EDITORIAL: Toronto has many events for Black History Month

February is Black History Month, and Toronto residents will have numerous opportunities to learn about and celebrate the black community's many contributions to our city.

Toronto was the first municipality in Canada to proclaim Black History Month, doing so in 1979.

Our city's link to the celebration extended to the motion made in 1995 by former Etobicoke-Lakeshore Liberal MP Jean Augustine, and approved unanimously by the House of Commons, which recognized the month as such across the country.

As one of the most diverse cities in the world, Toronto has been influenced, built and developed by many different cultures over the last three centuries.

The contributions of the black community goes back deeply into our city's history.

William Peyton Hubbard was elected an alderman for the area that today would approximately consist of the Trinity-Spadina riding in 1893. He was Toronto's first black politician and would serve for 14 years. Among his notable contributions were helping to establish the Toronto Hydro Electric System and convincing the city to purchase the Toronto islands.

Black History Month is being marked in a variety of ways, with events being planned by the city, libraries, schools and community groups this month.

Among them is the Big Voices New Voices event tonight (Thursday, Feb. 4) at the Toronto Reference Library's Bram and Bluma Appel Salon, starting at 7 p.m. This event features Austin Clarke, George Elliott Clarke, Yvette Trancoso, Stacey Marie Robinson and Dalton Higgins discussing what it means to be a black writer in Canada.

On Saturday, Feb. 6, a Black History Month conference takes place at the North York Central Library from 2 to 4 p.m. Spoken word poet Al St. Louis and model Stacey McKenzie are among those taking part.

For more information on Black History Month events at Toronto's libraries, please visit www.torontopubliclibrary.ca

Along with the libraries, the city is also celebrating with a number of events including an exhibit at Mackenzie House, on Bond Street, which will let visitors learn about Mary Ann Shadd Cary who published the Provincial Freeman newspaper in the 1800s. Shad, who was born in Delaware and later moved to Chatham, Ontario was a key member of the abolitionist movement to end slavery in the United States. She was the first woman to publish a newspaper in Canada and became the first black female lawyer in the United States in 1870.

Other Black History Month celebrations in Toronto include The Evolution of Gospel Music concerts at the Global Kingdom Ministries on Markham Road in Scarborough on Friday, Feb. 5, and Saturday, Feb. 6.

More info on city events during Black History Month can be found at www.toronto.ca