York”s CHRY 105.5FM Community Radio and the York University Black Student Alliance (YUBSA) have been celebrating Black/African History Month. CHRY and YUBSA have a number of special programs and activities lined up throughout February, showcasing musicians, films, authors, poets, history and dance.
A sampling of the activities is listed below.
CHRY 105.5FM
Renowned writer and winner of the Giller Award, Austin Clark, will appear on the CHRY literary show, “Covered and Bound”, Monday, Feb 10, to talk about his award-winning book, The Polished Hoe.
The poet Sankofa is going to host a program on the history of dub and revolutionary poetry, Friday, Feb. 21, 4-7pm. During the rest of the month there will be interviews with other writers, including Dawn Williams, editor/publisher of Who’s Who in Black Canada, as well as Afua Cooper, Adrienne Shadd and Karolyn Smardz-Frost, authors of The Underground Railroad: Next Stop, Toronto!
CHRY 105.5FM is also planning to hold a panel discussion on violence and community empowerment at the Driftwood Community Centre (4401 Jane St., Toronto), Tuesday, Feb. 18, 6-8:30pm. This special event will be broadcast live from the venue, as will the annual Taste of the Caribbean and African Food Expo at Club Paradise (220 Atwell Drive, Toronto) Sunday, Feb. 16, 2-6pm.
The radio station will also be discussing Black settlements in the program “Mexe Brasil” on Thursday, Feb. 13, as well as doing a tribute to Daniel Hill, the founder of the Ontario Black History Society, now celebrating its 25th anniversary.
CHRY 105.5 FM has already featured children’s author and storyteller Ricardo Keens-Douglas earlier in the month on “Covered and Bound”, and paid tribute to legendary reggae artist Bob Marley with 17 hours of programming.
For further information on the radio station’s programming for Black History Month, call Neil Armstrong, program coordinator, at ext. 55293 or send an e-mail to chry@yorku.ca.
Dub Poetry & Pub Night
Friday, Feb. 7, doors open at 8pm and show begins at 9pm, in the Vanier College Junior Common Room.
Members $5/York Students $7
Conference Reports
Monday, Feb. 10, 5pm, in Room 433, Student Centre (Graduate Students Lounge). All Africans & Africans Descendants Racism Conference in Barbados & Race/Equity Conference in Montreal
Taste of Africa
Thursday Feb. 13, 11:30am-1:30pm, in the Vari-Ross Link. Cost: $4/plate including a drink
Movie Nights
Thursday Feb. 13, 6pm, in the Nat Taylor Cinema, N102 Ross Bldg. Power to the People. Free admission
Welcome Africa Week
Feb. 24-28 – YUBSA will be hosting a series of events in the Bear Pit, Central Square, with other black organizations on campus, such as the United Caribbean Students Association, Ethiopian Students Association, Somali Students Association and the Ghanian Students Association.
We encourage all YUBSA members to participate and sign up in the YUBSA office.
Each day will feature a specific theme or display:
- Monday, Feb. 24 – Music & Dance
- Tuesday, Feb. 25 – Food & Culture
- Wednesday, Feb. 26 – History & Literature
- Thursday, Feb. 27 – Cloth, Clothing & Craft
Black Thoughts Book Club
Every Thursday, 5:30pm in the YUBSA office
YUBSA has already hosted a Black History Month brunch, a mix ‘n’ mingle event, a general meeting and a movie night, at which Black Panther was screened.
For more information on YUBSA upcoming activities, check the Web site at: www.yorku.ca/yubsa.