Karibu Nyumbani
(Welcome home)
Our programs and initiatives are designed to instill a strong sense of African identity, community, cultural pride, resilience and social responsibility, empowering children, youth and families to lead socially conscious and fulfilling lives.
(Welcome home)
Our programs and initiatives are designed to instill a strong sense of African identity, community, cultural pride, resilience and social responsibility, empowering children, youth and families to lead socially conscious and fulfilling lives.
How We Started
The Newmarket African Caribbean Canadian Association (NACCA) first began as an idea that Black and oppressed communities must have access to resources and opportunities for advancement.
On May 5, 2018, a group of community members came together to discuss how we could build a more inclusive and connected Newmarket community. One pivotal point in the discussion was around a concern for youth, and how the organization can support a generational legacy of education, empowerment and unity that will foster pride in identity, culture and history for the people of African descent.
We understood that there was also a need for rootedness and belonging, and a firm understanding of the past so that we can step boldly into the future. We concluded that growth and sustainability meant building strength, partnerships and intercultural understanding.
On May 5, 2018, a group of community members came together to discuss how we could build a more inclusive and connected Newmarket community. One pivotal point in the discussion was around a concern for youth, and how the organization can support a generational legacy of education, empowerment and unity that will foster pride in identity, culture and history for the people of African descent.
We understood that there was also a need for rootedness and belonging, and a firm understanding of the past so that we can step boldly into the future. We concluded that growth and sustainability meant building strength, partnerships and intercultural understanding.
Current Events and Opportunities
Community Invitation: Black Wellness Project Celebration
We are excited to invite you to the Black Wellness Project Celebration, hosted by NACCA and ASCO! Join us as we honour the work completed so far, share important insights and look ahead to the next phase of the project.
This gathering will feature:
Time: 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM Location: 200 Doug Duncan Drive, Newmarket (Lions Hall #2) To help us plan for food and seating, please register using the link here If your organization would like to table at this event, please complete form in the link above and contact Lateshia Izzard-Brookes at [email protected]. Please note, this event is in-person only, this will not be available virtually. |
Seniors Club is Back!
Our seniors program has returned, refreshed, reimagined and renamed! Welcome to the Golden Rhythms Seniors Club, a weekly gathering designed to honour culture, nurture wellness and strengthen community connections. Join us for a warm, joyful space where seniors can connect, celebrate African and Caribbean culture and support one another through activities that promote wellness and belonging. Program Details Every Friday, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM NACCA Community Hub, 449 Eagle Street, Newmarket Cost: FREE All seniors welcome Facilitator: Priscilla Dentah-Akuoko Program Purpose • Reduce social isolation • Celebrate African & Caribbean culture • Promote wellness and joy • Build a supportive community for seniors To register, please complete the form here For more information, please contact NACCA at [email protected] |
Black Youth Mental Wellness and Empowerment Series - RISE (Resilience, Identity, Strength, Empowerment)
The Newmarket African Caribbean Canadian Association (NACCA) is delivering an eight weeks Africentric mental wellness workshop series for Black youth up to grade 12 who reside in York Region. All sessions will be supported by a mental health clinician.
Join us for a transformative opportunity aimed at supporting Black children and youth in York Region. Our 8-week Black Youth Mental Wellness and Empowerment Series, R.I.S.E (Resilience, Identity, Strength, Empowerment) Program, is designed to empower Black children and youth by providing essential mental health education and support. Running in-person and virtually from October 7, 2025, to June 17, 2026, the program offers four different cohorts to choose from, ensuring flexibility and accessibility. There will be 2 groups. Group A is for children under the age of 12 and Group B is for youth over the ag of 12. The workshops will be held on Thursdays from 6-8pm. Group A will be from 6-7pm and Group B from 7pm-8pm. Both classes will be hybrid. By participating in this 8-week culturally affirming program, children and youth will gain valuable skills, knowledge and resources to navigate the challenges of mental wellness, all within a supportive community. Workshop Dates: Cohort 1: Oct 9, 2025 – Nov 27, 2025 Cohort 2: Dec 4, 2025 – Feb 19, 2026 Cohort 3: Feb 26, 2026 – Apr 23, 2026 Cohort 4: Apr 30, 2026 – Jun 18, 2026 Where: Hybrid - In-person (NACCA Hub - 449 Eagle St, Newmarket) and virtual via zoom Please complete this form to allow us to learn more about you and what you are looking to gain from this program. Funded by Ontario Health: Black Health Action Plan & Pediatric Recovery Funding |
What Does NACCA mean to you? Volunteer videographer, Kristal Pagaun, captured key messages from youth during our summer 2019 activities.
Our Guiding Principles
Umoja (oo-MOH-jah)
unity – to understand that success starts with unity of family, community, nation and race.
Kujichagulia (koo-jee-chah-goo-LEE-ah)
self-determination - to define, name, create and speak for oneself and create one’s own destiny.
Ujima (oo-JEE-mah)
collective work and responsibility – to uplift our community, “build and maintain [it] together and make our brother's and sister's problems our problems and to solve them together” - Karenga.
Ujamaa (oo-jah-MAH)
cooperative economics– to uplift our community economically which means “to build and maintain our own stores, shops and other businesses and to profit from them together” - Karenga
Nia (NEE-ah)
purpose – to restore Black people to their traditional capacity; to be responsible to Those Who Came Before (our ancestors) and to Those Who Will Follow (our descendants) and "to make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness." – Karenga
Kuumba (koo-OOM-bah)
creativity – using creativity and imagination to make our community better than what we inherited, "to always do as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it." – Karenga
Imani (ee-MAH-nee)
faith – to believe with all our heart in ourselves, our community, our people, our families, our educators, our leaders, and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.
unity – to understand that success starts with unity of family, community, nation and race.
Kujichagulia (koo-jee-chah-goo-LEE-ah)
self-determination - to define, name, create and speak for oneself and create one’s own destiny.
Ujima (oo-JEE-mah)
collective work and responsibility – to uplift our community, “build and maintain [it] together and make our brother's and sister's problems our problems and to solve them together” - Karenga.
Ujamaa (oo-jah-MAH)
cooperative economics– to uplift our community economically which means “to build and maintain our own stores, shops and other businesses and to profit from them together” - Karenga
Nia (NEE-ah)
purpose – to restore Black people to their traditional capacity; to be responsible to Those Who Came Before (our ancestors) and to Those Who Will Follow (our descendants) and "to make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness." – Karenga
Kuumba (koo-OOM-bah)
creativity – using creativity and imagination to make our community better than what we inherited, "to always do as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it." – Karenga
Imani (ee-MAH-nee)
faith – to believe with all our heart in ourselves, our community, our people, our families, our educators, our leaders, and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.
Land & Ancestral Acknowledgement
We want to acknowledge that the land on which we gather is the traditional territory of the Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee and Wendat peoples. We acknowledge that the NACCA headquarters is situated upon the treaty lands of the First Nations of the Williams Treaty and the Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation as our closest community.
We also acknowledge that we are all Treaty peoples – including those who came here as settlers – as immigrants either in this generation or in generations past and those who came here involuntarily, particularly as a result of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. We must also recognize the fact that this colonial nation is founded in historic and ongoing dispossession of this land’s Indigenous peoples, and African descendant peoples. We especially pay tribute to the ancestors of those of African and Indigenous origin and descent.
As an organization that centres on social justice, we feel it is critical to be informed on the past and the ongoing consequences of colonialism. We encourage everyone to learn about the history of these lands, and to support resistance here and across Turtle Island.
NACCA gives thanks for the land that nourishes us and enables us to live in communities. May we continue to aspire to nurture and care for this land and for each other.
We also acknowledge that we are all Treaty peoples – including those who came here as settlers – as immigrants either in this generation or in generations past and those who came here involuntarily, particularly as a result of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. We must also recognize the fact that this colonial nation is founded in historic and ongoing dispossession of this land’s Indigenous peoples, and African descendant peoples. We especially pay tribute to the ancestors of those of African and Indigenous origin and descent.
As an organization that centres on social justice, we feel it is critical to be informed on the past and the ongoing consequences of colonialism. We encourage everyone to learn about the history of these lands, and to support resistance here and across Turtle Island.
NACCA gives thanks for the land that nourishes us and enables us to live in communities. May we continue to aspire to nurture and care for this land and for each other.
