 Our Community Cleanup was a tremendous success. The youth came out at 8AM, bright-eyed, willing, and ready to shift mindset about climate change and global warming. The initiative was created and led by a 13 years old, Jaylah Hall, to "bring awareness to the ongoing environmental problems." She presented to the group of youth a riveting treatise on why this initiative is so important for all of us. "The reason for the earth warming up," she says, "is pollution which contributes to the emission of greenhouse gasses." If we do not pay attention to this crisis, Jaylah explains, youth might not be able to "step into the future."
A big thank you to all the youth and their parents for their commitment and dedication. They did an amazing job! Even the universe showed its support with bouts of cool-breeze-hugs which warded off the heat and held back the rain until after noon. Check out NACCA's Instagram page for more highlights and photos!
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 A few weeks ago, we sent out a community survey to gain insight and feedback in regards to the kind of programs and services that you would like to see in our community. The responses came quickly. Below is a summary of the report. When asked, “What programs can we offer that would be beneficial to you and your family?” You said:
When asked, “What services would you like to see offered in our community?” You said:
When asked, “What changes would you like to see in our community?” You said:
Over the next year, we will be looking at this information to inform how we deliver programs and services in the community. Thank you for taking the time to let your voice be heard. Stay tuned for what's next!
If you are a resident of African or Caribbean descent in Newmarket or surrounding area, please take 2-3 minutes of your time to help NACCA better understand what programs and services we can create to benefit your family. Click the link below to complete a brief survey, we appreciate all feedback! Thank you for your participation. The survey will close on Monday June 14th at 6pm. Open to individuals, 12 years or older. https://forms.gle/cZnrhPJcT1ZcwH6GA  Our inaugural Gala was a success. Congratulations to the three extraordinary students who shine in their studies and lead and volunteer in their community. NACCA could not be more proud of students like Halle, Crystal and Yussef who work hard, aspire to make a difference and trail-blaze a path for others to follow. On May 11th, we ignited the future. Our executive team and our Gala Committee are busy working away at creating a spectacular event to celebrate, share and to create opportunities by supporting our scholarship fund. It will be a night of music, community and wonderful food!
We hope you can join us there! More details are found here. We are also looking for event volunteers - you can contact us with interest to help out by clicking here. Still I Rise: Celebrating Stories of Strength, Courage and Innovation. We had an engaging and educational session with Dwayne Morgan on February 23rd at the Newmarket Public Library. Morgan is a multi-award winning Spoken Word Artist who has performed in over 18 countries and is an inductee in the Scarborough, Ontario Walk of Fame. He spoke on themes of racism, social injustice and the lifelong tasks of redignifying oneself and practicing radical self love. Still I Rise: Celebrating Stories of Strength, Courage and Innovation. Newmarket African Caribbean Canadian Association’s inaugural Black history celebration event was on February 9, 2019 at Old Town Hall in Newmarket. It was an entire day of education, celebration and intercultural exchange. We came together and celebrated Black history, Black excellence and Black future; we redignified the past and redefined the future through art, stories, music, poetry and dance. Our youth came forward and delivered powerful narrative performances and our speakers challenged leaders to make a change to remove barriers and create opportunities. Still I Rise lifted us up and left us with a clear message that our liberation is tied up in our collective ability to effect change. Presented by NACCA, in partnership with the Town of Newmarket and funded, in part, by the Government of Canada.  Call for Submissions
In recognition of Black History month the Newmarket African Caribbean Canadian Association (NACCA) is inviting Newmarket youth Grades 1 to 12 who self-identify as the people of African descent to submit artwork in any medium responding to the theme Still I Rise: Celebrating stories of strength, courage, and innovation. The call for submissions deadline extended to January 18th, 2019 at 6:00 p.m. EST. This is an opportunity for Newmarket youth to share and express their own individual stories for the community to see. Students can interpret the theme in any way they see fit, however, they must provide a brief description of the artwork and how it relates to the theme. Ten (10) artworks will be chosen from a panel of jurors consisting of members from NACCA, the Town of Newmarket, and a local guest artist. The selected artworks will be on display at the Old Town Hall from February 1st to 23rd, 2019 in the Community Gallery. Youth Art Award: Prizes will be awarded to three (3) chosen students. In Honour of February 2019 Black History Month Newmarket Old Town Hall is partnering with the local emerging community group, Newmarket African Caribbean Canadian Association (NACCA) to celebrate Black History Month during February 2019. "We are a group of like-minded individuals who are committed to sharing and celebrating our stories, the stories that form the foundation of our collective history." - NACCA Working closely in partnership with the Town of Newmarket to create a welcoming and supportive environment, NACCA is actively building a strong and integrated community where black youths are connected to their past while firmly stepping into their future. Click here for their story by NewmarketToday. This year's theme: Still I Rise: Celebrating stories of strength, courage, and innovation Jerisha Grant-Hall, Chairperson of NACCA explains: " Still I Rise is a proclamation that, despite the odds, African Canadians continue to contribute vibrantly to Canadian culture, heritage and identity. From the condition of eighteenth century enslavement, displacement and dispossession to the attempted economic, social and psychological disembodiment of African peoples, Blacks in the New World continue to rise. We have developed strategies of resistance and survival ranging from negro spiritual songs to becoming conduits for freedom and change. "Still I Rise" invokes the African as the subject of her destiny and dismantles nineteenth century racist ideology that the African does not possess the mental faculties to make decisions about her own affairs. It is an invocation against the impact of entrenched racism and racialization on the lives of African peoples. Today, we celebrate our stories —the small narratives that tell the truth about who we are, even as we stand on the shoulders of those who have paved the way for us. It is by enormous strength and courage that we have emerged in the twenty-first century as entrepreneurs, innovators and change makers even while facing the harsh realities of post-colonialism, post-imperialism and paternalism. By celebrating our stories, we signal and root our presence in the space we occupy. We rise with strength, courage and determination to create something new of ourselves in the world we were so forcibly and unapologetically led to occupy." How to Enter Submission Deadline: January 18th, 2019 at 6:00 p.m. EST. Cost: No fee for entry Eligibility: All Newmarket elementary and secondary school students are eligible to apply.Each student can submit one (1) piece of artwork in any medium for consideration. We are open to any forms of art (e.g. photography, painting, sculpture, multimedia, video, etc.) Submission Details: Submission to be made via email to submissions@newmarket.ca with subject headline "Still I Rise Submission" or in person on a USB to the kiosk of the Old Town Hall (460 Botsford Street, Newmarket, ON L3Y 1T1) during the hours of operation, Tuesday to Friday, from Noon to 6 p.m. A JPG image of the proposed artwork AND a document (in WORD or PDF format) that includes the following information:
Any further inquiries: Contact Logan Bales, Gallery Coordinator, Curator at lbales@newmarket.ca |
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