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Festival celebrates Black History Month

February 29, 2024   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

“Black History month is about everyone,” said Janet Othman, organizer of the Black History Month festival held at the Tottenham Community Centre on Saturday, Feb. 24.

The event featured food, crafts, music, and displays from both the Caribbean and Africa.

Featured speakers included Jean Augustine, the first female Black Canadian MP, who delivered a message via video.

Janet is the main event organizer, but she received a lot of help from volunteers who assisted in making sure the festival was a success.

“Today is the Town of New Tecumseth Black History Festival,” Janet explained. “I want all the citizens to get together as one. We have a lot of locals here, Afro-Canadians, and I want to bring them out, so local vendors can show what they offer in their businesses. It’s all about inclusion. Since I came here, [moved to Tottenham] I’ve been experiencing love. It’s a friendly town, it’s warm, and everyone is so helpful. Having an event like this, I think I can offer a lot more to this town.”

The atmosphere at the event was friendly and welcoming, as many local residents arrived to be a part of it all.

Janet said the festival was about showing Black culture and letting people know what it’s all about.

“We want everyone to get to know our culture and we can learn a lot from each other. We want to showcase our cuisine, and let people know the culture, and have everyone get to know each other, and how we can help the community. When I spoke to many Blacks in the area, they told me they don’t meet or know anyone. They don’t even know their local councillor, so I want to bridge this gap. When I talk to them and I see what’s going on, I see this as a chance for everyone to embrace each other.”

Several local dignitaries and Simcoe-Grey MP Brian Saunderson attended the event to take part in the celebration.

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