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February events to mark Black Heritage Month

Proceeds from Black Heritage Month events will go towards the Heritage Hall Heart and Soul Campaign
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Guelph Black Heritage Society at Heritage Hall on 88 Essex St.

NEWS RELEASE
GUELPH BLACK HERITAGE SOCIETY
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For over 25 years, February has been referred to as Black History Month in Canada, following a motion introduced by the Honourable Jean Augustine – the first Black Canadian woman elected to Parliament. It is the month in which we celebrate the contributions that Black historical figures have made to our society. Names like Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, and Martin Luther King Jr. – and more recently, Viola Desmond – are well ingrained in our minds. Celebrating the past has always been the focal point of Black History Month.

The Guelph Black Heritage Society (GBHS) will be celebrating our 5th Annual Black HERITAGE Month in February 2025. This month will commemorate past and present accomplishments within the Black community and set sights on our bright future ahead. While we will continue to acknowledge the resilience and bravery of those who came before us, we must recognize that Black history and experiences are much more than the narrative of enslavement. The GBHS calls on the community to honour our past, celebrate today, and look toward the future. 

The following events will be presented in during Black HERITAGE Month:

  • “Exploring the Additional and Invisible Labour of Navigating the World Being Black” with Giselle Jones, Social Worker, Psychotherapist - Saturday February 15, 2025 @ 11am, Heritage Hall

Giselle will talk about exploring the additional and invisible labor of navigating the world being Black, but also the tremendous resilience and power born from both intergenerational and lived experience. She will invite and instruct how to embrace "micro moments" of mindfulness throughout the day. This is the most accessible practice for those who are busy.

Free admission, donations welcome. To register:
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/exploring-the-labour-of-navigating-the-world-being-black-tickets-1206964345849?aff=oddtdtcreator

  • A Tribute to Bob Marley featuring Dr. Mike and Friends – Saturday February 22, 2025 @ 7pm, Heritage Hall

Join us as we celebrate the Legend's 80th milestone Earthstrong at the Heritage Hall, 83 Essex Street, Guelph. Show starts at 7pm, tickets $20. All ages.

To buy tickets:
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/a-tribute-to-bob-marley-featuring-dr-mike-and-friends-tickets-1206944907709?aff=oddtdtcreator

  • 4th Friday at Guelph Museums – Friday February 28, 2025 @ 7pm, Guelph Museum

Come out and enjoy the soulful and uplifting musical performance featuring Verese Vassell-Bowen at the Guelph 
Museum, 52 Norfolk Street, Guelph. Show starts at 7pm. Free admission.

For more information, email info@guelphblackheritage.ca

Proceeds from Black HERITAGE Month events will go towards the Heritage Hall Heart & Soul Campaign. Financial sustainability is a key driver for Guelph Black Heritage Society (GBHS). It’s our goal to diversify our revenue sources to sustain our building, continue existing events, activities and educational programs, plus create, develop and support new ones in response to community need and demand.

The Heritage Hall Heart & Soul Campaign is a significant fundraising effort to expand and revitalize resources and programming at the GBHS. It’s a compelling opportunity for individuals, businesses and government to partner to create a place where art, culture and inclusiveness converge…a place that meets and exceeds the expectations of every visitor…a place that every resident of Guelph can point to with pride.

Investors in Heritage Hall hold the power to inspire creative energy, nurture the spirit and advance the cultural prosperity of Guelph and our region. If you are passionate about the place where you live, work and play, the Heritage Hall Heart & Soul Campaign is a worthy investment…and a meaningful way to foster and build a rich legacy in the city of Guelph.

The Guelph Black Heritage Society (GBHS) is a registered charity. Registration # 80158 3907 RR0001. Tax receipts will be issued for donations greater than $25.

Established in 2011, the mission of the Guelph Black Heritage Society is to restore and maintain Heritage Hall, originally known as the British Methodist Episcopal (BME) Church, built in 1880 by formerly enslaved Black individuals and their descendants who arrived in the area via the Underground Railroad. The building is a cultural, historical and social community centre serving to promote Guelph and Wellington County's distinctive place in Southwestern Ontario's rich Black heritage.

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