Oakville to celebrate Black History Month with list of festivities, events

Oakville is all set to celebrate Black History Month.

Local residents will have plenty of opportunities through the month of February to take part in festivities and events that honour the legacy of Black Canadians and their communities.

The Canadian Caribbean Association of Halton will virtually kick off a month long list of local events on Wednesday night when it hosts Imagining Futures, a livestream from the Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts at 7 to 8:30 p.m.

Other scheduled celebrations and events include:

• Oakville’s Black History exhibit, a set of 14 themed banners celebrating the heritage of Black Canadians in our community, will be installed at Queen Elizabeth Park Community Centre, Trafalgar Park Community Centre, and Glen Abbey Community Centre. Originally researched, written, and designed by Deborah Hudson for the Oakville Museum in 1999, the panels have been edited and redesigned several times over the years as new research becomes available. The Oakville Museum works in partnership with the Canadian Caribbean Association of Halton (CCAH) to promote and celebrate the heritage of Black Canadians in our community.
• The Oakville Museum is offering visits to its Freedom, Opportunity and Family: Oakville’s Black History exhibit (both in person and virtual) and will be offering its Oakville’s Early Black History School program for students in grades 5-8.
• Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts is livestreaming The Spirit of Harriet Tubman on Wednesday, February 2 at 7 p.m. The livestream recording will be available for viewing throughout February. Live stream access tickets are complimentary.
• The Canadian Caribbean Association of Halton (CCAH) is kicking off Black History Month virtually on Wednesday, February 2 at 7 p.m. Register online.
• The CCAH is hosting a virtual author visit with Lawrence Hill on Monday, February 10 at 10:30 a.m. For more information, visit the Canadian Caribbean Association of Halton’s website.
• In partnership with CCAH, Visit Oakville has created a self-guided tour – How to spend 24 hours celebrating black history month in Oakville.
• In partnership with the Oakville Museum and facilitated by local artist Omar “Oms” Hopkinson, the CCAH will be hosting Clef Notes to Canvas – an interactive art session where creativity, music and awareness meet. The hybrid format event with restricted numbers in-person and limited numbers to attend virtually will be held at the Oakville Museum’s Coach House at 114 King Street on Saturday, February 12 from 1-4 p.m. Register online.
• Join the CCAH, the Oakville Public Library, Oakville Museum, and Oakville Historical Society to celebrate Black History Month 2022 on Tuesday, February 15 from 7-8 p.m. CCAH will be providing a guided virtual tour of Bronte Harbour , Kerr Village, and explore sites related to Oakville’s Black heritage. Register online.

The CCAH flag will also be raised on Tuesday at Town Hall and CCAH will be appearing on Mayor Rob Burton’s Oakville Matters. The show airs on YourTV Halton on Wednesday, February 2 at 7:30 p.m.