Gem 2017 Black History Month

Global Eyes Magazine Spring 2017
2
ManitobaAfrican and Caribbean Quarterly Magazine
First
QUARTER
February 2017
gggggloballoballoballoballobal eeeeeyyyyyeseseseses
Helen Okocha, originally from Nigeria and proud owner of Menu Beyond Borders Bakery Helen is carving out
a niche with something she knows very well - baking Nigerian style bread. It is softer, sweeter bread great for
grilled cheese and other sandwiches. She also makes other varieties of breads including hotdog rolls, chin chin
(Nigerian doughnut) and bread with cheese. She operates from Knox United Church Kitchen and lists among her
customers, Diversity Restaurant and the University of Manitoba cafeteria.
For more information call (204) 918-8483
Helen N‘deze loves having fun in the sun. ThisAfrican Woman is enjoying the first days of spring with bold
colours, big smile and dashing sunshades. Vision of Loveliness.

3
Black history and slavery go
together. Africans who were brought here
and used as slaves came from many parts
of Africa and there are stories. In Ivory
Coast. I’ve heard, the House of Slaves’
story on the Gorée Island (Senegal) but it
never crossed my mind
that Ivoirians might have
been enslaved, too. My
mom told me a legend
about some chains found
in her village when she
was little. It was said
that the villagers
originally came down
fromheaven.They
landed on earth via
celestial shackles until they broke down.
This was an excellent fairy tale.
Due to the lack of archaeological
finding, before the 17th
century, there was
no information about Ivory Coast’s history.
The tribes kept oral traditions maintained
with theatrical and ritual dances. The
Akan -Ashanti Kingdom’s descendants -
migrated from the Gold Coast (actual
Ghana) to settle in Ivory Coast’s south and
central area. The Mande (Sudanese
ancestors: Mali, Guinea, and Niger) -
known today as ethnic groups: Gouro,
Malinké,Yacouba, and Gban - occupied
the north and the west of Ivory Coast. The
Gur (Voltaic ancestors) moved to the
eastern area; they created the Senoufo,
Lobi, Loro and Kouanlango dialects. The
Mandé and the Gur practised Islam. The
Akan were animist. Since the 14th
century, Europeans settlers have
invadedAfrica.After the French
invasion, mostAkan became
Catholic. In the midst of the 19th
century, mighty warriors like the
King SamoryTouré
(Mandé descent from
Guinea)foughtagainst
European settlers. The
Touré’s mission was to
convert all West Africa
to Islam. He terrorized
the animist population
from Guinea to the
northern Ivory Coast. If
a woman refused to plead
allegiance to Islam, she was
forced to pound her baby in a
mortar. In June 1900, the
Europeans settlers killed him in
Gabon (CentralAfrica).
The French settlers divided
the territories for their own
interest without paying attention
to the tribe’s dynamics. 78
dialects are spoken in Ivory
Coast. French is the official
language, and Dioula is the
domestic trades’language. Now,
I found out the source of tribal
hostilities and wars. That makes
sense. Some tribes did get along
while most tribes fought
constantly.
HISTORY OF IVORY COAST (CÔTE D’IVOIRE)
- WEST AFRICA
The Sampson family who lost a
husband, father, grandfather and
to the community who lost a dear
friend and builder, Len Sampson,
known for his wisecracks and
mischievous smile. He made an
impact within the community and
will be missed.
The Horsford family who lost a
wife, mother, sister and to the
community as well.
Sad to say good bye to these
people who were active
community builders but only the
Creator knows when a person has
given enough and deserves their
further assignment.
We remember those who are sick
and in the hospitals, in nursing
homes and otherwise housebound.
We pray that wherever they are
they may find meaning in their
lives and the Creator will give
them the strength to carry on.
We send get-well wishes to Dr.
Marion June James & Dr.
Beryle Mae Jones
We remember Dr. Joseph Du, a
stalwart in the Chinese
community and theWinnipeg
community at large who recently
passed on.
Condolences & Get Well
Wishes
ACoward`s Retreat
TaylorDumpsonbecame
thefirstfemaleAfrican
Americanpresidentof
studentgovernmentat
AmericanUniversityin
WashingDCandshortly
aftershetookofficeonWednesdayMay3,2017,
noosedbananaswerefoundhangingalloverthecampuswithracialmessagesonthem.
AmericanUniversityis58%Caucasianand6%African-Americans. TheFBIis
currentlyinvestigatingthematterasaracistincident.
Nuptials
Congratulations to Tatenda Bwana
who recently tied the know to her
longtime sweetheart.
Wealsoremember LindaElfante
Thomsonwhowasafounding
memberoftheImmigrantWomen’s
Association of Manitoba and a past
president. Linda recently passed
away recently in CalgaryAlberta.
where she moved to from

4
Editorial p3
Gaffin wid Buddy p5
Local & Global Briefs p6
Regulars: p7
Letter & Global Counselor p14
Reconciliation Conversations p10
Community Jazz p12
Community inAction p13
Slavery in Invory Coast p16
Healthwise p17
Identity p20
Spotlight p22
Ghana celebrates 60 p23
Much more
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devoted to promoting cultural awareness of theAfrican and
Caribbean communities of Manitoba and highlighting the
issues and concerns of these communities. It also aims
at promoting cultural diversity and appreciation.
It features articles ranging from the achievements of local,
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editorials withAfrican/Caribbean sensibilities and letters to the
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committee that assists with proof-reading, publicity and
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EYES
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All contents are (c) 2014 and

5
Black History Month 2017 was
jam-packed with activities for
every one include old favourites
like the Gospel concert, History
lesson and the CommunityAwards
banquet with new additions each
year to encourage more and diverse
participants.
Even though BHM is organized
and celebrated more by Blacks from
the Caribbean,Africans in the
Diaspora are also proud of the time
dedicated to focussing on black
history and progress in the Western
world.
These lines that divide Black
Caribbean from Africans are
becoming more and more blurred
with the younger generations as they
connect with Blacks from all over
the world in schools, sports and
church and this is how it ought to
be.
Blacks from The Caribbean were in
factAfricans brought to work as
laves on Eur4opean plantations and
because tribal groups were never
found on the same plantation,
deliberately kept apart to ensure the
safety of slave masters. Slaves were
there’re forced to adopt the language
of the oppressor to communicate
with each other and with the master.
Through this slave experience they
have developed various coping
mechanisms and almost a slave
culture different from what they
knew in Africa and over time,
memory is lost in death of the
originals and the further assimilation
by those remaining.
Black History month offers the
opportunity for Blacks across the
spectrum to reunite, re-bond and
share stories through which
connections can be made and a sense
of why we do the things we do
becomes clear.
It is the hope thatAfricans in the
Diaspora would reach out and take
more interest in Black History Month
and even organize their own, maybe
a story telling workshop or maybe
history of slavery as they heard from
grandfathers and grandmothers.
Editorial -Take One
Me nah know bout
you black people but me
nah ah go ova to de states
buoy anytime soon. It’s
like open season pun black people
especially black men, eh eh, like de
want to eliminate us from the planet
soon as yuh turn round somebody
shoot a black man down. What de
hell is going on, is dere some secret
mission to eliminate awe. Man
Trump is stump, the guy stumping
people all ova de place. Yuh can’t
mek head or tail about what he is
doing, what is he plans. Imagine his
own Republicans trying to contain
his joy ride in de most powerful
house dat a black man just vacate to
mek room fuh de white man. Dat
sounds an feel good. It’s de
stupidness dat’s going on, man.
Paranoia is a mental illness,
imagine de man saying Obama spied
on him with out a shred of proof and
keep on repeating it ova and ova and
nobday challenging him in court.
When yuh sey something dat many
times with conviction people start
believing dis shit. Maybe in dat
message he is giving the KKK
licence to kill black men. De world
gone crazy now that a crazy
President is running the biggest show
on earth. Watch out for the bully
in the sandbox to show off on his
big toy Nuclear bomb to settle the
score with North Korea. All I gat
to seh to you guys, mek right wit
yuh Maker, because de way tings
are going down dis world could
come to an end anytime and
phantom general give the orders to
the Prez next door. Looking more
like the guy has a beautiful mind,
except this is no movie. Dis is real
life. Brace yuh selves.
Ending on a more positive
note, the Senior Steel banders at
the Guyanese Tea was bad man, ah
couldda listen to the geezers a lat
more. Music keepsAlzheimer’s at
bay research show and ah tink we
gat fuh encourage all de seniors to
start tekking steel bandmusic
lessons. It’s free, yuh just have to
show up. Too many ahwe people
are suffering from dis
oldtimersdisease, so we better
start de music.
Walk good
GAFFIN WID BUDDY
MATCHing funds help
women find their voices and their
mojo. It helps make the lives of
women and girls more hopeful
and MATCH Manitoba Chapter’s
fundraising luncheon at Clay
Oven, Forks, on March 5, 2017
intent was to raise funds to send
to Ottawa so it can be disbursed
to women all over the world. It
was an exciting and fun event,
MATCH A LIFE
LINE TO WOMEN
IN DEVELOPING
COUNTRIES
Continued on p22

6
The Louis Riel School
Division in partnership with the
University of Winnipeg –ACCESS
Education Programs is offering the
Immigrant Teacher Education
Program (ITEP).
If you are internationally
trained but have been unable to get
established as a teacher in a
Manitoba school, ITEP could be the
opportunity you are looking for. We
have scheduled an Information /
Recruitment session at the Louis
Riel School Division in Room 16
on April 19, 2017 at 4:30 pm .
The goal of ITEP is to aid
internationally trained teachers to
gain experience in the Manitoba
teaching profession through a unique
curriculum of academic and
practical courses and workshops.
In this partnership, students
who are accepted into ITEP will be
employed by the Louis Riel School
Division during the day while they
complete their courses and
workshops during evenings and
weekends.
Potential candidates will have
the opportunity to meet with
University of WinnipegAcademic
Advisors from theACCESS
program to assess whether they
meet the requirements. Please see
link for more information. Please
bring your Provisional or Permanent
Certificate to the session.
Barbados is the destination for
many couples from the USA and
and couples worlwide seeking to
access In vitrio Fertilization
treatment program because this
tiny Caribbean Island is known
for its highly successful award-
winning lower-cost treatment to
helpcouples get the babies they
badly want.
Opened in 2002The Barbados
Fertility Centre recently was
awarded its fourth Gold Seal of
approval for their excellent care.
Their accreditation now spans
from 2007 to 2020. It is respon-
sible for delivering thousands of
babies to struggling families.
According to Medical Director,
Dr. Juliette Skinner, “We believe
our high clinical and laboratory
standards, our commitment to
Joint Commission International
Standards, (JCI) accreditation,
the relaxing environment of our
beautiful island and our on-site
spa contribute to our high success
rate of which we are very proud.
Barbados Boasts
World Class Baby-
making Facility
MARL FILM
FESTIVAL 2017
ManitobaAssociation for Rights
and Liberties brought some riveting
human rights films to share with the
public for their annual Film Festival.
These films have links to human rights
and were international. It‘s helping to
develop a global sense of what is
wrong with the world and how we can
relate that to local events.
One film, ‘When two worlds
Collide’ a documentary by Heidi
Brandenburg and Matthew Orzel about
indigenous and human rights, that was
particularly interesting came from
Peru‘s dealing with its indigenous
people over land and resources issues
similar to what is going on in Canada
and Standing Rock in 2016. The
Indigenous people stood up to power to
protect their land and way of life but
not without bloodshed.
Another film ‘Coffee Coloured
Children’ by Ngozi Onwurah which
many blacks can relate to dealt with
self-hatred. The film depicted bi-racial
children trying to wash off the
blackness because they wanted to be
white. It was a sad commentary on how
society portrays the rightness of
whiteness and how children see their
colour in relation to that unattainable
image. It was hard to watch children
scrubbing and scrubbing off blackness
until blood came the hard truth emerges
when they learn that that is who they are
and cannot be change the colour of their
skin no matter how much they scrub.
Following the film shows there
was a panel discussion on women‘s
right with panellists
IMMIGRANT
TEACHER
EDUCATION
PROGRAM (ITEP)
LOCALAND GLOBAL BRIEFS
Folklorama is looking for
individuals to serve as tour
guides and support hosting tours
for its 48th festival. Tour guides
get to meet people from all
around the world and highlight the
amazing city we live in. Visit
folklorama.ca and apply to
volunteer.
VolunteersWanted
The cost of liberty is less than
the price of repression.
-W.E.B. Du Bois, author and
activist

7
Nigeria’s Minister of Interior
launched the new Immigration
Regulations 2017 (the Regulation) on
20 March 2017. aimed at consolidating
existing immigration regulations and
provide a “one-stop” reference on
immigration rules in Nigeria. With
these new regulations, Nigeria seems
to have taken a major step forward in
dealing with modern immigration
realities.
In addition, the provisions
contained in the Regulation are
expected to fast-track the ease of doing
business in Nigeria since this is one of
the key objectives of the current
administration. Some of the salient
points covered in the Regulation
include:
· Entry and exit from Nigeria
· Control of immigrants
· Issuance of Nigerian passports
and other travel documents
· Offences and penalties
Although majority of the
provisions in the Regulation have been
in existence prior to its release, the
underpinning idea is to create
awareness and put in place a
mechanism for ensuring compliance.
All foreign nationals are therefore
advised to review applicable
provisions and ensure compliance to
avoid disruption of activities.
Deloitte immigration team is on
hand to provide necessary advisory
and compliance support as such has
become far more important in
navigating the ever-changing landscape
After the global slavery, the
French settlers started the
colonialism. In 1900, the French
settlers forced the Ivoirians to
work for free for 40 years in
Ivory Coast. They used Ivoirians
to build rails, roads, buildings
and houses for the French
expatriate. Those who resisted
the French colonizers were
savagely killed. Children and
adults worked countless hours
under horrific circumstances.All
school teachers were French
because the country became a
French colony. The pupils learned
about the French history and
anthem. Many Ivoirians located
in the south and central area
became Catholic, too.
History shows that many
countries fought for their
independence. It wasn’t the case
for countries colonized by
France. They received their
“independence” in 1960. The
central bank of France is still
creating the money for West and
CentralAfricans. The money
“French colonies of Africa”
(FCA) is different in both
regions. TheAfricans from the
west can’t trade directly with the
Africans from the center without
France’s involvement over the
currency. For instance, before
West African travel to the central
area, he has to go to a French bank
to exchange his money
(commission fees included) to be
able to purchase in Central Africa.
TheseAfrican countries are
allowed to use 15% of Gross
National Product (GNP). The rest
is kept in the central Bank of
France. If anAfrican President
needs more, he has to borrow the
money with exorbitant interest
rates to the Central Bank of France.
No wonder why mostAfrican
countries are impoverished. Each
country owes billiards of Euros in
France annually. France keeps
85% of GNP of all French-
Speaking-African countries. In a
nutshell, withoutAfrica, France
would have been as weak as
Portugal, Greece, and Spain.
Africans are fed up with this
situation. Now, they are spoken up
for their real independence.
Ivorians continue to protest against
France because of the unjust
incarceration of the former
president of Ivory Coast, his
Excellence Mister Laurent Koudou
Gbagbo. He is still incarcerated in
the Netherlands since April 2011.
His crime? Dreaming of a free
country without France’s nosiness.
New Immigration
Rules makes it
easier to do
business in
Nigeria
FROM COLONIALISM TO
NEOCOLONIALISM IN IVORY COAST
Benedicte Brou

8
BlackHistoryMonthinWinnipeg
isatimeofhighactivityintheBlack
community.Theshortestmonthofthe
year,thereneverseemstobeenough
timetocarryoutalltheimportant
activitiesofBHMandsotheBHM
committeehasstealthilyextendedthe
monthintoJanuaryandMarch.
Every year one hears the
proverbial question ‘Why do we still
need Black History Month. Is it still
necessary,‘meaninghaven’twe
arrived?
ThetruthisthatBlackhistory
monthcontinuestoberelevantifnot
fortheentirecommunityfortheBlack
communitybecauseoutsideofthebig
six or so historical figures that loom
largeinourimaginationofBlack
history–MartinLutherKing,Malcolm
X, Rosa Parks, , Marcus Garvey and
someother,wedonotknowmuch
aboutblackhistory.
If we as a people realized the
greatness from which we came we
would be less likely to disrespect
ourselves wrote Marcus Garvey
Black folks still carry
aroundthepsychologicalchains
aroundtheirneckandtounhingethat
theyneedtofocusonwhotheyare
as a people. There is so much
richnesstobeingblack,somuchto
be proud of and so much solid
lineage to ponder and wonder about.
We do not have to bow our heads in
shame of what was done to us. That
is not your cross to bear.
BlackHistorymonthgivesusa
chancetounearthnewinformation
throughresearch. Whenyouknow
yourhistoryyoustandonsolid
groundandnoonecanfoolyouor
misleadyou.
“Themosteffectivewayto
destroy people is to deny and
obliteratetheirownunderstandingof
their history.” - George Orwell
This has been tried on Black
folksandeventodaytherearethose
black folks who would give more
credencetosomethingcomingoutofa
whiteperson‘smouththanablackperson.
Webuyintothewhitewashednarrative
created by colonialists and slave masters
thatquestiontheintelligenceofBlacks
folks. Bylearningyourhistorynotata
superficial level but on a deeper level, you
coulddispelthemythsfedtoyouabout
blacks.
”Whoever wishes to foresee the future
must consult the past; for human events
ever resemble those of preceding times.
This arises from the fact that they are
produced by men who ever have been,
and ever shall be, animated by the same
passions, and thus they necessarily have
the same results.” Machiavelli
Machiavelli is right, the past must be
consultedbecausethesametacticsthat
wereusedtooppressanddehumanize
black folks are still at work and we have to
recognize the old wine in new bottles.
Commentary
America is playing with
fire. There was a gas attack in
Syria, of that there seem little
doubt. It has caused an outrage
worldwide as it should. But
who is responsible, and who
has something to gain?
America and its
European allies without any
investigation are certain that
Bashar Al-Assad decided to use
poisoned gas on his own
people. Though several nations
are flying planes over Syria, all
the coalition nations are quick
to point to Assad as the culprit.
One must look to “Operation
Northwoods” to understand
America’s rush to judgement in
Syria as they previously did in
Iraq in an effort to find absent
“Weapons of Mass Destruction.”
The fact that the country is being
destroyed and civilians are being
killed seemingly means nothing.
America is playing a
dangerous game.After President
Obama, Secs. Of State Clinton
and Kerry, Britain, France,
Germany, and all the European
allies decided that Assad must go and
Syria would be better off without him,
they decided to invade Syria without
the permission of the Syrian
government, to defeat ISIS, arming
rebel groups in the process. When
Russia, at the INVITATION of the
Syrian government entered the arena,
they were accused of all sorts of
atrocities while The USA and its allies
were lauded by the media as saviours.
It is just Syria’s turn, afterAfghanistan,
Iraq, and Libya.
One must remember that it was
these same Europeans who, after the
1885 Berlin conference, marched
around the world terrorizing indigenous
people wherever they could be found,
killing them and taking their land.
War Games and Indigenous People.
continued on p9

9
Dear Globalcounselor,
I am anAfrican man from Mali and I am
proud of my heritage. It bugs me when
Africans are referred to by the colour of
their skin “Black”, and so you know not
allAfricans are black-skinned, some
are brown-skinned and some are white-
skinned likeAlbinos. No other race is
identified by the colour of their skins
except white people who believe it is a
crown on their head to be white but I
have never seen a whiter person than an
Albino, whereas for the black person it
is like a thorn on their heads. I am 100
per centAfrican but I am naturally
brown in colour. This is a disgrace and
an insult to the proudAfrican race. How
can we change this practice and identify
people by their race we do the Chinese,
Japanese, Italians, Greek, East Indian
etc. I am fed up with this monstrosity.
Pissed
Dear Pissed
A friend of mine from the USA
wrote a book titled “Once I was
coloured and now I’m black”
And one can add once I was
African-Canadian,African
American,Afro-Caribbean and
now everything is black. It’s a
shifting sand of identification and
this happens when a people have
been oppressed for as long as
Black people have been
oppressed. You don’t know how to
fit into your own skin anymore,
what would give the right
message, what would be
something you can own.
Unfortunately this is the
impact that colonialism and racism
have on Black folks. It’s like an
albatross around the people’s neck
because they have named Black
people and gave them an identity
from which Black people are
trying to extricate themselves. I do
not have an answer for this but on
a personal note, you can correct
people who identify you as black
and asked to be addressed with the
termAfrican. It is something the
Black nation has to talk about and
come to some kind of
understanding. Caucasians need to
be sensitized to this issue and ask a
person how they would like to be
addressed. It is complicated.
My dear Children,
BlackHistoryMonthissignificantat
thistimegiventhereversaloffortunesof
race-relationships in the world
particularlytherelationshipsbetween
blacks and whites in theWestern world
withtheelectionofMr.Trump. Itseems
as if people have been given a license to
be themselves and while it is good to be
yourself,ifbeingyourselfishurtingother
people, I do not believe that is a good
thing.Theworldisbecomingmore
intertwinedandtheWesternworldhas
andcontinuestobemoreknittedwiththe
blackcommunitythaneverbefore.There
is an increase in inter-racial relationships
andinter-racialchildrenfromthese
relationships.Ontheonehandthereisa
comingtogetherofpeopleinasense
ofunityandontheotherhandthere
isapullingawayandregroupingin
theircornersbysomesectionsinour
community. Intheseconfigurations
blackstendtobeontheshorterend
ofthereceiving.Asaminoritygroup
we still rely on the basic decency of
themajoritypopulationtobefair
and equitable in their dealings with
us as they are at the top of the power
structure.
Eventhoughmostofourfocus
appears to be in the USA, there is a
bubblingupof some neoracist
outbursts in Canada as well. Black
HistoryMonthistheperfecttimeto
talk about race unity, inter-racial
relationshipandwaysofco-existing
inastateofpeaceandharmony.
Itisincumbentforblackfolksto
getagripontheirhistoryandnotto
believe what is fed to them in books
writtenbytheconquerors,weneed
anotherkindofeducationthatis
provided by our own people. It is
incumbentonustobevigilant,toget
involved in broader social justice
organizationsandtospeakoutin
favorofunity,acceptanceofdiversity
withinourcommunitytocounteract
thosewhoareworkingtomaintain
theirunearnedprivilegesatthe
expenseofothers.
GlobalCounselor
The Elizabeth Fry Society is
seeking female literacy tutors to
work in groups and one-on-one,
with learners in the adult
women’s literacy program. The
program is based at the society’s
office on SelkirkAvenue.
Supervision and guidance is
provided by the literacy worker.
A minimum of two hours a week
for six months is requested. For
more information, see the ad at
volunteermanitoba.ca or
call 204-589-7335, ext. 224.
Volunteer Opportunity
Letter to my children

10
The Region of Peel applauds
one of their own,Adaoma Patterson
for being featured as one of the
Inspiring Civic Leaders in the
February edition of Toronto Life
Magazine for her public sector and
community leadership.
Adaoma is a strong advocate
for progressive policy, a fact that is
evident in her impressive list of
accomplishments. She is currently
an Advisor on the Peel Poverty
Reduction Strategy in the Human
Services Department. Her work
includes raising awareness and
testing new innovative ideas aimed
at reducing and mitigating the
impact of poverty on Peel residents.
“It is impossible not to admire
and to respect Adaoma. She is an
extraordinarily, humble person who
makes her accomplishments look
effortless,” Sonia Pace, Director,
Community Partnerships.
In addition to being a 2010
DiverseCity Fellow, Adaoma is
currently the President of the Board
Peel Region applauds Adaoma Patterson’s Call to action: Learn More
(Adaoma Patterson Featured in Toronto Life
Magazine)
The Black History Month Celebra-
tions Committee (BHMCCI) held
theirAnnual CommunityAwards
Banquet at the Norwood Hotel,
featuring special guest, Mayor Brian
Bowman. Now in its 36th Year, the
awards banquet culminated the
month’s celebrations by honouring
local individuals from the Black
community who have had a positive
impact on other people.
“I am really happy to be with the
BHMCC, to celebrate your 35th
anniversary” said Mayor Bowman.
Mayor Bowman addressed the
audience with an inspiring speech
Congratulations to Organizers ofAnother Successful Black History
Month Celebrations
about how important diversity and eliminating racism is to him and in his
civic duties.
The award recipients are:Marjorie White - Education,
Robin Dwarka - Community, Lucinda E. Gordon, LifetimeAchievement,
Andy Castello, Music, Dr. Leisha Strachan - Profession/Education,Alyssa
Daley - Youth, Dr. Cecil Grant - LifetimeAchievement - Education, Pastor
Cynthia Fraser - Religion.
We should emphasize not
Negro History, but the Negro
in history. What we need is
not a history of selected
races or nations, but the
history of the world void of
national bias, race hate, and
religious prejudice.
-Carter Woodson, 1926, historian
Though they called it Colonization, it
bears all the hallmarks of what they are
doing today in Syria, terrorizing those
they call TERRORISTS.
North and SouthAmerica,
Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania, and
Palestine all had non-white indigenous
people and are now European
dominated. How did this happen? Did
the European man ask these people their
opinion? Did they askAfricans if they
wanted to take a cruise across the seas
to go to a better land? History will
show that the language of the European
is WAR. The answer to these questions
must be a resounding NO.
Victor Vaughan
continued from page7
of Directors of the Jamaican
Canadian Association, a 55 year
old advocacy and cultural
organization, as well as Vice-
President of the Horace Patterson
Foundation which awards
scholarships toAfrican-Canadian
students in Manitoba.
She is sought as a leader at
both the provincial and national
level. She recently co-presented
at The House of Commons’ where
she shared innovative approaches
to poverty reduction.Adaoma is
an excellent leader, public
speaker and champion for people.
CongratulationsAdaoma on
this much deserved recognition.
. By Shondell Babb

11
Are you holding yourself hostage
to the past?Are you holding on to
limiting beliefs?Are you stuck?
Maybe you can relate to this. I
know I can.
For me it was a family member
who said something publicly to me that
cut deep. In actual fact it strongly
pissed me off and because this
happened at an event, a very special
event, I decided in that moment I was
not going to let anyone ruin this special
event for me. I said to myself
“I’m here to enjoy myself and
that’s what I’m going to do”,
and that’s exactly what I did.
As soon as the event was over, so
was our relationship. Done. I made a
conscious decision I was not going to
have anything to do with this person
again.
There’s a point where you realize
it’s time, it’s time! It’s time to let go! Let
go of the limiting believes that you have
been holding on to. Let go of things that
no longer serve you, because in order to
live a more fulfilling lifestyle,
productive life, healthier, joyful
lifestyle, you have to let go!
For me l had to fast-forward
almost a decade.
It’s quite ironic because I actually
teach and encourage others to let go of
what no longer serves them and to
forgive a person.
I came to the point where I really
needed to practice what I preached so I
finally asked myself some questions.
These are some of the questions l
took the time to do myself and these are
also the questions I use with my clients
to help them release negativity and
bring about forgiveness.
First I grabbed a blank piece of
paper and a pen. I wrote these questions
and I wrote out the answers.
• Why am l still angry at this
person?
• Why am I still hanging on
to something that happened almost
a decade ago?
• Why am I wasting energy
replaying this situation over, and
over and over in my mind?
There is so much power and
magic in writing things down, I
began to get clarity. I ripped up
the answers to the questions and I
moved on! I released and
surrendered!
When l went through this
exercise and l really forgave not
on a superficial level but really
forgave that person, I immediately
felt lighter! I felt so amazing! I no
longer harboured any ill feelings
about this person and it was
freeing! I also forgave myself for
holding on to the past.
If you are harbouring
resentment, frustration and limiting
believes about a family member,
co-worker, friend, acquaintance
etc. you don’t have to walk around
with that anymore.You can let it
go.You can feel lighter too.You
can feel amazing and have a
fulfilled happier lifestyle without
holding yourself hostage to the
past.
It’s important to leave behind
the past and keep looking forward.
If you don’t then not only are
you holding yourself hostage you
are holding the other person
hostage as well. You are
essentially holding on to pain,
frustration and anger which can
manifest itself into ailments. For
example you may experience:
- migraines
- depression
- anxiety
- over eating
- over spending
If you want to live a more
fulfilled, happier lifestyle let go!
Let go of the past and don’t fall
victim to holding yourself hostage.
I strongly encourage you do
this powerful exercise. Regardless
if the person is living or has
passed on. Add more questions if
you want.Would love to hear your
results. Email:
delia@improveologylc.com
Now you know what to do! Do
this and free yourself!!
Delia Joseph, CPC -
Improveology Lifestyle Coach
I work with Midlife
Transitioners, who are frustrated,
stressed, feel unworthy, unhappy to
eliminate/delete thoughts and
habits that no longer serve them so
they can live a more healthier and
fulfilled lifestyle!
Unforgiveness:Are You Holding Yourself Hostage To The Past?
Never be limited by other
people’s limited imaginations.
-Dr. Mae Jemison, first
African American female
astronaut
www.improveologylifestylecoaching.com

12
Community inAction
Congress of Black Women New Board of Directors - Women Set to get the work done.
Lisa Hackett in the foreground at the
Annual General Meeting
Rhonda Thompson, Treasurer and
President Tatenda Bwana crunching
numbers
Another Successful Partnership
between the University of Manitoba
Jazz Program under the directorship
of Professor Steve Kirby and the
Horace Patterson Foundation orga-
nized the annual fundraising Jazz
concert held at the Caboto Centre.
This event appears to grow more
popular each year as more people
come out in support of this worthy
cause and also to have a great time
listening to great music by university
students.
Monies raised from this event
provide scholarship to Black stu-
dents as well as students from the
Jazz program.
Both Professor Kirby and his wife
Lisa are Jazz professionals and
now their young son appears to be
following in their footsteps. He
offered three great songs well
executed to the audience’s delight.
Even though IsmailaAlfa of Up
to Speed CBC is not a university
student and neither a part of the
Jazz program because of his
history and involvement with the
Horace Patterson Foundation as a
young boy, he continues to be
involved and has been making
guest appearances at these con-
certs over the years.
Congress of Black Women - Annual General Meeting
Another bang for your dollar Jazz Concert
The Congress of Black Women
of Winnipeg had another success-
fulAnnual General Meeting at the
Birthing Centre and presented its
slate of board members for the
next year.
President-Elect Tatenda Bwana
received her crown as President
of the Congress. It has been many
years since a person from African
continent was president, and
heartening to see the collaboration and
harmony between Black women in the
Diaspora.
The then soon to be married Ms
Bwana was ready for the task and has
every intention to fulfill her obligation
to her community and herself. It is a
definitely younger group and the found-
ing members can now breathe a sigh of
relief that the Torch has been passed to
an accomplished and dedicated group
of young women.

13
Reconciliation Conversations Happening in Winnipeg
On April 7,
2017, Minister
Rachel Squires
throughthe
Manitoba
Women’s
Advisory Council
hosted a well
attended
informative
session on
survivors of
SexualAssault
held at Ma Mawi
Wi Chi Itata Center
(Event Hall) on King Street.
Participants, the majority being
indigenous women, learned about the
services that are available after a person
experiences sexual assault and
subsequent steps survivors may or can
take.
Moderated by Dr. Jeannette
Montufar, Chair of Manitoba
Women’sAdvisory Council, the
speakers included experts from:
Ka Ni Kanichihk, Klinic,
Manitoba Victim Services,
Manitoba Prosecution Service,
RCMP, and the Winnipeg Police
Each year the Winnipeg Foundation one of
the major charitable funders in Manitoba
sponsors a conference to check the health of
the community. This year the conference
was held at Canada Inn Pembina Highway
with a sold out attendance of more than 250
attendees.
The attendees included a very large
number of Indigenous participants,
including elders, residential school
survivors, several leaders of major
Indigenous organizations, members of the
BearClanandagoodnumberofIndigenous
Rick Frost, E.D. Winnipeg Foundation
Dr. R. Currier, Circles FounderDr. Myra Laramee, Elder
Kevin Lamoureux
Awareness Session on SexualAssault
Beth Ulrich, Ex Dir. MWAC
The Panel
Service. The event
will be moderated
by Dr. Jeannette
Montufar, Chair of
ManitobaWomen’s
Advisory Council.

14
It was going to be the summer
to remember, my bestie and I were
going to play mas in Caribana the
biggest Carnival in Toronto. We
were planning our costumes and
styling for the event pretending we
were going to be in some hot
tropical paradise where there is
blue waters, white sand and cool
breeze. I was saving madly to buy
my costume, hoarding all the tips
from my waitressing job. We were
going all out trying for the best and
most creative costumes. Raised by
a single mom who felt like and
lived like a Goliath, I hated asking
her for anything because she gives
all her savings not to disappoint.
Anyway it was a good time to ask
as it was close to Tax Return time
and mom always gets big returns.
She donates everywhere.
Tamara was my very best
friend. We shared secrets. Deep
dark secrets I wouldn’t tell anyone
else. I trusted her implicitly. She
was kindred spirit. We spent many
days and nights and evenings
together drinking, making exotic
meals and just talking and sharing
deep thoughts everything from
privilege, patriarchy, racism,
politics, religions and then exposing
our soft underbelly to each other –
the hurts, the tears and betrayals by
the men in our lives, the deadbeat,
lying cheating men we knew. We
were on the same page politically
and our world view blended nicely;
we quickly spotted white privilege,
racism and imperialism,
internalized racism and sexism
which plagued most girls of colour
if they would admit it. We were
part of a group of radical thinkers
like Gemma, Martha, Shitaqua and
Zainab and would spend hours
unpacking the oppressive systems as
DoubleW
they applied to our lives. As we
downed tequilas and chardonnay
our voices became more insistent
and our thoughts and vocabulary
clearer. Tears often interspersed
with laughter when were in this
safe space in Zainab’s home.
There was always pain, hard pain
some of us endured, heartbreaking
pain which we carried with the
help of our sisters and unload bit
by bit.
While we were all friends
and connected on different levels,
Tamara was the one I connected
with the most, she was my bosom
friend so to speak. She was
bright, articulate and she
understood things. She was very
generous and proud but God
knows she had big demons to
fight. I opened up to her big time
about my tumultuous relationship
with Dominic, my handsome ebon
king who captured my heart like
no one ever did. I never knew I
could love someone that much, he
opened that space and I allowed
myself to be vulnerable to feel the
totality of the experience of love.
I felt safe as I trusted him. He
was a man of ideas as well. He
talked about what it is to be a
black man in a white world and I
loved it when he spoke the
language of a strong black man,
dread locks in tow when he says
“I will not bow down to them, I
will not let them decide how I
think and I will stand up to power
every time. He talked about
black men needed to treat black
women like a rare pearl as she is
the eternal mother and takes care
of people, sets things right and
looks out for you. Music to my
ears. He was all of that when he
was there, present with me. Our
time together was full of a chorus
of conversations about blackness and
what it means and how to get ahead in
spite of the challenges, the disunity in
our community as a result of slavery
and the rest. But there were hopes and
dreams for betterment for our children
yet to be born. We even talked of
returning toAfrica, the Motherland
and plant our roots there to reroot
with our ancestors. All of this I
shared with Tamara and she would
listen like the good friend she was
and never judged and offered
comments of insight when needed.
Dominic and I had been thick as
two peas in a pod for about two years
before cracks in our relationship
appeared. This happened shortly
after he had a life-threatening
accident and thought he would not
live or would live with a severe
disability but he was fine after his
lengthy hospitalisation. I’d been
there by his side encouraging him to
hope and not to give up. He was
changed person after that. Was it as a
result of the accident or was it just
him taking a turn in life but what was
hurtful is that he never was honest
with what was going on. He
pretended all was well but I could
feel him pulling away, cancelling
dates and on his FB page there were
strange women who had become his
friends. I guess these women were
part of his life during his school days,
whom I did not know as I grew up in
another province. When I challenged
him, he said he was trying to find
himself and to regain his equilibrium
which the shock of the accident
shattered. He said although he was
well, he felt something was missing
and he realized how easily life could
change and that changed him.
“Can’t we do this together?”
“No. Something a man must do
alone.” He spoke firmly.
“Don’t shut me out. I can’t stand

15
Women and Science
The Manitoba Women’sAdvisory
Council focussed its program on
Women and Science at the 2017
International Women’s Day Cel-
ebrations at the Legislature.
Council of
Women
Repres.
MLA’s & Ministers present pose
with the two panelists: Dr.
Montufar and Dr. Nusroat Massood
Diane Dwarka
and Pat Hervo
Dr. Jeannette
Montufar,
speaks to a
couple high
school girls
it”
“I’mnotshuttingyouout.ThemoreI
lovemyself,themoreIknowmyselfthe
more available I can be for you, more
authenticityisneeded”
“WhatareyousayingDominic?”
“Idon’tknow”
“Whataboutus?”
“Whataboutus?”
“What happened? We were so
close…Ithought”
“Whatdoyouwantfromme,whatdo
youwantmetotellyou?”
“Iwantafuturewithyou. Iwantusto
betogether. We’regoodforeachother.”
“YouknowIloveyouandIalways
willbut,butah….Ineedreflectiontime”
“Okayyou’vegotit. I’mhereforyou.
How long will this take”
“There is no time line. I have to figure
somethingsout.”
“”I see.Take your time.”
“Thanks.I’msorry,sosorry.Youdon’t
knowhowmuch”Therewerealmosttears
inhiseyesandIreachedoutandgavehima
hugandleft.
I had to be in Ottawa for a
conferenceandleavingonFridaytobe
backthefollowingTuesdaybytrain. The
conferenceendedonSundayandIwas
fortunatetogetaridebackwithsomefolks
who were also coming to Toronto. I was
stillfeelingoffbyDominic’sattitudeand
decided I’d surprise Tamara with a visit. I
had a key to her place and she had a key to
my place just in case. I wish I hadn’t
because what I saw when I entered nearly
gavemeaheartattack.Mybestfriendand
themanofmydreamswereallcuddledup
onthecouchwatchingTV. Icouldn’t
speak.Idroppedthekeyandleftinahurry
andhoppedonthefirstbusIsaw;don’t
even know where it was going. I had to
keepmoving.
Thebrightskysuddenlyturnedgrey,
and everywhere I looked I saw darkness
and people in mourning, I was in a clearly
inastakeofshock.
Idon’thowImadeithomebutIdid
managetogetintomyapartmentthatI
sharedwithZainab.
“You’re home early?” She said
pleasantly surprised. I did not
respond.Couldnotrespond.
IgotintomyroomandI
bawled and bawled. This sound that
cameoutcamefrommygut,mysoul
and it fizzled in a whimpering wail.
“Whatthehellhappenedto
you?”Zainabasked“andyoulook
like hell too, just so you know.”
Imanagedtowavemyhand
andshookmyheadindicatingI
wanted to be left alone.
I did not leave my bed for three
days.Iwasphysicallyunableto
move.
Afterthosethreedays Zainab
cameintomyroomandapplied
sometoughloveandtoldmethatI
hadtoeatsomethingandhavea
shower. She was kind enough to set
a bath up with all kinds of nice
smellinglotionsandgotmeoutand
helpedmeintothebathtub.That
water befriended me and revived
my body as it did my spirit as well.
It’sonlythenIcouldspeakand
Zainablistenedeyesbulgingout.
“A sister? A sister? Sisters
should not do that to sisters, where
is the love, where is the truth, where
isthetruth,where’sisthetrust,trust
trust, is all this shit we talk about all
bull … we’ve got a lot of work to
doman.”
“Yes,lots”Isaidshakingmy
head.
“You’ve had a double
whammy”handakimbo“adouble
whammynoshitless.” Weburstout
laughing.Thatfeltgood.
Ishookmyheadandlettherest
of the tears flow freely and it felt
likepoisonbeingreleasedfrommy
body,releasing,lettinggoforthe
timebeing.
“I’mhungry,let’seat.Not
anotherminuteforthoselosers”.I
said.
Whammy

16
Surprisingly, slavery existed in Ivory Coast.Actually, historians
have a hard time to differentiate slavery from captivity. The slaves
were captured to be sold to French settlers in exchange for goods (salt,
mirrors, clothes, alcohol and tobacco) traded with Ivorian tribal
chiefs. But before the European invasion, it was common that tribal
leaders exchanged war prisoners. For instance, the victor tribe held
hostage the defeated warriors to sell them to allies in exchange for
fish, gold, and cowries (shells that served as money). These
transactions helped to grow the “workforce” of the tribe enemies for
fishing, serving their kingdom and copulating with female slaves. It
was the domestic slavery versus the international slavery.
In the 14th
century, the Portuguese sailors discovered theAfrican
west coast. They
called it “Cape Palmas”
(from Senegal to
Liberia) and “Cape
Three Points” (from
Ivory Coast to Ghana).
They also named
“Ivory Coast” because
of the Ivory traded;
and they called the ports
of Sassandra, San Pedro, and Fresco. From the 16th to the 18th
century,
the British, Dutch, Danish and French sailors settled in the region, too.
They built hundreds of fortresses and forts to invade the territory and
to organize the global enslavement.
During the 18th
, the French settlers fought against the other
European. The French won the battle. Thus they owned most countries
of the region.And they started the slavery. They received many slaves
from theAshanti Kingdom - Gold Coast (Ghana) - to work in gold
mines situated in Ivory Coast. The international slavery occurred for
one century. Few Ivoirians were sent away. The Guineans, Malians
and Senegalese were sent to Europe (Netherland, England, France,
Italy…) and America. The Mina from Benin practised Voodoo as a
religion, and they were massively deported to Louisiana.
In summary, the French navigators started the global human
trafficking with massive deportations of slaves to Europe andAmerica.
Oddly, the Ivoirians stayed in their country to labour as domestic
slaves. The French settlers decided to keep the name of the country,
even though the land ran out of Ivory because the elephants were
almost exterminated in only one century.
Bénédicte Brou
SLAVERY IN IVORY COAST
youngpeople.
Thanks to Dr. Raymond Currier, retired
professor and father of an indigenous son
who took the Reconciliation Call to
Actionseriouslyenoughtodosomething
about it. He is credited with the idea for
Circles of Reconciliation. He persevered
with his idea, seeking support from
variousIndigenousorganizationsandin
spite of initial obstacles found the support
heneededwithintheIndigenous
communitytomakethisideacometolife.
It was a vote of confidence from the
WinnipegFoundationwhoaskedCircles
for Reconciliation to co-host the
conferenceandthesubsequentsuccessof
theentireconferenceandworkshops
confirms that the Circles for
Reconciliation is an effective tool to
begintheconversationofreconciliation
betweenIndigenousandthewider
community.
DianaRedsky,anationallyrecognized
IndigenouswomanandExecutive
Director of Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre
gaveaheartfeltthankyoutotheWinnipeg
Foundationforhostingtheeventand
praised the event unreservedly as a step
toward reconciliation.
The circles topics included discussion
includedReconciliation,Indigenousand
Newcomers,Trauma,Indigenous
Spirituality,Entrepreneurship,Justice,
MeaningofLand. Usingthetalkingstick,
when in a circle people are asked to
speak from their own experience and to
respect each speaker. The talking stick is
used as a tool.
Dr. Myra Laramie, a respected
IndigenousElderopenedtheconference
withaprayer.KevinLamoureuxwasthe
guest speaker and he spoke from his own
experienceassomeonefromtwonations
– indigenous and Ukrainian. He received
astandingOvation.
continued from p...

17
Spelt Flour Roti
Ingredients (makes around 12 rotis,
which can be frozen for later use):
Spelt flour – 2 cups (+ extra for
dusting)
Pure Sea Salt – 1/2 tsp (optional)
Avocado Oil – 4 tsp
Warm spring Water – 3/4 cup
Method:
1. In a large mixing bowl, mix Spelt
Flour and Salt well.
2. Add Oil and mix until all lumps are
gone.
3. Add Warm Water a little at a time to
form a medium soft dough ball. Do not
overwork the dough.
4. Add few drops of Oil and coat the
dough ball. Cover and let it rest for 15
minutes.
5. Heat skillet on medium heat.
6. Knead the dough once and divide
into golf ball size balls.
7. Dip one ball into the dusting flour to
coat and roll it out into a thin disc.
Keep dipping the roti into the dry flour
to prevent it from sticking to the rolling
surface.
8. Shake or rub off excess flour from
the roti and place it onto the hot skillet
9. Flip to the other side once you see
bubbles appear on the surface. Allow
it to cook for 10-15 seconds.
10. Increase the stove heat to High,
gently pick the roti up with tongs,
remove the skillet off of the flame, flip
the roti over and place onto an open
flame.
11. The roti should balloon up. Flip it
over and cook on the other side.
12. Remove from skillet and repeat
with other balls
THE FILLING
Ingredients:
1 cup of cooked chick peas
1 cup of cooked butternut squash
1 large onion medium diced
1 tablespoon Avocado oil
Sprinkling of dried thyme
1/3 cup of Spring water
Salad or sliced avocado
Method:
1. Heat oil in skillet on high heat
2. Add diced onion & stir until
onions soften a little
3. Stir in thyme. Stir until mixed
right into the oil
4. Reduce the heat to low & add
chick peas and squash. Mix in until
all covered with seasoning.
5. Add the water and let simmer
until the squash begins to break
down
6. Stir well and remove from heat.
To serve, place a single roti flat in
a plate and place filling in the
middle. Roll like a burrito.
OR
Fold roti into a quarter circle and
place a dollop of filling to the side.
Best eaten with fingers only.
HEALTHWISE
Ingredients:
1/3 cup Spring water
4 tsp. ground hemp seeds
1 cup raw Brazil nuts
1/2 cup uncooked shredded
butternut squash
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup quinoa
1/4 cup coriander
1/2 cup red peppers
1/3 cup sesame seeds
2 tablespoon fresh dill – minced
1 teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon cayenne
Plum or cherry tomatoes for
dressing
Method:
-Combine the water and hemp
seeds in a small saucepan and
bring to just under a
simmer, then turn off
heat. Let them soak until needed.
-Preheat oven to 190C or 375F.
-Grind Brazil nuts and transfer
them to a large bowl.
-Combine the remaining
ingredients in a food processor.
Grind into meal, not a puree.
Add this mixture to the ground
nuts.
-Scrape the hempseed mixture
into the bowl with everything
else.
-Toss and stir to mix well.
-Line a cookie sheet with
parchment and drop scoops of
the mixture on it. Using a rubber
spatula, pat the mounds into flat
patties.
-Bake for 40-45 minutes until
gold and crisp around the edges.
-Plate with plum or cherry tomato
purée
BRAZILNUTBURGER
“ Real Soul food is food that
enhances the soul,
our central sun, our melanin our
carbon. Fruits, vegetables, grains.
This is real soul food…”
“ A society that keeps cures a
secret so they can continue to sell
medication for huge profits is not
a real society but a huge mental
asylum”.
If it’s seedless,
don’t eat it
Quotable Quotes by
Dr. Sebi

18
The city has its time of stillness and calm,
until the crow erupts into the morning,
like a trumpet, announcing the arrival of greatness.
A gray sky with a tangerine and fuchsia sun glides slowly
across the expansion of my window,
a rare display of the awesome power that propels me
forward.
I will play my game with the sun,
only to claim victory by witnessing so many sunrises,
to wake before the morning sun in the slumbering months
of season and mock, “I was up before you! Ha ha!”
I play this game and know that I will find grace
and goodness in the bird’s song,
and in the vibrant morning colours I will find my strength.
In our hectic and everyday lives,
we must remember it’s great to be alive.
To smell the flowers and listen for the bird’s song,
for true happiness the wait will not be long.
Be reminded as the troubles of the day pass by,
to take a deep breath and give a heavy sigh.
Life goes on around us and for some, it’s hard
to find the joy and pleasure.
To achieve a love for life is the greatest treasure.
Greatest Gift
By Alanna Holder Riches
Mrs. Hope Matus was taken by
surprise when she received the Life
MembershipAward from the Congress
of Black Women at its 2017Annual
General meetring.
When she regained her composure she
was very appreciative of the honour and
thankedtheCongressfortheirconsider-
ationofher.
Hope has been a steady supporter of the
organization, always willing to lend a
helpinghand,regularlyattendsCongress
eventsandiscommittedtoempowering
blackwomen.CongratulationstoHopeon
thisachievement.
Baha’is of Winnipeg sponsored a community Naw Ruz celebration at the n Knox United Church, Central Park area
and invited the residents to join in the celebration. Bahai youths went door to door to invited people from the
area. The effort was well received. It was agreat evening where strangers became friends.
Life MembershipAward
Bahai Community Outreach Activity

19
A big star recently crossed the
threshold from life to greater life in
the understanding of these with the
belief in the afterlife. And we all
miss him. The social media feasts on
his memory and information once
hidden are revealed or made up about
the artist formerly known as Prince.
What a character, what a
musician and entertainer we have lost
way too early. No one will question
his enormous talent he’s one of the
musician’s favourite s and an icon.
Prince himself was a weird
little man with an explosive
personality, explosive in the sense
that he commanded attention and he
had reached a point where he did not
need much publicity for his events to
be sold out before you can say
“prince”.
Prince was a role model to many
people of all races, he was also a
Jehovah witness, he suffered epilepsy
as a child and he grew up in relative
poverty but that did not stop him. He
embraced his blackness even though
he was bi or tri racial.
Identity like gender is something
that goes beyond the superficial. It
embodies a person soul as well.
People tend to embrace the identity
that is dominant in their lives, that has
informed their childhood and overall
living experience. Prince identified
as a black man. He grew up black,
lived the black experience on the
black side of the tracks in the United
States of America and always,
always referred to himself as a Black
person, as a “brother”
In the world of social media, the
question of Prince’s identity has
provided a lot of fodder for
engagement on the topic. There were
those who prided themselves as bi-
racial and sought to embrace their
heritage regardless of their living
experience. Those with bi-racial
identities sought to connect
themselves to Prince’s experience
based on their bi-racial exterior.
And blacks were upset with those
who appeared to want to take
away Prince’s own embrace of
his black identity.
I understand that people of
mixed heritage may feel they are
betraying one parent or the other
should they identify with one.
Identity is more than physical
appearance it is about your
experience that connects you with
a particular race or class in the
world.
Human beings are not pure
bred like dogs. We are an
integrated species of various
genetic strains which shoes up in
our bodies in colour, texture of
hair, lip sizes, eye shape and so
on.
So why do we cling to the
seemingly useless marker of
identity when we know it is skin
deep. Why can‘t we be just happy
to be of the human race and
celebrate how far we‘ve come
as a species and how people in
the arts keep pushing the
boundaries to unravel the genius
that we can be.
We‘re stuck in this old
world racial divide and keep on
dissecting who we are ad
nausea. Part of the problem is it
is our nature to try to be better
than the other, discriminate.
Whenever people claim a
certain distinction be it race,
class, religion there is an
underlying motivation to set
ourselves apart generally above
someone other class or race. Of
course the Black race always
equates at the bottom of the
spectrum so who wants to be
identified as black if they can
get to a higher notch by claiming
whiteness or otherness as
blacks. Can‘t blame people for
that. We blame the system which
inoculated us with this racial
virus.
IDENTITY
Prince

20
When I began working at the
shop,Iusedtogohomeintheevenings
withatensionstrungtightlyacrossmy
shoulders and upper back; cooling,
retracting as I drew closer to home.
With a might in my chest that makes a
man feel that he has had a constructive
day, I imagined myself as the miner
archetype: muddy boots and a pick
resting against my right shoulder,
black soot caked around the corners
of my eyes where safety goggles do
not defend the flesh, cheeks stained
with salty sweat, and a stomach
screaming to breach free of a belt,
like those worn for lumber support.
I cannot tell exactly when these once
statuesque shoulders (if I may be so
bold) reformed to a ductile, carefree
slouch; the arrow remains pointed but
in want of a solid target. I have days
now when I am sweeping in the
middle aisle and feel emptiness in the
stomach that glows in my mind like
some dying white star. Surrounded,
too, by clouds that seem created from
dust,flashesoflightninghereandthen
there but never breaking through,
never really confirming its’ presence,
intention or power. I often feel like
Superman removed from the sun, or
Samson without his hair; not seeing
the kryptonite meant to finish me, but
sensing it is here.
Nothing in my Caribbean
upbringing can claim the credit, or my
perpetual gratitude, for preparing me
to combat these moments. When I
wrestle with my young son and wail,
‘Ohhhhh, you’ve broken my
shoulder!,’ or ‘burst my heart!,’
‘fractured my skeleton!’ and even
‘ruptured my bicep!’; I do feel,
sometimes, that I am closer to that
truth that I am aware. Am I
struggling to establish a sense of
purpose, or in rebound of
abandoning one? Has my mind
released throughout my body a
plague of apathy? Is the right
message succumbing to a snowball
effect of doubt, by the time it
reaches my mouth? What is this
connection between the pit of my
belly, held in shape as if a pose in
study, and the valley of my throat?
Why do three fingers on my right
hand require solace in the
possessive grip of the left? Why do
I press my toes against the floor and
lift my heels, to feel knife-sharp
pain shooting up from just above
my ankles through my calves?Am
I bored?Am I about to ‘boogie out
on life’? Why does the back of my
hand itch and react so indecently,
to the edginess of my
fingernails?Perhaps this is the
feeling one expects when walking
through a railroad tunnel, as he
picks up the chorus of trackling
metals and an angry engine.
Does the fascination end
with the discovery of new white
hairs, or scabs lifted from the scalp
revealing tiny lacerations
previously unknown, presently
unaccounted for? Do you ever
really see anything beyond the first ten
feet of sight, ever really notice anything
tangible within the same distance? Were
you always as aware of your muscles,
your person, your need for presentation
in the face of the opposite sex? Did you
always visit the facilities with such
frequency? How long have you been
feeling suffocated by your own weight,
unable to lay down comfortably on a
mattress without the need for a better
pillow, more space, fresh air? Is Aspirin
the condition or the cure? Have you ever
seen the film ‘The Time Traveller’s
Wife?’I think the saddest thing about the
concept is that even a work of fiction can’t
debunk the theory of ‘Time’sArrow’; the
asymmetry of time. Even if we are
granted the ability to travel back, nothing
we do can change the outcome of events,
vary or alter what has happened. There
is nothing like creating the ‘Grandfather
Paradox’, as Rene Barjavel suggested; a
man who goes back in time and kills his
grandfather before he himself is born. Is
it possible that I am the very grandson
who yet needs proof?
CANARY IN A COAL MINE - Neil Pitamber

21
The Black History Month
Committee decided to try something
different and it worked. This year
youths were given topics to research
and present at theYouth Symposium in
2017. The students uncovered many
gems in their research but unfortunately
not many turned out to hear about the
important findings, discovery and
eloquent delivery of their research
findings. Those who were fortunate to
be present sat captivated as they
learned facts like during the 1930s the
City of Halifax denied residents of
Africville essential services like
running water, a road system and
sewage disposal even though taxes
were collected from residents.
The five youth researchers
included Michael Archer, 21, who
presented on The Berlin Conference
1884-85, Lulu Lumumba, 20 presented
on The Black Brigade, Elsa Kaka, 21
on the Negro League Baseball, Sidonia
Deng 18, on Africville. All the
presenters are university students.
Michael said he was amazed to
find out that during the industrial
revolution, from one side of the world
there were demands for rubber and
different metals to produce cars and on
the other side Belgium was forcibly
enslaving the people of Congo to make
the rubber and metals required for
vehicles from their land’s natural
resources.
The dynamic Sappfyre
McLeod, Red River College student
emceed the event that was held at the
Truth and Life Worship Centre o
February 4, 2017.
This was the brainchild of
Black History Month Committee
member, Victor Vaughan who is
passionate about History. Participants
went home with a package of
information on the topics presented.
Which included, Dr. Sebi, Vivien
Thomas, Madame C.J. Walker, Harry
Jerome, Mary McLeod Bethune,
Patrice Lumumba, Fannie Lou
Hamer, Hamilton Naki and Toussaint
L ‘Overture.
By Shondell & GEM volunteer
writer.
Youth Researchers Delivers Findings at 2017 Black
History MonthYouth Symposium
Lorial Todd helping out in the kitchen
at youth symposium.
Saffyre MacLeod, emceeLulu Lipoma - speaker
Michael Archer - speakerRegina Stewart. student at St. Vincen
Massey.

22
Loraine
M.
Nyokong
Interim
Executive
Director
Loraine
is an
experienced executive, and a
dynamic leader. Her varied career
includes business development,
strategic and business planning,
change management, coaching and
mentoring, and the management of
multi-functional work teams in the
private and not-for-profit sectors.
Loraine received her Bachelor of
Arts degree from the University of
Winnipeg in Justice and Law
Enforcement, and is currently
completing her MBA. Loraine is
excited to contribute to the success
of Food Matters Manitoba in her
role as Interim Executive Director.
Spotlight
NancyAbu-Bonstrah, born in
Ghana has broken another glass
ceiling by becoming the first
black female neurosurgeon
resident at St. John’s Hopkins
Hospital. Ecstatic by the
announcement on March 17 a.k.a.
“Match day” when students find
out which where they will be
doing their residence, Abu-
Bosrah is especially pleased
being the first Physician in her
family.
“I am very much interested in
providing medical care in
underserved settings, specifically
surgical care,” she said in a
statement. “I hope to be able to go back
to Ghana over the course of my career
to help in building sustainable surgical
infrastructure.”
Nancy’s husband, Kwabena, is
also studying medicine as a 3rd-year
medical student at University of
Maryland. Her moment is extra special,
as she will be the first physician in her
family. “I want to be remembered for
serving my community, whether it is
through providing quality surgical care
or helping mentor the next generation of
surgeons. Everything is special about
the match. It will be a dream come true.
Congratulations to Nancy Abu-Bonsrah
BREAKING BARRIERS
Career Moves
Congratulations to Raymond
Ngarboui, 43, one of the winners of
the Premier’s VolunteerAward 2017
for his outstanding volunteer work in
Manitoba.
Originally from Chad, Central
Africa, Raymond lives and breathes
agriculture/gardening. Shortly after
he arrived in Manitoba Raymond’s
passion for gardening which was
developed in his home country
ignited and flourished through The
RainbowCommunityGardening
project which he was instrumental in
starting in 2008 three years after he
arrived as a permanent resident to
Canada, dedicated to teaching people,
especially newcomers how to grow
vegetables.
The Rainbow society project started
with 16 families from diverse
backgrounds who grew crops together
on nine sites across Manitoba. “When I
see new immigrants – who cannot afford
nutritious food from the store, growing
vegetables to eat makes me proud.”
. “Volunteering for me is a way of
giving back,” said Ngarboui. “Who I am
today, it’s thanks to what I received from
other people.” Ngarboui has served on
a range of boards, including the Board
for Supporting Employment and
Raymond Ngarboui Receives Premier of Manitoba VolunteerAward
Premier Brian Pallister & Raymond
Ngarboui
continued on p 22

23
Wanted: Information
on Black Settlers who
had Mennonite
Neighbours
Dr. Timothy Epp of Redeermer
University College is interested in
connecting with anyone who
have any information (even if it seems
insignificant to you), stories or memo-
ries of interaction between Mennonites
and Black people in Manitoba or
Saskatchewan between the late 19th
Century and the 1950’s.
Prof. Epp is currently studying the
relationships between Mennonite
missionaries and the Black Settlers.
According to Prof. Epp’s research so
far, Mennonites and Blacks were
neighbours in Winnipeg’s North End
and Point Douglas areas, the area near
the historic Pilgrim Baptist Church.
As well as areas near Neepawpa,
Marquette, Provencher, Souris, Bran-
don, Lisgar and Dauphin.
He is expected to be in Manitoba
sometime in May or June and will be
available to speak to anyone who is
inerested in speaking to him.
Please email Professor Epp at
tepp@redeemer.ca or call 905-648-
2139 x 4247. Please help if you can.
Dr. Jeannette Montufar of
Winnipeg has been appointed
chair of the council.. She is a
business owner, philanthropist,
mentor and trailblazer in
transportation engineering. Her
company sponsors several events
and organizations that seek to
empower women.
Council members are:
Verna A. Klippenstein
Heinrichs (Altona), Margaret
Roscelli (Oak Lake), Maggie
Masi (Winnipeg), Jennifer Flett
(Opaskwayak), Doris Mae Oulton
(Winnipeg), Kristen Lynch
(Winnipeg) and Lizanne Lachance
(Winnipeg). Dr. Romona
Goomansingh of Winnipeg has
been re-appointed to the council.
Two members of the
previous board have resigned,
while the membership of six
expired and seven were revoked.
All of the members are
highly accomplished women with
track records of concern for
women’s issues.
Squires thanked the outgoing
board members for their
contributions and commitment.
Meet the New Board
of the Manitoba
Women’sAdvisory
Council
Economic Development Winnipeg and
Knox Church Trustees, and works to
advocate for newcomers in Winnipeg.
He is also willing to share his
knowledge of gardening with anyone
who has the time to listen and
implement his suggestions.
Raymond was one of 30 recipients of
this prestigious award presented at the
34th
Annual VolunteerAwards recep-
tion held at the RBC Convention
Centre April 25, 2017.
continued on p 21
which not only raised much needed
funds for MATCH International but
provided a sweet space for women
to get together, eat and share
information about how the other
half of the world lives. There were
guest speakers including Maureen
Gathogo explained what MATCH
is all about and how you can
become involved, and Dr. Emma
Alexander, university of Winnipeg
professor who described two
examples of MATCJH funded
projects – Her Turn in Nepal and
FAT in India. These projects are
designed to empower women to
help themselves. Funds raised
from the luncheon goes to help the
work of MATCH International.
Mary Scott of International
Women Research Institute
Incorporated spoke about the work
of IWRII and how they use the
funds raised by them. MATCH was
a recipient of the organization’s
last fundraising effort. Helen
Whettles and her team did an
excellent job organizing this
successful event.
Helen Whettles, Chair,
Manitoba MATCH, Dr.
EmmaAlexander,
Maureen Gathogo, of
Instyle Organizing,
Immaculate Nabisere,
Durga Ogale, Rose-
maryAhoff, JoWright
and Lisa Hackett
continued from p3
Mary Scott
Maureen, Immaculate
and Kenny Daodu

24
SixtyyearsagoGhanabecame
the first country inAfrica to gain its
independence under the wise and
steady leadership of Kwame
Nkrumaharespectnamearoundthe
world and especially in theAfrican
andCaribbeancountries.
WhenGhanagainedits
independence,thefirstthingon
Nkrumah’smindwastofreehis
brothers and sisters and vowed he
will not rest until all Africa is free.
Hewasinstrumentalinthefreedom
movementsinmanyCaribbean
countries as well.
Africa is one continent, one
people, and one nation. The notion
that in order to have a nation it is
necessary for there to be a common
language, a common territory and
common culture has failed to stand
the test of time or the scrutiny of
scientific definition of objective
reality... The community of economic
life is the major feature within a
nation, and it is the economy which
holds together the people living in a
territory. It is on this basis that the
new Africans recognise themselves
as potentially one nation, whose
dominion is the entire African
continent.
...All people of African descent
whether they live or in any part of
the world are Africans and belong to
the African nation. Kwame Nkrumah
...The independence of Ghana is
meaningless unless it is linked-up
with the total liberation of the
AfricanContinentKwameNkrumah
Nkrumah had a holistic view of
Africans and he saw no difference
whethertheywereincontinental
Africa, the Caribbean or transplanted
any part of the world. Like an apple
is an apple regardless of the soil it
has grown in,Africans areAfricans
wherever they are.
It is clear that we must find an
African solution to our problems, and
thatthiscanonlybefoundin
African unity. Divided we are
weak; united,Africa could become
one of the greatest forces for good
intheworld.KwameNkrumah
The Ghana Union of
Winnipegannualcelebrates
Ghana‘sindependenceanniversary
but this year was special. There
was the flag raising ceremony at the
WinnipegCityHall.Mayor
BowmancalledGhanaoneofthe
mostbeautifulcountriesinAfrica
which is fast becoming a hub of art
and fashion. Ghana is also praised
asacountrywhichhasenjoyed
peaceanddemocracyformany
years now.
Celebrated at the Canad Inn
onRegent,theeventattractedsome
500participantsincluding
representatives from the Diaspora
organizationsandWinnipeg
communityatlarge.
Guest speaker, Professor
J.CV. Khatter spent years as a
Senior Science teacher in Kumasi
Ghana and developed science
programme at the GCEAlevel as
well as three science labs with the
help of UNICEF and was
instrumentalindevelopmentof
elementaryandsecondaryschools
inGhana.
Prof. Katter spoke about his
experiencesandhisstudentsand
his love for Ghana. He said he has
metastudenthetaughtandoffered
him a job. He spoke of Ghana with
greatfondness.
The evening was spattered –
vibrantcolourfulGhanaianfabrics,
dance, songs, skits, jokes and the
cuttingoftheanniversarycake.
Ghanaians Celebrate their 60thAnniversary
Pictorial: Cutting the cake, Dr.
Khatter, guest speaker, Justina Stone
and Selina Bieber, Dancing, Ghana-
ian choir, Kamta Singh, Stella
Kankan, Lola Ayolele, Grace ,
President of Ghanaian Assoc..&
unidentified friend.

25

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