing the wounds caused bycolonization and the notion of Whitesupremacy.

The 70th anniversary of BlackHistory Month, in 1996, marked anew era in the life of many Blacksthroughout North America with theinaugural Million Man March, inwhich over two million Black malesgathered in Washington, D.C. todiscuss the negative issues that affecttheir lives and to make a pledge torespect themselves, family,community and the universe.

The march also gave rise to theterms, “the new Black man” and “thenew Black woman,” and together,“the new Blacks.” This new meaningto our identity means “from this dayforward,” we will pay more attentionto loving ourselves, our brothers, oursisters and the rest of society.Iawanza Kunjufu, an equal rights ad-vocate, stressed at the time “Remem-ber, our number one problem is notdrugs or crime, but self hatred. Studyyour history and learn to love your-self.”

Dr. Steven Miller, an Irish-Italian-American scholar and poet, oncesaid to a predominantly White audi-ence at a poetry reading in New YorkCity, “Look back into your own his-tory, look back far enough and youwill most likely find that parts of youevolved from the intelligence, powerand beauty of Blackness.”

“We must pay our debts tothe past by putting thefuture in debt to ourselves.”Alice walker, Pulitzer Prizewinning writer

Joan Higginbotham42-year-old Joan Higginbothambecame thethirdAfrican-Americanwoman inspace. Herjob is tooperate theroboticarm for theInternationalSpaceStation.

Higginbotham follows in thefootsteps of Black female astronautsMae Jemison and Stephanie Wilson.She has an electrical-engineeringdegree from Southern IllinoisUniversity and master’s degrees inengineering management and spacesystems from Florida’s Institute ofTechnology—debunking the myththat women and minorities don’texcel in science and math. A nativeof Chicago’s South Side, she is alsoan avid bodybuilder.Higginbotham is joined on the flightby veteran astronaut Robert Curbeam,Jr., marking the first time that twoAfrican-Americans are flying inspace together

Dudley Laws is one of ourCanadians

leaders whocontinues thestruggle forequity and

justice(Global EyesMagazine 02/

06)

Vanguards

History about Black History Month

Signs of progress in Black/Whiterelations in some US

communities


Eucryl Anthony Calder, 57, diedearlier this yearat his home atBeterverwagting,East CoastDemerara after aprolonged illness.

Mr. Calder’s lastassignment wasthat of Editor ofthe Guyana

Chronicle where he had also servedas acting Editor-in-Chief for a while.

Tony, as he was familiarly called,started his career as a journalist as afreelancer. He worked at the NewNation as a reporter, with the GuyanaInformation Service as anInformation Assistant, the Mirrornewspaper as a reporter, theCaribbean News Agency as its localcorrespondent, Chief News Editor ofthe Guyana BroadcastingCorporation, and Editor in Chief ofthe Kaieteur News.

Anthony is one of four brothers,Frank, Alvin and Nills Campbell,who served as full time journalists.

He leaves to mourn 13 children,eleven siblings, and several niecesand nephews

NEW ORLEANS - The Walt DisneyCo. has started production on ananimated musical fairy tale called“The Frog Princess,” which will beset in New Orleans and feature theWalt Disney Studio’s first blackprincess.The film, set for release in 2009, alsois the first hand-drawn film Disneyhas committed to since pledging lastmonth to return to the traditionalanimation that made it a worldwidebrand.“The Frog Princess,” a musicalscored by composer Randy Newman,is “an American fairy tale” starring agirl named Maddy who lives in theFrench Quarter in New Orleans, saidJohn Lasseter, chief creative directorfor Disney and Pixar AnimationStudios.

Rev. Sharpton urges AfricanAmericans to seek out their Roots

Looking Ahead to theNext 200 years

Black people have to stop theinfantile longing for mother Africa.We are now grown up people andour lives are different. It does notmean forgetting our history, or ourpast. That is what makes us strong.But we must come to terms with ourlives in the Western World and thefact that no one is going anywhereback to Africa. We must see our-selves as Canadians, Americans,Germans, or wherever we happen tobe we have to embrace the cultureand move on. W.E.B. DuBois,Langston Hughes, Maya Angelouand many others have tried to undohistory but could not. They eventu-ally returned to their homes in theWest. Some of us are fraught withambiguities, we are African yet not.Our world view is different, orexperience with racism is differentand we have for all intent andpurposes have become a differentbreed of people of African descent.This does not preclude us frommigrating to Africa but we shouldnot expect any favours, any kind ofspecial welcome as long lost brothersand sisters. If we can be objectiveabout it, we will not be disappointedand frustrated. Time we grow up and embrace theland which had taught us how to livein the world.

The term slave had its origin in theword slav. The Slavs who inhabitedEastern Europe were taken as slavesby the Muslims of Spain during the9th century AD. Slaves were kept inmany ancient societies - Judaism,Russian, Islamic, Christians etc.

Veteran Journalist Dies

The outspoken civil rights leader, Rev.Al Sharpton was shocked to find outthat among his ancestors is StromArmstrong. Thurmond, a SouthCarolina senator, once considered anicon of racial segregation. During his1948 bid for president, he promised topreserve segregation and filibusteredfor more than 24 hours against a civilrights bill in 1957.

Sharpton said it is “probably the mostshocking thing in my life” and said hewanted a DNA test to see if theirfamilies are linked by blood. He urgedall blacks to explore their historiesdespite “the ugly things it mightreveal.”

Black Princess a First forDisney

U of M StudentVolunteers in New Orleans

Sean Hervo, 2nd year engineeringstudent at University of Manitoba,was among the 60 odd universitystudents from Manitoba who usedtheir spring break to go to NewOrleans to build homes for the needy.Instead of building homes they firsthad to help clear away the wreckagethat a tornado left in its wake daysbefore they arrived. Sean said theyworked hard during the days and in

the evenings checked out the barscenes most of which were in theFrench quarters which he said was adirect contrast to where the poorerfolks lived. Sean said it was an eye-opening experience and he learned alot from the trip.

U of M Students cont’d

Meaning of Slave


For those from the Africancontinent who may boast ofhaving a direct connectionto the motherland and maysometimes feel superior totheir long lost brothers andsisters, whose connection isfar removed, this story isinstructive.Ekow Eshun, Journalist,Artistic Director of Instituteof Contemporary Art, wasborn in London to Ghanaianparents in 1968. Tired ofbeing a “black man” inLondon, he set out in searchof an identity. He had noillusion about Ghana. Heknew of its political upheav-als and basic facts about theplace. For him, it was notlike a pilgrimage. It was avoyage of discovery and aplace he could feel “athome”. “All I knew is that ifGhana did not live up to myexpectation, I would havenothing left to hold on to”. Graduate of the LondonSchool of Economics, Eshungrew up in a Ghanaiancommunity in London. Heate the food, wore theclothes on special occasionswas surrounded by peoplewho celebrated the culture.He lived in Ghana as a childfor three years beforereturning to London. Hismental image of Ghana wasfrozen in the 70’s. Heexperienced culture shock

YYYYYearearearearearnings ofnings ofnings ofnings ofnings of an Exiled an Exiled an Exiled an Exiled an ExiledHearHearHearHearHearttttt

when he saw the SUV’s,Mercedes Benz and all theacountrements of modernlife alongside the povertyand the ostentatioussubservience of theunderclass - waiters, serviceworkers etc. Eshun cringed.He was mistaken by hispeople for a rich AfricanAmerican. He travelledaround the countryside andwas overwhelmed by thepoverty of the villagers.After a month of travellingaround, he could not wait toleave. Eshun said he felt a senseof alienation similar tothose of African Americanswho returned to Africawhose roots are far moredistant. It dawned on him that itwas not about the countrybut about loss of identity,it’s about exile, it’s aboutdashed expectations ofsolidarity. While in Ghana, Eshunalso found out the horribletruth that his ancestorsparticipated and benefittedfrom the transatlantic slavetrade. “You imagine that theevents in history takes placein some nebulous othertime unrelated to your own,yet I feel the consequencesof my ancestors everyday inBritain. The shock isphysical, you feel winded,the sun is too bright, yourhead aches” he said .Eshun left with morequestions than answers.Does growing up in a whitesociety makes you white?Though you are faced withdaily reminders than youare not. Do you settle andlive at the margins of twonebulous worlds?

Happenings Around TownHorace PattersonFoundationApril 15 - Watch out forScholarship ApplicationFormsJune 9 – “Walk theTalk” Walkathon, St.Vital Park, Duck PondJuly 15 –Annualdeadline for Receipt ofScholarship Applica-tionsSeptember 15, 2007 –15th Annual ScholarshipAwards “Black andWhite Ball” finalconfirmation of date andlocation to follow.For more info on any ofthe events call 254-1744.

Rock AgainstRacism

The Maple Leafs Colle-giate Unity Group spon-sored its 2ndannual Rock Against Rac-ism Concert on February15, 2007 at the BurtonCummings Centre to raiseawareness of racial dis-crimination and promoteunity and human rights.Approximately 1000people attended the eventand many local entertain-ers including Tom Jack-son, Fresh IE, Burpee theBrat Packs, Carabelloamong several others do-nated their time to this

cause. Several communityorganizations includingthe Manitoba HumanRights Commission Mu-seum for Human Rightsand Amnesty Internationalmade presentations abouttheir organizations. Hon.Judy Wasylycia-Leis, MPWinnipeg North receivedan award of appreciationfrom the organizers of theEvent. Winner of the 2003YMCA Youth PeaceMedal and 2006 ManitobaHuman Rights YouthAward, the In its 12th year,the Maple Leaf CollegiateUnity Group’s annual ac-tivities include a 12 kmmarch from Maple LeafCollegiate School to theManitoba Legislature andan annual unity dinner..Proceeds from this year’sevent will go to WinnipegHarvest, Amnesty Interna-tional, Manitoba HumanRights Commission YouthConference and MapleLeaf’s Collegiate Project toBuild A School in SierraLeone.

Tom Jackson, CountrySinger

Fantastic First Nation Youth Dancers


Dis year we celebrate 200years since slavery abol-ished. Dat’s a lang and ashart time depending onhow yuh luk at it.It’s time fuh we luk bakand luk ahead to si whehwe bin an wheh we a goh. Leh me tell yuh up front,it’s no time fuh blaming,no time fuh recriminationsan cryin oh Laad Gaadracism and how we binhard put. We know dere isracism - dat is no secret.What we have to askowaself is how dis tinghappened, what forces ledto its farmation. Wan wordcomes in me mind -GREED. Dat is whatfuelled owa slavery.Everywan benefitted - owaown people and theEuropean traders. Dey allgat rich from owa bloodand sweat. A latta damagewas done to us to bruk upowa spirits but no man canundo what the CreatorLord has done. TheCreator gave us gifts -strength, compassion,determination, intelligence,common sense, creativity,joyful heart, uniqueness inhair and skin so beautiful.

Dese gifts caused us tosurvive de hell of slavery.No time to luk back. Luk atus nah man - we’ve bin tode moon an back, we bringstyle an class to the West,we bring new coo words anphraseology to de dryEnglish lingo, we bringsongs an music unheardbefoh, we bring colour tode White world, laughter,technology, science... needI cantinue. What we need to do now isto be vigilant. We nowhave to talk aboutwrangdoings when we seeit no matta wheh it happen.Slavery still happeningman, we gatta talk loud. We gotta instill pride inde youn wans, teach demde history, keep telling demde can do whateva de putde mind to because de havebeen blessed wid gifts by deCreator Lord.. Time fuh owa children toraise de head an walk onGod’s earth with pride andignity because we are deinheritors, we are desurvivors. Noting can stapus now but owaself.Peace out man I luv youand a luv me.

Gaffing Wid Buddy

Blackgirl/whitegirl by Joyce Carol Oatesexplores the uneasyalliance between blackand white girls in theyears after Vietnam.The story is aboutMinette Switt, 18 yearold Minister’s daughtersa scholarship at Schulercollege , a liberal artsschool near Philadelphiaand Genna Meade, also afreshman at collegeestablished by herQuaker ancestors. Meadewas born into wealth butwas lonely and feltneglected by the adults inher life. Meade andSwift became roommatesat College. Their stories run alongparallel lines. On the onehand Genna is self-effacing and eager to

please while Meade isangry and arrogant. The book opens afterMinette died undermysterious circumstanceson the eve of her 19thbirthday. Genna now 30tells the story in flash-back.Her inquiry leads her tobelieve that she mighthave been able to preventthe tragedy. Genna whilecaptivated by her strongwill roommate whorefuses to take root in thisplace of privilege washowever tired ofMinette’s ability to takethe most innocuousovertures with an irate“scusme” while stompingangrily about. Genna came from adysfunction family ofMad Max Meade, anattorney who defendeddraft dodgers. Hergrandmother operated anunderground railroad tolead slaves to freedom. However Mad MaxMeade appears to havehis own undergroundnetwork, a web of secrecythat confuses hisdaughter.

People of African ancestry are becomng business ownersin unprecedented numbers, and Earl G. Gravesserves as their role model and mentor. Graves,one of the most influential and well-knownexecutives in the world, in this timely andimportant book shows how he, the son of a WestIndian garment worker, became a multimillionaireentrepreneur, director of several of America’sFortune 500 corporations and a philanthropist.Using his own story (which includes careers inthe military, real estate and public service as anassistant to Senator Robert F. Kennedy), andthose of dozens of other black men and womenwho have made it in the business world as examples,

Graves offers inspirational and down-to-earthadvice to help readers take advantage ofopportunities to achieve personal andprofessional success. From overcoming thechallenges Blacks confront in gettingfinancing for new ventures to identifying thebest industries and jobs for black job-seekersand cultivating the behaviors needed to makeit as an entrepreneur, How to Succeed inBusiness Without Being White clearly lightsthe path readers can take to overcomeadversity and succeed in today’s largely

white business environment

Black Girl/White Girl - Joyce Carol Oates

How to Succeed in Business without being White - E. Graves


WE WE WE WE WE TTTTTAKE CAREAKE CAREAKE CAREAKE CAREAKE CAREOF HAIROF HAIROF HAIROF HAIROF HAIR

People who are fussy about theirhair come to

Les TouchLes Touch Salon

4 - 555 Balmoral Street

Phone: 947-5830 - Mon- Fri. 9 - 7; Sat. 9 -5

Celebrating 200 years of the Abolition ofTransatlantic slave trade

Some of our Inspiring Heroes

Mink, owner of the MansionInn and Livery. Mink, theson of former slaves who inthe 1840s, was one ofToronto’s most successfulbusiness people as the ownerstagecoaches that carriedpeople between Toronto andKingston.

Mary Ann Shadd arrived inCanada at the time of theUnderground Railroad toteach the children of arrivingrefugees and distribute anti-slavery materials. She was awoman of many talents.Mary Ann Shadd earned herlaw degree at the end of theAmerican Civil War andworked as a lawyer, teacher,lecturer, suffragist andpublisher. She was the firstwoman in Canada to becomea publisher, starting theProvincial Freeman in 1853.

Born in Montréal, OscarPeterson is recognized theworld over as one of thegreatest pianists in thehistory of jazz music.Combining classical masterywith jazz improvisation, hehas redefined his art, givingthe world a new style of jazz.

Rosemary Brown came toCanada from her nativeJamaica in 1950 to attendMcGill University inMontréal. First elected to theBritish Columbia legislaturein 1972, she served until herretirement in 1986. She alsoran for the leadership of thefederal New DemocraticParty in 1974.

Oscar Peterson Mary Ann Shadd

Rosemary BrownJames Mink

HEALTHWISE7Hints For Health from “Food, Fasting, andHealth” by Evangelist Lester Roloff1. Eat uncooked food one day each week.2. Fast at least three meals a week.3. Do not eat fast.4. Do not drink things real hot or real cold.5. Do not drink liquids with your meals.6. Drink your fruit juices at least forty-five minutesbefore you eat and wait at least two hours after youeat before you drink fruit juices or vegetable juices.7. DO NOT eat starches, sugar, or sweet fruits such asraisins, dates, and figs with meats or fruits suchasgrapefruit, oranges, lemons, apples, pears, peaches.


Forest Whitaker, winner ofthe Oscar Award for BestActor for his portrayal ofIdi Amin in the Last Kingof Scotland. Many felt itwas an award that waslong overdue for this hardworking actor.

Forest Whitaker,Oscar Winner

Maiko Watson performed atthe Legislative Building atthe invitation of theManitoba Women’sDirectorate for InternationalWomen’s Day. Maiko sangher own songs and DonnaSummers “Working Hard formy Money” to reflect thetheme of this year’scelebration “Women andWork”. She was accompa-nied by on his guitar, from

The parents ofAboudihai Ahmed andLabridi Zohra filed alawsuit in Los AngelesSuperior Court, against27 year old BrandyNorwood, singer-actress for $50 millionclaiming that Brandywas driving recklesslywhen her Land Roverstruck the back of avehicle in which thetwo victims werepassengers.

Dr. Rage and the Upper-cuts a popular local rockband.

Karim Morgan, 28, Jamaican born actor plays the role ofthe stowaway in the epic tale, The Sheep and theWhale which is written by Moroccan-born Canadianwriter Ahmed Ghazali and directed by Iranian-bornSoheil Parsa. The Sheep and the Whale tells the storyof the hardships refugees face to achieve the life thatmost Canadians enjoy – a safe country. Morgan’scharacter talks about the history of Africa how hisplans have been altered and how he is terrified for hisown life. A graduate of Ryerson‘s theatre school, Morgan saidhis parents were not crazy about hiscareer choice and equated it to beingsomething like a waiter but after theyrecognized his incredible for acting theyhave warmed up to the idea. Otherplays in which he had starring rolesinclude “In the freedom of Dreams: TheStory of Nelson Mandela”, Merrily weroll along, and appeared on CBCSunday Showcase among others.

Toronto’s Obsidian Theatreadapted Austin Clarke’s Awardwinning book, The Polished Ho.into a play starring Alison Sealy-Smith as Mary MathildaAdapted by director Colin Tay-lor and Sealy Smith, the play fo-cuses on Mathilda’s confessionto the murder of a white man onthe fictional Caribbean island,Bimshire.“Mary’s story is at one levelMary’s peculiar history and onanother level a bit of a metaphorfor the entire Caribbean” saysSealy-Smith. Sealy-Smith said she had tomint the word “watersheddedness,” to describe

Mary’s voice.The play ranfrom February22nd untilMarch 4, atthe EnwaveTheatre on

Queen Street.

The Polished HoeBrandy facesserious trouble

Karim Morgan enjoys acting successes

Maiko Watson makingher on her musicaljourney

Senaya, Senegal-bornCanadian singer sang inin Winnipeg at the FrancoManitoba Cultural Centre.Her debut album Garde latête haute wwas releasedin fall 2005. She is intofunk, R&B and Caribbeanrythms.

SPOT LIGHT


In In In In In YYYYYour Bacour Bacour Bacour Bacour Backkkkkyyyyyarararararddddd

“Culture can enslave or empower”..Dr. Martin Luther King”

The African CanadianAssociation of Manitoba(ACAM) -sponsored 8thannual job fair on February17 at the Elmwood Elemen-tary School on Chalmers,drew more than 700participants and some 25potential employers. Mr. Andrew Swan,MLA, for Minto and CityCouncillor Elaine Thomasbrought greetings. This year many of thebooths had treats such achocolates, mints, toffeesand freebees like pens andother stuff to lure partici-pants to their booth. The Winnipeg PoliceService, Manitoba Hydro,IPSOS Reid, WinnipegRegional Health Authorityand Service Canada wereamong the potentialemployers. The event was held from10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m Boothattendants were treated todelicious barbecue chicken

and peas and rice. Mr. Jim Ogunnoiki, founderand co-ordinator gave aspecial welcome to CanadaSafeway Stores which joinedthe event for the first time. Mr. Ogunnoiki said that thejob recruitment fair wasestablished as a way ofreaching out to the widercommunity to provide aservice for youths and adultswho were looking for gainfulemployment or careerinformation. “The strength and collabo-rations with various govern-ment departments, the Cityof Winnipeg and the privatesector has made this pro-gram very successful. As aresult many lives have beenpositively impacted”.Ogunnoiki, originally fromNigeria said he is familiarwith the concerns and issuesof the ethnocultural commu-nity when it comes tofinding that first job

The Winnipeg Robert Burns Club No. 197 celebrated its100th Annual Burns supper at the Winnipeg ConventionCentre on Thursday January 25, 2007. The evening was acelebration of the Scottish Poet’s memory. Burns was seenas the people’s poets. His poetry was concerned about thelives of ordinary working people who revered his words asit spoke to them in a language that was common to them.The evening was filled with combination of speeches,highland dances, the bagpipe music with the centre piecebeing the cutting of the haggis, the food that ordinarypoor folks survived on during those hard old days. TheHon. Rev. Bill Blaikie gave the toast to the Immortal Memory. The evening was filled with laughter, good food and goodcompany.

ACAM’s Career Fair aGrowing Success

AAAAACAM’CAM’CAM’CAM’CAM’s Dinners Dinners Dinners Dinners DinnerTheatre “GoingTheatre “GoingTheatre “GoingTheatre “GoingTheatre “Going

Back Home”Back Home”Back Home”Back Home”Back Home”

Winnipeg’s Robert Burns ClubCelebrates 100

Left - Cutting of therespected haggis; righthighland dancers

r to l Gregory Jackson, Cpl Kelsey Giesbrecht, Mr. Jim Ogunnoiki,Cpt. Dan DuBois, Ms Sondra Housen, Mrs. Blue Hodges

Mrs. Laurel Wrightrecited the opening poem

A scene in the aeroplane

The Jamaica Hall was-packed on 17th Februaryfor its fundraising dinnertheatre,”Going BackHome”. Written andproduced by Errol Bryan, isabout Mable, played byMonica Rhiney, whodecides to return to Jamaicaafter 18 years. Mabel’sexcitement turns intofrustration and anger withthe rules and regulations ofair travel starting with heroverweight luggage and aseries of irritations withCustoms, and finding noone at the airport to greether. She told them she wasarriving at 1600 hours andthat was the problem. Sheended up going with a minibus whose driver rollickedthroughout the journeywith loud reggae music.These scenes werehilarious. This play is worthseeing. The cast members

were: H. Irving, CarmenBryan, Monica Rhiney,Dorothy Palmer YvonneChance, Daphne Clacken,Laurel Wright, ShereenMurray, William Beech,Glen Wolf, Errol Bryan andYvonne Chase. Errol Bryan,past president and one of thefounding members of theAfrican CanadianAssociation of Manitobaplayed the part of apolicemen. The cast are allpart of ACAM’s theatregroup which has been inexistence for seven years.


Time to switch hats - what does it mean to be white?

Constituency Office:957 Main Street

Phone: (204) 944-8379Room 244

Legislative BuildingPhone: (204) 945-4323

Residence phone: (204) 255-4325

George HickesMLA for Point Douglas

Are people of Africanheritage comfortable intheir skins.. their hairtexture - the most uniqueamong all human beings?Are we self-consciousabout our uniqueness? Ourlips are no longer like theChimps, our skin is lesshairy, our hair not asstraight and we are moreproportionally built thanothers. Some say we secretlywish we were white. Well,that’s not so outlandish.After all who likes to stickout like a sore thumb. It’shuman nature to try toblend in. As people of Africanancestry with a history ofbeing exploited, humiliatedand dehumanized in astrange world amongstrange people, we areforced to examine and re-examine ourselves. Thiskeeps us from goinginsane. We keep asking thebig questions - why am Ihated, why am I here, howdid I get here, what beingblack means in a whiteworld or any world? We would not have felt

this way if we wereaccepted, felt included andtreated equitably in whitesociety. While slavery has beenabolished in principle for200 years the systemicmachinery still continue tokeep us in slave likeconditions - at the bottomof every ladder there is toclimb in society. We ask, why is thishappening to us, what dothey see when they see us,do they see a human beingor a black being? This conflict leads manyblacks to find solutions andthey think it could be foundin the motherland, home,a place they will feel safe,loved, accepted. When shegets there, she finds no oneremembers her. He is nowa stranger to his home. Hedoes not even feel at homein the motherland becausetheir ways are now sodifferent from his. She asks the questionwhat does it mean to be aperson of African descentin a white dominated worldwhen her own thoughts arewhite?

Two hundred years afterslavery has been abolishedand the world is changingever so quickly, perhaps itis time for whites to facethe horrible truth that theyhave been lied to as well,that they are not superior toanyone and they do notdeserve the unearnedprivileges that they haveenjoyed over the years.Perhaps our world will be alot better if white peoplestart asking the questions:what does it mean to be awhite person? Why am Iwhere am I today? Why amI privileged? Why have Ibenefitted from AffirmativeAction even before theword was coined? Who toldme that I am white? Whatdoes it all mean? Perhaps, this is the breakwe need towards a wholeand just society.

Guyana’s President Joinsthe Call for ReparationMr. Bharrat Jagdeo,Guyana’s President calledfor European Nations topay reparations for theslave trade and denouncedthe British apology as lipservice. Bharrat wasaddressing a commemora-tive ceremony for thebicentennary of theabolition of the transatlan-tic slave trade whichincluded diplomatic envoysof Britain, the EuropeanUnion and the UnitedStates.“Now that some membersof the internationalcommunity have recog-nized their active role inthis despicable system, theyneed to go one step furtherand support reparation”President Jagdeo sug-gested.Bharrat Jagdeo said he wasnot celebrating Britain’spassage of legislation 200years ago on March 25, in1807 abolishing the slavetrade, but instead observingthe struggle of slaverevolts.

Guyana PM Callsfor Reparation forSlave Trade

Missing piece ofSlave HistoryThe African MethodistEpiscopal Church locatedin Markham Ontario wasfounded by runaway slaveson the UndergroundRailway and of historicsignificance to the OntarioBlack History Society. Fiveyears ago this church wasrazed down by the TorontoCity Council and replacedby Condos and town housesby Wittington developmentCompany with the promisethat a commemorativeartwork will be placed onthe site in remembrance ofthe those who worshippedthere., but to date nothinghas been done and no oneseems to know who isresponsible for what.Wittington claims to havecontributed $100,000towards the art project and

the money is with the City.This place was a venue forthe runaway slaves togather, socialize andworship their Lord. TheBlack History Society doesnot intend to rest until theartwork is erected.


Winnipeg Rapper Begins to Make His MarkYou’ve gotta check him out

His broad smile andboyish enthusiasm willmelt your heart and histalent will melt yourpocket book to go andlisten to him rap his heartout. Ndu (pronounced Indo)is one of Winnipeg’s upand coming rappers towatch. At the tender ageof 20 he has approxi-mately 10 years ofrapping experience underhis belt and has justproduced his first CD“Twilight” which hefinanced himself. It’s asolo band. He wrote allthe rhymes himself andAndrew McKay added thebeats. “I did that to prove to myparents that I am seriousabout music and that it isnot a hobby.” “My parents like mymusic but they still feelthat school is important soI have to find a balance.” Ndu’s music is easy tolisten to, his voice iswarm and sometimes hisrapping sounds likesmooth jazz. There is anhonest down to earthaapproach to therhythmic beat. listen to. Ndu says he writes his

own rappoetry. The 6’4” athletic buildhandsome rapper is cleanshaven revealing an innocentboyish personality. And girls,he is stilll available! A university of Manitoba 2ndyear student in the LiberalArts program, Ndu said he hasperformed at various venuesin Winnipeg.Among his major perfor-mances include headlining atTomi Tola restaurant at their“Tales by the Moonlight”event hosted by Arinze Eze Ndu says he started writingpoems in Grade 8 and to getin touch with himself as aminority in this country. “For a long time I was theonly black male in the schoolsI attended,” he said. Nduattended kindergarten atSamuel Burland and JuniorHigh at Glenlawn Collegiateand High School at Kelvin. “My writing got much betterin Grades 9 and 10. A friendused to proof read my work .”Ndu takes his music seriously.He speaks intelligently aboutthe issues he tries to tackle.His rhymes are thoughtfuland provocative.He has big dreams. Amonghis dreams is to return toNigeria one day and helpthose less fortunate than

Cont.’d on p17

Isaiah Washington’s homophobic insult to a colleagueon Grey’s Anatomy provoked segments of the public’soutrage and they called on ABC to discipline him evento fire him.In a prepared statement Washington apologized to hiscolleagues on Grey’s Anatomy and the fans of the showand especially to the lesbian and gay communityfor using an unacceptable term todescribe co-star T.R. Knight.Washington admitted that byhis repeating the word at theGolden Globe Awards hehad spoiled what mighthave been a perfectlygood night for hiscolleagues. “I canneither defend norexplain my behavior. I canalso no longer deny to myself thatthere are issues I obviously need to exam- inewithin my own soul, and I’ve asked for help.”Washington said he welcomed “the chance to meet withleaders of the gay and lesbian community to apologizein person and to talk about what I can do to heal thewounds I’ve opened.” Later Washington announced he will attend a rehabcentre to deal with his homophobia.

On a positive note, Isaiah Washington found outthrough DNA testing that his ancestors came fromSierra Leone. Washington started a non-profit founda-tion last year to improve the lives of people in the WestAfrican nation and recently donated $25,000 to acomputer animation project that aims to detail theAtlantic slave trade as it relates to Bunce Island, an 18th

Century slave-trading castle that sent an unknownnumber of Africans captives to North America. “

Isaiah Washington Bows to Pressure


RRRRReeeeegular Columnsgular Columnsgular Columnsgular Columnsgular ColumnsGlobal Counsellor Letter to My daughter

BLACK HISTORY FACTS

My dear Daughter,This year marks the 200th anniversary since the Abolitionof Slavery in principle and for many this may seem likesuch a long time and it is. But when I think about the300 years that slavery in its most violent form waspracticed against our forefathers, I ask myself how didany of them survive and what strength they must musterto risk anything they have to fight for freedom and abetter way of life. But like they say a drop of one wouldone day erode a mountain. It is so true. The human lifewas not created to live in the darkness of oppression andignorance. We were made to live in the light and it is trueof every human being. They reach for the light no matterwhere they are. They seek freedom. Here we are today.What would our ancestors think or say. I think they wouldsmile and say, we’re almost at the top of the mountainchildren keep on going you will get there. People of African ancestry have risen to the greatestheights in every society in which they live. They haveclimbed the walls of economic, social, political andspiritual powers. From Harriet Tubman, who led herpeople out of the wilderness of slavery to the promisedland of Canada to Rosa Parks who took a stand andcreated a revolution followed by Martin Luther King whocried from the mountain top not to judge his people by thecolour of their skin but by the content to his character toMalcolm X who taught us to love and embrace ourblackness; the Maroons of the Caribbean, Cuffy ofGuyana , Marcus Garvey, Booker T. Washington, LFSBurnham to Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice, we haveseen the growth from generation to generation. I couldlist pages upon pages filled with our heroes in the variousareas of life, who made it in spite of the continuingdiscrimination and racism embedded in our societies. Ifpeople who had so little to go on could make it to the topand be recognized, what is stopping our youths today?My child, slavery is part of our history; we cannot denynor forget it. For we must forever work that this part ofhistory never repeats itself. You must not be limited byyour past. The future is glorious. It is for you to designthe life you want. Lift your head up and walk bravely intotomorrow. Tomorrow belongs to you.Love, mom

Dear Global Counsellor,I am an 18 year old African girl. My boyfriend is awhite Canadian. This last Valentine’s day my boyfrienddid not even give me a card let alone a rose. He did noteven call to wish me a happy valentine’s day. I was hurtand felt humiliated. My friends got some card orsomething special from their boyfriends not me. When Iasked him why he never sent me a card or wished me ahappy valentine’s day. He said that he did not think thatAfricans celebrated Valentine’s Day since it is a Euro-pean thing. He also said he did not believe in it becauseit’s just another commercial event for people to spendmoney on stupid consumer goods. It is because I am anAfrican he thinks I am not worth it?Confused

Dear Confused,I don’t think it’s because you are African. It is always alet down when a boyfriend does not use a perfectopportunity to let you know how special you are to himand to celebrate your love. We have come to expectsome kind of show of affection at this time., thoughsome men especially if they are environmentalist orhave certain values do not get sucked into these things.Does he show his love in other ways - honouring yourbirthday, treat you to dinners, movies or buy you giftsfor no reason but because he loves you?. Try to under-stand where he is coming from maybe you might cometo appreciate him for his take on things. If he is acheapskate that’s another issue. How do you feel about acheapskate. If it does not mesh with your values moveon, show him to the curb..Global counsellor.

Dear Global Counsellor,I am a Caucasian girl 20 years old. I left home at 18and went on my own. I partied a lot and dabbled indrugs. I did not want to listen to my folks. I lived withmy boyfriend. After a year and a half I realized he wasnot a good influence and he had no ambition. I broke upwith him and lived with a couple of my girlfriends. Idon’t get along with my girlfriends and instead of losingthem, I want to move out but I can’t afford to live on myown, I am not making enough money. I phoned my folksand asked if I can move back in to my old room. Theysaid they have converted my room into a study and thatthere was no place there for me that I chose the life Ihave. I am so hurt and mad at my parents, how can aparent turn against their own child like this. Is this thelove of a real parent? Don’t they care what happens tome.So alone

Did you know that approxi-mately 42% of all slave wentto the Caribbean, 38% toBrazil and 5% to NorthAmerican?Over 54,000 trips were made

from Africa to theAmericas carryingapproximately six millionAfricans. Ships carriedbetween 250 to 600Africans packed likesardines.


Genesis ofInternational Day

for theElimination of Racial

Discrimination

Haiti Needs Teachers - Canyou Help? Shining Examples

Project Teach/Konbit Pwof is offering its annualprofessional development seminar for Haitianteachers. This years’ seminar will take place inHaiti’s northwest corner, Port-de-Paix, July 2-13,2007. The seminar, attended by teachers who may neverhave had any teacher training, covers methodol-ogy for delivering all core subjects at variousgrade levels, with a strong emphasis on respect-ing and protecting children’s rights and theimportance of a teacher’s role in society. A group of dedicated teachers and school admin-istrators from Europe and across North Americacome together to form a volunteer team todeliver the seminar. We are looking for others tojoin with us and help. In particular, we needspecialists in French Language Arts, Writing,Math, Social Studies (all levels), Conflict resolu-tion, and Kindergarten. Work and interact with teachers from a uniqueand fascinating part of the world. Help make adifference.Visit www.projectteachhaiti.org formore information.

On March 21, 1960, in Sharpeville , South Africa, apeaceful protest against Apartheid came to a tragic endwhen police opened fire, killing 69 people and woundingmany others. In 1966, to commemorate this tragic eventand to encourage and promote harmonious race relations,the United Nations declared March 21st as the Interna-tional Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

Rose Tilbrook wasrecently recognized bythe Winnipeg Millen-nium Library forcompleting 25 years ofoutstanding service. At a special ceremonyheld on March 23rd inthe Carol Shields Room atthe Library, Rose along withseveral other long-standingemployees, was publiclyappreciated for her service.Rose is a communitybuilder with memberships inseveral organizations

Global CounsellorDear Alone,I feel for you. Parents aresupposed to come to ourrescue every time. Weexpect and demand as aright. Parents have feelingstoo.Your parents love you.Maybe they are testing you.Have you apologized tothem and asked them for asecond chance. You’vebeen on your own for twoyears and into drugs. Drugschange a person. Yourparents maybe afraid ofwhat that has done to you.You have to win them over. You have to convince

them that you have changedand about to turn over anew leaf. Perhaps you cansuggest a trial period to seehow it works. Maybe whenthey see you are reallyserious about taking chargeof your life in a positiveway, they may be moreopen to helping you out.You have broken fenceswith your parents and youhave to repair them in asincere way. I am sure theywill come around. For asyou say, what parent wouldnot want to help their childout? They need to be sureyou are for real.Global Counsellor.

Cont’d from p13

2007 Black History Community Award Winners

including Congress of BlackWomen, UgandanAssociation, City ofWinnipeg Equity Commit-tee and MEAAC.Congratulations to Rose forthis achievement.

Religion Evangelist Rachel Alao

Support to Black Community Dr. Louisa Loeb

Human Rights Beatrice Watson

International Community Service Mr. Casper Shade, Esq.International Community Service

Mrs. Carmen NembhardtArts & Entertainment

Arinze EzeEducation and Community Service (Posthumously)

Mrs. Lena Anderson


Canada’s GovernorGeneral, Michaelle Jeangot much more than shehad bargained for duringher virgin trip to Africarecently. Touching the soilto which her soul isconnected through theinstitution of slaveryviolent waves of emotionswashed over her uncontrol-lably. The governor Generalsaid she felt as though shehad returned home and feltcomfortable among thepeople who looked like herbut who spoke anothertongue. Like Blacks all over theworld, The GovernorGeneral is a survivor of oneof history’s most difficultslave trade that lasted morethan 300 years. In speeches she gave,she spoke about herancestors who werestrapped in ships to makethe long, tortuous journeyacross the Atlantic Oceanand she stands as atestimony to that. Michaelle Jean hashowever come from a moreheroic past. The Haitianslaves could not be con-tained for long and werethe first to be freed in theWest under the heroicToussaint LeOverture who

won the battle againstNapoleon Bona Parte tosecure his people’sfreedom.. “At last I have made it toAfrica. I have been waitingfor this moment my entirelife” she explained to herAfrican brothers andsisters.“For me as a Blackwoman, this continentwhere I now find myselfspeaking to you for the firsttime is where it all began”. The Governor Generalsaid her trip to Africa washowever, not aboutrecriminations or feelingsorry for oneself but aboutoffering hope for a brighterfuture, she told theAlgerians. During herpilgrimage to Ghana shemade her way through theDoor of No Return, thedoor which throughthousands of her ancestorspassed onto ships thatcarried them to theAmericas. Like so many

Mr. Percy Julian was born in Montgomery, Ala., in 1899and died in 1975. He is one of the most important scien-tists of the 20th century. In 1999 the American ChemicalSociety recognized his synthesis of physostigmine, a glau-coma drug, as one of thetop 25 achievementsin the history of Ameri-can chem- istry. His worki n c l u d e d discoveries inthe synthesis of corti-sone, an anti- inf lam-matory used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis andmany other conditions He was the first black chemist everelected to the National Academy of Sciences.He received a Masters Degree from Harvard University anda doctorate from University of Vienna as Harvard refusedto support his doctorate.Hew was married and had two children. One of his sons,Percy Julian Jr. is a civil rights lawyer in Wisconsin. Hetaught at Howard and DePauw Universities at GliddenCompany. His research made possible a fire-retardant foamwidely used in World War II and the mass production ofsynthetic progesterone. In 1953 he had established JulianLaboratories (which he sold for more than $2 million in1961), and he later formed Julian Research Institute, a non-profit organization. He won accolades for his support ofthe civil rights struggle and was able to hire many blackscientists and inspire many more.On his graduation day at DePauw University, his great-grandmother bared her shoulders and, for the first time,showed him the deep scars that remained from a beatingshe had received as a slave during the last days of the CivilWar. She then clutched his Phi Beta Kappa key in her handand said, “This is worth all the scars.”

....Rises from their anguishand their power,

Harriet Tubman,woman of earth,

whipscarred,a summoning,

a shiningMean

to be freeAnd this wasthe way of it,

brethren,brethren,

way we journeyed fromCan't to Can.

Robert Hayden1913-1980 - Poet Laureat

(Excerpt from Runagate,Runagate)

Hon. Michaelle Jean Connects With her roots The Forgotten Scientist

Spike Lee makes importantcontribution in promotingof African Americanculture, history and issuesthrough films telling thestory the way he sees it.

Filmmaker SpikeLee


Cala: Sweetened rice cake, African in origin, servedwith morning café au lait, formerly sold by blackwomen in the French Quarter of New Orleans. InGeorgia, this sweetened rice cake was called saraka. Awomen born in slavery in the 1930s recalls her mothermaking the cakes: “Yesium. I membuh how she madeit. She wash rice, ann po off all duh watah. She let wetrice sit all night, and put in mawtuhm an beat it tuhpaste wid wooden pastle. She add honey, sometimeshuguh, add it in floot cake wid uh kams. Saraka, shecall um.”

Calalu: Thick soup or stew similar to gumbo.Ferdinand Ortiz traced calalu to African coilu, which isa Mandingo name for a plant resembling spinach. InPointe Coupee, Louisiana, it is a rich soup or stew inwhich one or more kinds of calalu leaves are the chiefingredients. Calalu is also the name given to severalplants having edible leaves, eaten as greens and insoup, or used medicinally.

Coffee: Word derived from Kaffa, region in Ethiopia.

Cowpeas: Vigna unguiculata, black-eyed peas. Used inthe southern U.S. by both blacks and whites. Traveledfrom Africa to North America in holds of slave ships asfood for the cargoes.

Cush, chushie: Sweet, fried cornmeal cake that firstappeared in American English in 1770. Gullah kush orkushkush. Related to Hausa via Arabic kusha.

Fufu: Called “turn meal and flour” in South Carolina.A mixture of cornmeal and flour is poured into a pot ofboiling water. From this fufu mixture, enslavedAfricans made “hot cakes” in the fields, which weresometimes called ashcakes or hoecakes. These evolvedinto “pancakes” and “hotwater cornbread.” Fufu is acommon food throughout Africa and the New World; itconsists of yams, plantains, and cassava roots (manioc,tapioca) cut into pieces and boiled together; maize orIndian corn beaten into one mass and eaten withpepper, boiled in a pot with okra. A substantial dish offufu is composed of eddoes, ochas, and mashedplantains made savory with rich crabs and pungentwith cayenne pepper.

Goober: A Bantu word for peanut. Another word forpeanut is pinder from the Congo word mpinda. Thefirst known records of the word are in Jamaica in 1707,and in South Carolina in 1848. Pinder Town is thename of a place in South Carolina.

Grits: Enslaved Africans took hominy (the hauleddried kernels of Indian corn) and made grits by

grinding the corn hauls and cooking them; grits is similar toeb, which is eaten in Africa.

Guinea Corn: Guinea Corn, also called sorghum and millet(Sorghum vulgave), is an indigenous African crop trans-ported to North America by Africans.

Gumbo: This word is similar to the Tshiluba wordkingombo and the Umbundu word ochingombo. It is a soupmade of okra pods, shrimp, and powdered sassafras leaves.It was known to most southerners by the 1780s.

Gunger Cake: Gingerbread, which is a dark molasses cakeflavored with the powdered root of the ginger plant, isthought to have originated in the Congo and been carried toNorth America by enslaved Africans.

Hop’n johns: Traditional West African dish of black-eyedpeas and rice cooked together. It is common in blacksouthern cuisine.

Jambalaya: Bantu tshimbolebole, dish of tender, cookedcorn. African-influenced dish similar to gumbo, particular toNew Orleans. Africans brought to Louisiana from theKongo.

Jollof Rice: Style of cooking red rice brought to the Ameri-can South by the Mande of West Africa.

Juba: Traditional slave food. Refers to the food that en-slaved Africans working in the plantation house collectedfrom the “massa’s” leftovers. Such leftovers were calledjuba, jibba, or jiba. On Saturday or Sunday, the leftoverswere thrown together; no one could distinguish the meatfrom the bread and vegetables. This juba was placed in ahuge pot, and those working in the ‘Big House” shared itwith those working in the fields.

Maluvu: Tshiluba maluvu, palm wine. Produced throughoutAfrica from sap or juice collected from palm trees. AfricanAmericans continued to make it in Savannah, Georgia; inSouth Carolina, the palmetto tree is the source of this potentbrew. In some cases, African Americans extracted materialfrom the center the palmetto tree, called palm cabbage orpalmetto cabbage, and cooked or fermented it for wine.

Millet Bread: The seeds of various grasses made into breadwere used as food on the slave ships that carried enslavedAfricans to the Americas.

Okra: Abelmoschus esculentus, also called guibo andguimyombo, originated in what geo-botanists call theAbyssinian (Ethiopian) center of human food zones. It isstill cultivated in present-day Ethiopia on the plateauportions of Eritrea, and in parts of the Sudan. It also becamethe essential ingredient of Louisiana gumbo.

Foods that connect us to their roots


Peanut Oil: First introduced by enslaved Africans in theAmerican South, especially in deep-fat frying, a cookingstyle that originated in western and central Africa.

Pone Bread: Enslaved Africans made mush from cornmealand called it pone bread, a mush cake similar to mushpatties baked in African for centuries.

Rice: Oryza sativa and Oryza glaberrimi, were indigenousvarieties of rice imported in 1685 from the island of Mada-gascar to South Carolina. Some historians contend thatenslaved Africans first showed white Americans how tocultivate rice. By 1740, rice had become a major staple inthe South Carolina farming and slave-based economy.

Tania: Colocasia esculenta, coco yam; eddo in WestAfrica; Tanya in West Indies. Appears indigenous toCentral Africa with two known varieties: “Old coco yam”(Colocaccia antiquorum) probably originated in the Congobasin, with its earliest citation being made by the Portu-guese in the 15th century; “Coco yam Tania”(Xanthosomaa sagitifolium) was a popular root plant in SeaIslands of Gerogia and South Carolina.

Watermelon: Citrullus vulgaris, spread from Sudan toEgypt during the second millennium B.C.E. Now, it isdistributed throughout the world. The transatlantic slavetrade served as a major vehicle in transporting watermelonto the New World, where it remained a favorite amongblacks and whites alike. Enslaved field hands often plantedwatermelon in the fields so they could enjoy them in Julyand August, the two hottest months of the year, while theyhoed and picked cotton.

The community came outin full force to say good-bye to Lena Anderson,who recentlyjoined the loveof her life O.T.Anderson inheaven. A dedicatededucator, Lenacontributedsignificantly tothe communityand wasrecognized with manyplaques and certificates.She was a member of theCongress of BlackWomen, Past President ofthe Immigrant Women’sAssociation , a member ofBEAM and many otherorganizations too many tomention. She enjoyedsinging and was amember of the popularJamaican Folk Ensemble.She was a past president

of IWAM and received anAward in recognition of hercontribution to the organi-

zation. UnderLena’s presidencythe organizationheld one of itsbiggest confer-ences . Anyone whoknew Lena, knewshe was a classy,strikingly beautifullady and had the

gift of the gab.More importantly she wasa wife who did not hesitateto show her devotion andlove to her husband OT.Lena’s memorial was heldin the same church as OTand her children gave herthe proper send off as shewould have appreciated. Lena’s legacy to thecommunity will be remem-bered in the annals ofhistory of Manitoba.

The African communitymourned the passing ofone of its communityElders recently. He wasfondly known as PaWilliams. He was thehusband of Mrs. KofoAkininlola Williams,father of Mrs. Titi Oludeand father in law of Mr.Segun Olude whorepresented the family at a

memorial service spon-sored by the ImmanuelFellowship Church, wherePa Williams faithfullyserved the Lord. PaWilliams was a profes-sional engineer. He was agenerous soul who walkedamong and served thoseless fortunate than himself.He earned every respectand accolade he receivedfrom the community.

Remembering a Community Hero

Pa Williams A respected Leader Passes On

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A man and woman hadbeen married for morethan 60 years. They hadshared everything. Theyhad talked about every-thing. They had kept nosecrets from each other,except that the little oldwoman had a shoe box inthe top of her closet thatshe had cautioned herhusband never to open orask her about. For all ofthese years, he had neverthought about the box, butone day the little oldwoman got very sick andthe doctor said she wouldnot recover. In trying tosort out their affairs, thelittle old man took downthe shoe box and took it tohis wife’s bedside. Sheagreed that it was timethat he should know whatwas in the box. When heopened it, he found twocrocheted dolls and a stackof money, totaling$95,000. He asked herabout the contents. “Whenwe were to be married,”she said, “my grandmother

told me the secret of ahappy marriage was tonever argue. She told methat if I ever got angrywith you, I should justkeep quiet and crochet adoll.” The little old manwas so moved; he had tofight back tears. Only twoprecious dolls were in thebox. She had only beenangry with him two timesin all those years of livingand loving. He almostburst with happiness.“Honey,” he said, “thatexplains the doll, but whatabout all of this money?Where did it come from?”“Oh,” she said, “that’s themoney I made from sellingthe dolls.” Women willlove this... APrayer.......Dear Lord, Ipray for Wisdom tounderstand my man; Loveto forgive him; AndPatience for his moods;Because Lord, if I pray forstrength, I’ll beat him todeath. Amen! And I don’tknow how tocrochet. ( M. Thomas)

Humour

himself through a charitablefoundation he aspires toestablish. Ndu said he is passionateabout bringing understand-ing to people through hismusic.“Diversity is a beautifulthing,” he said. When asked to comment onthe violence perceived in hiphop music, Ndu said “themedia is giving hip hop a badrap (no pun intended). Hiphop is no different from TVshows where there are sexand violence. We try toreflect what is going on insociety to bring aboutchange”. Ndu, youngest of foursiblings, said rappersgenerally reflect what theysee in society and when theyrap about women it isbecause of the way somewomen behave. Spiritually he believes inChristian principles and saidhe also believed there wasMuhammad. “Music is powerful and Iwant to make it my duty inservice to humanity toprovide music that is positiveand uplifting to he soul. “Music will always be partof what I do and who I am, itdoes not matter whether I getsigned unto a big label ornor, I will still be rapping andmaking music”. Some of Ndu’s influencesand role models includeTupac, DMX, Nas, andNotorious B.I.G. While Ndu hopes to bepicked up by a label to he isdetermined that he will notgo that route at the price ofgiving up his creativecontrol. When he finds some sparetime Ndu enjoys a game ofbasketball.

Ndu Cont’d from p12

Dr. Romulo Magsino, theonly Filipino Dean in theFaculty of Education atthe University ofManitoba, has receivedThe Panama ng Phillipino(Legacy of Filipino)prestigious Award givento an overseas Filipinowho has brought honourand recognition to ThePhilippines throughexcellence and distinctionand who has demon-strated social conscious-ness, as manifested by astrong community spiritand leadership.The Award was presentedto Dr. Magsino during anawards ceremony held atthe Malacan Palace inManila last December.Philippines President,Gloria Macapagal-Arroyocited Dr. Magsino’slifelong commitment toexcellence in highereducation and his leader-ship within the Filipinocommunity, which raisedawareness of the impor-tant role of immigrants inthe cultural diversity ofManitoba. Dr. Magsino isalso the lifelong DeanEmeritus at the Universityof Manitoba.

Community LeaderCommunity LeaderCommunity LeaderCommunity LeaderCommunity LeaderHonourHonourHonourHonourHonoured withed withed withed withed with

PrPrPrPrPrestigious estigious estigious estigious estigious AAAAAwwwwwararararardddddAs a student at Oberlin College in Ohio,Ishmael Beah didn’t talk about his life inSierra Leone as a boy soldier who wasforced to kill — or be killed, until he wasin a fiction workshop and shocked histeacher, novelist Dan Chacon by what hewrote and told him “you either had a sick

imagination or this stuff is true”.“At 26, Beah has written a chilling account of his old life. ALong Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier (Farrar, Straus andGiroux, $22), that describes how at 12, his parents weremurdered by rebels and he was swept up in a civil war formore than three years.The book describes how Beah and other youngsters, armed bythe Sierra Leone Army, were fueled by revenge and “brownbrown,” cocaine mixed with gunpowder.Beah lost his childhood, then found it — thanks to a woman inNew York, Laura Simms 59, a professional storyteller whomhe met at the UN’s International Children’s Parliament in1996, his life took his life in a different direction. Beah saidhe was impressed by Simms storytelling.

Memoirs of a Boy Soldier


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Daniel Negussie(left) the brain-child of the ideaof bringing thecommunities

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Carrying on the Dreams of AfricanAncestors

King of Pop,Michael Jackson

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have not gonebefore in theirchosen Arts

Original music from empty barrels our creativeancestors used to create music that the world enjoystoday the indomitable steelpan music from the slave

yard to elite concert houses

Crossways InCommons camealive with dance,food,camaraderieas First NationsElders put out thewelcome mat fornewcomers toCanada.The event aptlynamed All MyRelations,was or-ganized by a col-lection of organi-zations includingWest BroadwayC o r p o r a t i o n ,M a n i t o b aMulticultural Re-sources Centre,Manitoba HumanRights Commis-sion, Mary Jane’sCooking Schooland First Nations,Elder Art Shofley.Community mem-bers contributedethnic food thatwere delicious andplentiful.Adults and chil-dren participated inthe circle pow wowdance.

Negussie, who chairedthe event said thatplans will soon beunderway to sponsor

the second annual All MyRelations event

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First Nations Dance (top)Middleeastern foods (mid)Foods from the Congo(next)


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Actor Morgan Freeman created a small firestorm lastmonth when he told Mike Wallace of “60 Minutes” that hefinds Black History Month “ridiculous.”

Americans perpetuate racism, Freeman said, by relegatingBlack history to one month when Black history is Ameri-can history, he said.

Scholars and historians, including Dr. Conrad Worrill,chairman of the National Black United Front, repel thecapitalization of the celebration, but agree Black Ameri-cans still need February - and every day - to reflect on theaccomplishments of Black Americans who contributedcountless inventions and innovations into society.

“I don’t even know how he could form his mouth to saythat,” Worrill said. “(Freeman) showed how backwards heis. Obviously we need Black history month. People ofAfrican ancestry need to know their history more than anyother group.”

Without Black History Month, many wouldn’t know thatmostly slaves built the nation’s capital building, or that theUnion Army would not have won the civil war withoutAfrican-Americans in its regiments. Many may not evenrealize that some “misguided” Blacks even fought on theConfederates side during the Civil War, Kelley said.

Northwestern University’s Dr. Darlene Hine said Blackhistory is vital to American history, but February allowsBlack Americans to celebrate and revel in their heritage.

“No one believes that a month is sufficient enough to fullyexplore the lives and experiences of African Americans,”said Hine, professor of African American and AfricanAmerican Women’s History. “But it is absolutely essentialfor the country to continue teaching and training scholarsto explore, invest and write about the contributions ofpeople of African American descent have made to thecreation of American civilization.”

Is Black History Still Necessary

Global Eyes asked some African Canadianswhether there is still need for Black History

Month:Charity Zimbabwe: “I have no idea about slavery. What-ever happened back then should be thought. There is areason why it happened and everyone should know. It isimportant for our children”

Lemma: “Black history month is about my black folks thatcame here and fought for the rights and succeeded.Somebody has paid the price. We should continue becausewe should learn from that so that the bad things do nothappen again. It also makes people remember we exist and

what we went through and are still going through as agroup”.

Gregory Jackson: “I have an interest in Black History butI think it should be incorporated into regular historyeducation”

Busola Ramuyele: “I don’t know much about it. I hearabout it but don’t learn much about it.”

Anon: We should always celebrate it. It’s a continuousthing for me. Everyday I am thankful for where I ambecause of those who have gone before.”

Babatunde: It’s the day we got liberated from slavery. Ithink we should change the name to something else tomake it more inclusive.

Mizhitz: “It means a lot to me. It is what I am. I wantto know more about the history of my people. I want toknow more about the history of my people. I belong thereand therefore I want to learn everything about BlackHistory.

Rae Ann (11 years old): Black History Month meansfreedom. Because people fought for our rights we arenow free. If they didn’t we would still have been slaves soBlack History Month means freedom and we have toremember that.

Antoinette: Black history month is important to me. Itshould continue. It is important that we know about ourhistory.

Do we still need Black History Month


ZIZI, the Continuing StoryAfter the officers left , Zizi dropped herself in the loveseatand she cried, and cried. She cried because she wasconfused. She cried because she was overwhelmed. Shethought of Guyana, how beautiful it was. In spite of thecrime, the poverty, the hardship, it was home.Her mother, her sisters, her brothers and childhoodfriends were all there. She thought if she was back homeshe would have had a lot of support. Her cousin Patsyhad been a faithful rock and Zizi although buried in herown misery, felt sorry for Patsy and wished things weredifferent. Patsy was like a sister. She stood beside Zizi asshe had always done since they were children runningaround in the schoolyard. They were not that young andinnocent anymore. Patsy had a broken marriage and abroken promise to deal with and on top of that she hadtwo young impressionable sons. She did not need moreproblems. They boys were great, they liked to give Ziziplenty of hugs. When they hugged Zizi she felt good.She trusted the love they gave her. She knew their lovewas real and that kept her together. If those little boysknew how much their care and tenderness towards theiraunty Zizi meant they might have kept their small, warmhands about her all the time. She loved them so muchand would do anything to protect them, even move out toher own apartment, though she did not feel she was ready.It is time, she told herself.She was not going to say a word to Patsy until she found aplace to live. Just a one room apartment with a large sofafor the boys to sleep on when they came over. Sheimagined she would spend a lot of time with them. Shewould keep them over night to give Patsy a break. Theywould watch movie, play games and eat popcorn. Thesethoughts brought a smile to her lips. Zizi pulled herself together before going into thekitchen where Patsy and the boys were having a littlesnack.

“They’re gone?” Patsy asked surprised “I did nothear a thing”.“I closed the door quietly behind them, ” Zizi said.“So, everything is okay… they got what they wanted?”“For now,” Zizi smiled toying with the officer’s businesscard“What’s that card?”“Business card …in case something new pops into myhead,” Zizi snapped her fingers dramatically.“It’s nah ova yet yuh know” Patsy broke into creolese“Tell me nah” Zizi sucked her teeth and put on a braveface, “girl I am going to mek meself a cuppa tea to cooldown me nerves”.

“Tek some fried plantains. I just made some fuhdese boys. They love fried plantain girl. Ah neva seenanything suh … it’s like de barn in Guyana,” Patsychuckled.“It’s all in the genes… and culture”, Zizi turned to theboys, “plantain gon mek me you strong like a lion, man”,

Zizi said and beckoned the boys to her. She hugged andkissed their foreheads. “Let me feel your muscle”. Shetook turns feeling each BICEPS. “You guys are on yourway”. “Okay ….. “ Patsy said to the boys.“There’s the code word, mom and aunty Zi want to talk bigpeople story. We’re going to play some computer games”,Joey, the older of the two boys said “Yeah… we are on our way.”Patsy and Zizi laughed hard.“You see what I have to put up with?”“They are smart with a sense of humour.”The two of them smiled until the smile naturally faded.“I don’t want to talk about me anymore, I want to knowwhere you and your estranged husband are at in yourreconciliation process?”“Reconciliation process! Who said anything aboutreconciliation?”“ You ought to think about it Patsy, I mean it. Those twoboys need their dad close by. They are growing fast”, Zizisighed heavily. “You’re like my sister… always have andnow you have really sealed that. You are my sister and Iwant what is best for you and my nephews”.“Me too.”“We all make mistakes. He loves those kids. They need afather to look up to. It’s not like there was any kind ofabuse. He is just being a stubborn jackass. Don’t you stilllove him?”“You know I do but how long must I put up with his shit?”“Did you just wake up and notice his shit or was it there allalong?”“It was there all along”.“And you chose to marry him with his shit… right”“Yes, but I thought he’d change once we are married””Assumptions, assumptions, assumptions… Patsy, Patsy,Patsy… you married the man because you loved him, wartsand all, why throw that away. Work with him and maybeyou might learn to live with it and he might change on hisown. Please one more chance for the boys’ sake.”Patsy sighed twice. “I don’t know. We’re are comfortabletogether… I don’t want that to change again.”“Nothing will change and besides, I may find myselfanother man…. a good one this time, hopefully,” Zizilaughed a belly laugh. “God, knowing my luck it may beanother doozer.”Patsy laughed back “usually you get it right the third time.”“Or is it that bad thing comes in threes.”“Didn’t nobody broke your heart at home after Leroy leftyou there.”“No… unless you count Keith my preteen crush in aboutfifth standard. He was so cute and so different. He wasn’tlike the rest of the boys. He never was allowed to play andhe was always dressed with his clean, starched and ironedshirt” Zizi giggled, “but he was so short man.”


ZIZI - continued“Yeah, you only liked him because he was the headmaster’s son and was the local bigshot. Zizi you alwaysdreamed bigger than anyone of us. You always had yournose sniffing anything that’s different, interesting andsophisticated and that’s who you are. I always hated youfor not being content with being your poor self, youwalked as if you owned the world and you did, in a strangeway everyone looked up to you with your raggedy dress.”“Girl, you joking. You know how people hated my bigmouth and my attempt to correct their slanglish.”“Yeah Zi, you were a know it all. You always pretend to beso smart““Pretend... I was the smartest girl in our town.”“Dream on sista,” Patsy looked her up and down jokingly.There was a pause. “Seriously Zizi, you have to go touniversity, get the Canadian credential and just sock tothem.”“Oh my God, life is so much more complicated when wegrow up. You know what?” Her eyes lighted up “justbefore I came to Canada I ran into Keith, girl and he lookedlike hell, not that sweet little boy, got a few teeth missing inthe front and smiling as if it’s nothing. He said he wasworking for himself and a cousin or somebody was goingto send for him to live in the States.”“You can’t always predict how someone will turn out...besides, perhaps headmaster damaged the boy with theway he used to beat Keith especially when he was drunk.”“You’re right. Keith used to get a lot of blows from thatman and he was not all that smart.”“When people live in fear they can’t learn.”There was a pause and Zizi used this to focus on Patsy“So what are you going to do with your sweetheart?”Patsy grimaced “Girl leh da man go lang he way.”“He’s not da man, he is your husband and the children ofyour sons and he is prepared to change. He made it clear,not because you want him to change but because he wantsto change. He saw himself becoming his own absent fatherand he does not like that. He wants to be a man who takescare of his family and he is prepared to do that, what doyou say about giving him a chance?”“Do you really think that’s a good idea? What about if itdoes not work out? What will that do to my sons.. raisetheir hopes to be dashed again?” Patsy asked thoughtfully,her voice softening.“Patsy, you have to believe that it is going to work and youhave to work to make it work. I’ll be around to help you. Iwill babysit those boys and I will take them for weekendsand give you guys a chance to bond again?”“Take them where for weekends?”“My apartment”“Are you moving out without telling me?”“I haven’t found the place yet but I am looking”“How would you go to university and live on your own likethat?”“I’ll manage. I have to do this... girl I can’t live with you

here forever, it is so comfortable. You’re aaight girlfriend.But, I’m a grown woman and I have to start acting like oneby starting to be responsible for myself. I won’t go too far.I’ll stay within walking distance so that we can still befamily. I really want this for you Pat...I know you love theguy, admit it”“I’ve grown so attached to you being here, it won’t be thesame.”“It’d be better. You’ll have a place to hang out, the boyswill have a place to get away from crazy mom and dadand we all will be happier. I have a few dollars saved.I’ll be alright.”

Ria Bacon photographed these young women in December2006 on Barbican Road in Kingston, Jamaica. Sheexplained in her blog, the week before Christmas, many ofthe poorer areas of Kingston get a quick makeover, ashundreds of local residents hack at overgrown pavementsand daub the kerbs with whitewash. They are motivatednot by a spontaneous burst of civic pride, but rather by thepromise of a day’s work, usually paid for by the localpolitician. For some, it will be one of a few rare days ofpaid employment each year. Most of the workers arewomen. They are paid J$1,000 per day but this is only aband aid solution to the poverty in the country.As the Jamaican-Chinese proverb says: Give a gyal abrush an’ she paint for a day. Give ‘er a heducation, amicrocredit loan, a clean and safe environment .Ah man!Jus’ give ‘er de damn brush, y’hear?!

****Fear of stigma and discrimination is a major factorpreventing people with HIV/AIDS from seeking treatmentor from admitting their HIV status publicly.For this woman, however, photographed in the streets ofKingston, Jamaica by blogger Ria Bacon, social stigma ishardly a concern. “When I asked to take her picture, Isuggested that I wouldn’t photograph her face. “Nahman,” she aid “P’haps udda people learn from my mis-takes.” When I showed her the picture, she smiled sadly:“Bwoy, dat a huggly face!” [Boy, that’s an ugly face!]”

Beautiful Jamaica has its problems


The White man’s burdenI feel the white man’s bur-den of guilt is getting heavierand heavier and all the na-tions that a white colonialmaster has ever affected aresqueezing that ball of guiltfor every once of sympathyit can get. I am amazed atsome of the stunts peoplefrom the so-called thirdworld get away with whenthey come to the West. Privi-leges they never gave, norreceived, nor believed inback home, they claim force-fully and when they do notget it they cry racism anddiscrimination and the whiteperson cowers to that hor-rible stigma of being a rac-ist. Wake up people or we areall doomed. Letcommonsense prevail andnot just giving out rights tothe detriment of the major-ity.Look at what the mess youhave made to childrens’rights at the detriment ofparental rights. You havetaken our children out of ourhomes and into foster homesand then let them loose at 18into the arms of the drugdealers and all the other hor-rible forces out there. Wouldit have been so bad if a par-ent through the love of theirchildren spank the child a

Contrarianlittle bit and kept him athome? Wouldn’t it havebeen better. Even writingthe word spank gives meguilt because it makes mefeel like a horrible person.Our society has titled toothe far.We talk about our cultureand the rights to culturalpractices. What aboutme, my individual cul-ture? What about my rightnot to have people eatmeat in front of me in thelunchroom? Culture as itused nowadays is just an-other way of separatingpeople and feed ethno-centricities. Yes I cookand eat certain foods, butI can easily eat other foodsas well. I may choose tobe a vegan and practicethat way of life. Howeverthat is my business and Ido not have to turn thewhole country up sidedown to practice it. If thestate stick to the matter ofadministering the countryproperly and let peopletake care of their own in-dividual cultures. We donot allow prayers inschool but we allowpeople to express reli-gions through dress inschools and workplace.Just what the heck do westand for..

Basketball fans and eventhose who were not wereshocked and saddened theday when Magic Johnson,then 32 announced , 15 yearsago that he had to quit thesport he loved because hewas diagnosed with HIV/AIDS virus. Now 15 years later at 47,Johnson looks as health asever which makes somedoubt that AIDS is themonster it is purported to be.Conscious of what it takes tolook lime him, Johnson is ona mission to bust the myth atthat AIDS is not the monsterit is. His target is AfroAmericans who account for50% of the HIV populationin the US considering thatthey make up only 15 % ofthe US population.“You can’t take this attitudethat you will be like Magic.In fact if you are young and

black, odds are that youwon’t be statistics show. Johnson who announcedhe is partnering with thedrug firm Abbott to try andcut AIDS rates amongAfrican Americans by 50%in the next five years. Healso outlined a strategy tohold HIV testing drives in10 to 13 cities each year,sponsor educational pro-grams and advertising,backing grass roots advo-cacy programs and provid-ing scholarships for doctorswilling to staff HIV pro-grams in African Americancommunities.“Johnson said he is notcured. He owes his wellbeing to a multidrugcocktail he takes daily.Magic is the face of AIDSand he is on a crusade tostop the flow into theAfrican American commu-nity.

Magic Jumping Hoops forAIDS Awareness

Heirs of Slavery

Condoleeza Rice, Secretaryof State of the United

States of America

Angelique Joseph, slavewoman in Montrealsentenced to death for al-legedly burning hermasters’s house.


Mr. Donovan Innis, guestspeaker

Mrs. Iona Aikins, fondly known asMother Aikins within the Barbadiancommunity was given the royalacknowledgment as she entered theroom out of respect for her being themost senior elder within the commu-nity. She has seen it all, having livedin Winnipeg for some 40 years.Mother Aikins accompanied by herdaughter Heather tries to attend mostevents in the community in spite ofher age.

Hon.George Hickes, MLA PointDouglas, (far right),Rupert Forde

It was party time.Everyonereveled in the great music after

the formalities were over.

Mrs. Pamela Nesbett was honouredwith a certificate of achievement forhaving served as the organization’ssecretary for more than 25 years.

The Barbados Association ofWinnipeg recently celebratedBarbados 40th independenceAnniversary with a galabanquet and dance at theCentro Caboto CulturalCentre. The Association welcomed across section of the communityincluding and politicians whobrought greetings for the occasion. The organization brought inbusinessman, Mr. Donovan Innissfrom Barbados to be the guestspeaker. The 40 year old MBA graduate,president and owner of a Globalcompany focussed his talk onBarbados socio-political and eco-nomic situation at this point in time. Inniss paid tribute to the Father ofBarbados and other trailblazers whohave paid the way for Bajans to enjoythe social and economic prosperitythat it currently enjoys, particularlythe late Dr. Errol Barrow. One of the pluses in Barbados is itsfree education. “If my parents had topay school fees, I would not havebeen here today,” Innis said.“Barbados has made a positive markin the global arena. It ranks 26th placein the world of economic freedom, 30th

place in quality of life and it is thethird oldest in the commonwealthparliament,” Innis said. Donovan issued a warning aboutillegal aliens that threatens the Bajanidentity.

“Citizens have a duty to highlightwhat is good and what is lacking inBarbados, Inniss said, “all is notwell. We are starting to drift awayfrom our political and moral goals.” He talked about the inaccessibility of owning homes andland due to skyrocketing prices, theinflux of foreigners to the country.“This has raised the question ofBajan identity. “Bajans have a cultural referencepoint that is truly original and withthe influx of newcomers this willchange,” he argued.Innis said the healthcare andeducational systems are not doingwell.“If we are going to prevail Bajanchildren should be able to speak asecond language, including English. The church should get off thefence and start taking an active role

BarbadosCelebrates 40

in the development of our people. “We stand at the precipice whichwill need all hands to help us fromgoing over the cliff,” Innis said andcalled on Bajans abroad to help opentrading opportunities for Bajans athome and to work with Bajans to helpBarbados continue its progress on theworld’s stage.


Thanks to Oprah Winfrey, the Blackchild that God must have touchedwith His Magic Wand 250 girls inSouth Africa will enjoy the privilegeof a first class education that theymight have never dreamed they couldhave. Theschool tookfive yearsand $40million tobe built.Oprahpulled outall the stopsfor this oneand ensuredthat theschool wasa jewel inthe crownof Africa. Oprah got her share of criticism forbuilding too elitist a school for poorgirls.Some criticized Oprah for not beingas generous to Americans. Oprahcountered that American children getfree education. She also said thatwhenever she visited an inner-cityschool and asked the children whatthey wanted, most would want morematerials things – a sneaker or anipod, whereas in Africa they don’t

ask for things, they ask for uniforms,to go to school. The thirst foreducation in Africa is far greater thanin America, she said. Set on 22 acres of land in the townof Henly-on-Klip, about 40 milesoutside of Johannesburg, the capital

of South Africa, Oprah said that theschool is a fulfillment of “thefulfillment of my work on earth.” ButGod is in the details. The 28-building complex features– yogastudio, beauty salon, large rooms,dorms – the whole works. Oprah is God’s angel on earth. “Iwanted this to be a place of honor forthem because these girls have neverbeen treated with kindness. They’venever been told they are pretty norhave wonderful dimples. I wanted tohear those things as a child.”

Her best friend Gayle King, whohelped Oprah create her vision, hasher own theory as to why her friendhas become obsessed with the school.“When I watched Oprah with thosegirls,” she says, “I kept thinking shewas meant to be a mother, and it

would happen one way oranother.” Indeed, Oprahconstantly refers to herstudents as “my girls,” andmeans it. She’ll not onlyteach two leadership classesvia satellite, she plans tospend a good deal of herretirement years in Henly-on-Klip. She’s going to builda house on the schoolgrounds—and she’ll use thesame dishes, sheets andcurtains that the students do.

“I want to be near my girls and be ina position to see how they’re doing,”Oprah says. “I want to have apresence they can sense and feelcomfortable with.” The bonding hasalready begun. Recently, when Oprahhad finished interviewing for the day,she escorted the girls back to theirbus and gave each of them a big hug.One girl, Thelasa Msumbi, held onextra tight, then whispered inOprah’s ear: “We are your daughtersnow.” Winfrey smiled. And yes,Thelasa got admitted.

Oprah - God’s Little Helper on Earth

Congress of Black Women’sannual Kwanzaa celebration

at their new location at 26Princess Street. The event

was successful with amulticultural gathering of

adults and children enjoyingthe festivities.


This flavorful chicken entree provesthat weight loss is no longer a matterof deprivation. On Ingredients1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided1 teaspoon sherry vinegar2 teaspoons ground cumin1 teaspoon ground coriander1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamonSalt and pepper2 (6-ounce) boneless, skinlesschicken breasts1 medium (about 8 ounces) eggplant,unpeeled, cut into 3/4-inch cubes1/2 medium onion, chopped1 cup garbanzo beans and 1/4 cupliquid drained from can8 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved2 teaspoons fresh lemon juiceChopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Healthy RecipesInstructions1. Combine a teaspoon of the oil withthe vinegar, cumin, coriander,cinnamon, salt, and pepper in a glassdish. Add chicken breasts; turn tocoat. Cover with plastic wrap;refrigerate for up to 6 hours.

2. Heat remaining tablespoon of oilin large nonstick skillet over mediumheat. Add chicken and cook, 4minutes per side, or until cookedthrough. Using tongs, transferchicken to platter; tent with foil tokeep warm. In same skillet, cookeggplant and onion 8 minutes, untilsoft and slightly browned, stirringoften. Stir in garbanzo beans withliquid, tomatoes, and lemon juice.Cook 3 minutes, smashing thetomatoes with a wooden spoon andstirring to blend flavors and warmthrough. Transfer to platter withchicken; garnish with parsley.

During her pilgrimage to Ghana shemade her way through the Door ofNo Return, the door which throughthousands of her ancestors passedonto ships that carried them to theAmericas. Like so many who havemade this journey before her, Jeansobbed as she touched the rusty irongates. The place that still carries theremnants of those dreadful in thestubborn scent of bodily wastes inthat dank dark Elmira Castle. Their smell is reminiscence of theircaptivity, the blood from their chainsaround their ankles and neck, thescrapes and urine and feces allmingle together in a descriptiverepugnance of the institutionsinvolved. The Governor General visitedCasbah in Algiers on the first day ofher African tour. She was welcomedby celebratory, adulatory throngs ofpeople as she walked through itsfamed cobblestone streets. “Since my appointment, I had thisdream. I was hoping that my firststate visit would be in African. Youcan sense the beauty and the warmthof the people…… I cannot explain itbut I feel like home here. … This isa continent of hope,” she said. In Malawi, Jean was given thetitle of Honorary Chief of a villageand in South Africa she met withsome of her heroes, Nelson Mandelaretired President of South Africa andArchbishop Desmond Tutu, NobelPeace Prize Winner

Cont’d from p15Governor General’s visit to Africa

Ingredients3/4 teaspoon unflavored gelatin2 tablespoons cold water1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk1/8 teaspoon almond extract1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract1/4 cup light or fat-free whippedtopping1 cup diced strawberries2 small perfect strawberries forgarnish (optional)

InstructionsLightly coat 2 (1/2-cup) ramekins orheart-shaped molds with cookingspray. Sprinkle gelatin over water ina cup and let stand for 2 minutes.Meanwhile, heat almond milk in asmall saucepan over low heat, until

it comes to a bare simmer. Add gelatinmixture and cook, stirring constantly,until dissolved, about 1 minute. Stir inalmond and vanilla extracts. Transferto a small bowl set over a bowl of icewater and stir until the mixture isthickened slightly. Add the whippedtopping and diced strawberries; stir tocombine. Divide mixture betweenramekins and chill for 2 hours orovernight. When ready to serve, run aknife around the edge of theblancmange and, using your finger tohelp coax it from the ramekin, gentlyturn each out onto a plate. Top eachblancmange with a whole strawberry,if desired, and serve.

Blancmange - A Creamy Dessert

Moroccan Chicken WithEggplant Garbanzo Ragout

Door of noreturn

Community HeroNorma Walker, educator, activist witha passion for issues racism, violenceagainst women, Black and immigrantwomen. Walker ran for political officeon the New Democratic Party ticket.

She is a committedmother andgrandmother and a rolemodel for youngwomen.

Community BuilderCde. Wade KojoWilliams has beenin the forefront of ad-vocating for AfricanCanadians rights for25 odd years.

Monday Night Hang wihSteve Kirby

Director of the Jazz studies, University of Manitoba,Mr. Steve Kirby is a man on a mission. That missionis to make Winnipeg the cooest jazz city ever. Since taking up residence in Winnipeg the jazzscene has picked up dramaticaly. Jazz is in the airmore than ever. He has taken jazz to the people, inthe streets, in clubs and the Forks waterfront. You can enjoy up and coming jazz musicians eachMonday night at Kirby’s Monday Night Hang atBuccacino’s restaurant 185, Osborne street. It’sfree.Time to shake off the winter blues and hang withsome cool people, meet talented musicians at thiscool jazz hang out. It’s a treat just to hear Kirbyplay. He is a master at his craft.

volume 3 issue 1 february/march 2007 black history 2007 ... · black history 2007 edition volume 3...

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