We observed the International Day for the Elimination of Racism
Black History Month 2023:
“This year, the theme of Black History Month across Canada is “Ours to Tell,” with a focus on the positive impact that people of Black, African, and Caribbean heritage, individually and collectively, have made and continue to make towards building a better country. Stories of Black Canadians’ strength, willpower, resilience, determination, courage, sacrifice, triumph, success, and overcoming will be shared across Canada this month. May these stories, along with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, motivate us all to continue striving towards a more just society.” (Irene Moore Davis)
Black History is Church History, Church History is Black History.
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A message from The Rev’d Canon Dr. Stephen Fields our Sub-Dean & Vicar to celebrate Black History Month at St. James Cathedral. Enjoy and share it with your family and friends.
During the month, our Music director, Tom Bell and our amazing choir have been leading us with hymns and choral music from the Black tradition. The music will include works by Moses Hogan, other Spirituals, and a motet from the Congo.
On February 12 and 26 at both 9:00am and 11:00am services, sermons were proclaimed through the lenses of African-Canadians.
On February 26, our guest speaker was Irene Moore Davis, an exciting award-wining African-Canadian Anglican from All Saints’ Church in Windsor, Ontario. She an educator, historian, writer, podcaster, film producer, and community advocate who speaks and writes frequently about equity, diversity, inclusion, and African Canadian history.
On March 21 we observed The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. St. James Cathedral presented a Service of Readings and Songs of Justice and Freedom Sung by The Choir of St. James Cathedral to mark The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
March 21 is the day the police in Sharpeville, South Africa, opened fire and killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration against apartheid “pass laws” in 1960.
In 1979, the General Assembly adopted a programme of activities to be undertaken during the second half of the Decade for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination. On that occasion, the General Assembly decided that a week of solidarity with the peoples struggling against racism and racial discrimination, beginning on 21 March, would be organized annually in all States.
Since then, the apartheid system in South Africa has been dismantled. Racist laws and practices have been abolished in many countries, and we have built an international framework for fighting racism, guided by the International Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. The Convention is now nearing universal ratification, yet still, in all regions, too many individuals, communities and societies suffer from the injustice and stigma that racism brings.
