 Iris Malcolm Memorial AwardThe Newmarket African Caribbean Canadian Association is pleased to announce that Natacia Gifford is this year’s recipient of the prestigious Iris Malcolm Memorial Award.
Natacia is an outstanding student who, despite challenging circumstances, inspires us all with her passion for empowering youth and serving her community with incredible devotion. We are excited to support Natacia in achieving her academic and professional goals. Renowned American poet, memoirist, and civil rights activist Maya Angelou tells us “if you're going to live, leave a legacy. Make a mark on the world that can't be erased.” Iris Malcolm was a woman of Jamaican-Canadian descent who exemplified the quiet resistance and forward thinking of Black women in Canada who took on the challenge of raising a family in an environment where discriminatory mechanisms compounded by social and economic stratification placed limits on their aspirations. Undeterred, she persevered, creating her own blue print, putting her stamp on the future by leaving a legacy where the pursuit of academic excellence and the advancement of her community was instilled in her children and grandchildren through the unwavering strength of her character. She made her mark by not only providing the next generation with roots, she also gave them wings. SUPERIOR ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE, LEADERSHIP AND MEANINGFUL COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTIONS RECOGNIZED WITH NACCA SCHOLARSHIPThe Newmarket African Caribbean Canadian Association is honoured to announce the recipients of the 2020 NACCA Scholarships. This scholarship supports outstanding students who are entering their first year of post-secondary studies, with NACCA providing up to $1,500 for tuition costs. The seven outstanding scholars will undertake post-secondary education in fields such as Science, Child and Youth Care, Commerce, Human Rights and Diversity and Engineering.
“When community members came together in 2018 to discuss how we could build a firm foundation for the next generation” recalls NACCA’s Chairperson Jerisha Grant-Hall, “it was abundantly clear that we wanted to build a legacy of high academic achievement and empowerment for Black youth. Our desire was to foster a profound sense of pride in claiming their Black identity. We wanted our young people to be deeply rooted in their birthright which is full knowledge of African industry, art, sciences, math, literature, culture and its profound influence on the world we have come to know.” These scholars are exceptional students and leaders who not only support and inspire their peers but also exemplify academic excellence and service in the broader community. They also demonstrate a strong capacity for leadership into the future. This award not only recognizes what they have already achieved, but opens the door for them to build on, and share more widely, their leadership and pursuit of excellence. “We could not be more proud of these incredible young people who through hard work, perseverance, determination and grit navigated the spaces and places they occupied, becoming leaders, scholars and change makers who created positive outcomes for themselves and others,” says Grant-Hall The scholarship awards demonstrates NACCA’s commitment to supporting young people and creating opportunities for the community to flourish. Congratulations to this year’s recipients of the NACCA Scholarship: · Julius Adu · Tristan Bethune · Natacia Gifford · Ziphion Grant-Bobb · Elijah Gyansa · Adelaide Swanston · Monique Thompson  Dear Anonymous Donor:
The Newmarket African Caribbean Canadian Association (NACCA) would like to thank you for your very generous donation of $10,000. These are extraordinary times and your willingness to support our efforts is appreciated. We are an organization powered by volunteers, and we seek to uplift our Black youth while also providing stakeholder engagement and advocacy to the Black community in Newmarket and surrounding areas, developing meaningful engagement and action on anti-Black racism. Ultimately we want to engage all our communities towards increased inclusion and belonging for all – through an anti-Black racism and equity lens. Thank you for your thoughtfulness and generous gift.  NACCA is teaming up with the Newmarket Food Pantry to help our community during these challenging times. This is an opportunity for you to make a difference while you #stayhome to interrupt the spread of the corona virus. if you would love to support, we will gladly pick up the much needed items for the food pantry from you while practicing social distance. If you prefer, we also have a drop off location for your donations. Here is a list of items the pantry needs ASAP:
The Building Beyond Sculptural Workshop was a giant success as children engaged with Ekow Nimako to build build their legacy by using their creativity to tell their own stories. Check out the stories below!  Ekow Nimako - Building Beyond - A Sculptural Workshop: A Black History Month 2020 Event
The sculptural workshop is featured as one of Newmarket’s Black History Month activities. Newmarket African Caribbean Canadian Association (NACCA) in partnership with the Town of Newmarket, and sponsored by Wasim Jarrah Real Estate, is pleased to present two workshops by Ekow Nimako, a well known artist and sculptor, on January 11, 2020 at Old Town Hall. This Toronto based artist has successfully carved out a niche for himself building sculptures out of black LEGO®. It began when he was four and later took root in the sculpture studios of York University, evolving over the years into a fascinating contemporary art practice unlike any other. Along with his uniquely fluid building style, keen attention to form, and content deeply rooted in other-worldly Black narratives, Nimako’s artwork beautifully transcends the iconic LEGO® bricks to reach new heights of materiality and substance. Young people will explore the unique and exciting world of Afro-Futurism – a fantastical sci-fi cultural genre that features African and Afrodiasporic peoples at the centre of their own epic stories using an array of Lego® elements. Participants are also encouraged to illustrate the names of their “Legacies” or write their origin stories to accompany their artwork. A bonus for the participants is that whatever they build, they keep. Suitable for ages 7 to 14 years. Visit naccacommunity.ca | newmarket.ca/blackhistory for more info on all activities for Black History Month.  The Newmarket African Caribbean Canadian Association (NACCA) is excited to launch York Region's first Black-Owned Marketplace in partnership with the Town of Newmarket on February 8, 2020 from 10:00am - 3:00pm on the main level of the Old Town Hall in Newmarket. The 'Ujamaa' Marketplace is a foundation to a social enterprise that is intended to unite the African Canadian community around the goal of economic development through cooperative economics.
The aim of 'Ujamaa' Marketplace is to support and mentor the next generation of African Canadian business leaders by giving youth and entrepreneurs of African descent the access to resources that they need to successfully build their own businesses.  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!  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!
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