On February 21, 2024, Fred Victor hosted an event to celebrate Black History Month, along with other community activities. This event was open to all ages and demographics and was a walk-in service for the community members of Regent Park. The activities that occurred included speeches from several black history month speakers, a seed exchange to promote community agriculture, free children's books, a workers' rights movement informational booth, and Jamaican cuisine catered for the community.

Fred Victor is a social service agency whose mandate is to have a positive impact on changing the lives of the homeless and low-income residents across Toronto. Fred Victor has hosted several events in the interest of the betterment of the community such as this, and more events for the community are upcoming.

Black History Month is an annual celebration that takes place in February to celebrate, contemplate, and learn the history of black figures, communities, and events. Black History Month celebrates contributions and accomplishments by black individuals such as the societal and cultural impacts they have made. It aims to honour all black heritage, such as the first slaves to modern-day citizens. Everybody from all walks of life — not just black people — are encouraged to celebrate the history of black heritage along with them. Fred Victor celebrates Black History Month this year to “ not only honour the rich history and contributions of Black Canadians but also underscores the importance of addressing systemic issues that disproportionately affect these communities.” as stated by Fred Victor. Additionally, Fred Victor has launched a new program to assist individuals and families in need due to mental health and/or substance use crises. This new initiative is called the “Mental Health Crises Support for African, Black, and Caribbean Communities” program. This program offers extensive support such as Crisis Intervention, Needs Assessment, Critical Time Intervention Case Management, and After-Care Follow-Up Services to ensure those affected receive the assistance they need.

As officially stated by the Fred Victor organization:

    “Fred Victor stands steadfast in its commitment to celebrating Black History, championing diversity, and fostering inclusivity in all aspects of our work.”

The seed exchange is a community-run initiative to promote sustainability and self-sufficiency to fend off food insecurity. Although the majority of those who interacted with the seed exchange are prominently gardeners, the seed exchange encouraged and is open to all those who are interested in the art of gardening. People were presented with a wide and varied assortment of neatly packaged seeds to help lower the barrier to entry for gardening.

Those who attended the event were also provided with free amenities such as a wide selection of Jamaican cuisine, and free activities for children such as colouring papers and children's reading books donated by The Children's Book Bank.

Speakers featured in both the RPTV Youtube video and this event are Snooky Tynes, Shawna Dixon & Lorreta Fisher, and keynote speaker Rajean Hoilett. These speakers talked about the injustices they experienced previously in their lives, such as how society treated black people in the past, and how they dealt with the hardships of that inequality.

By: Lawrence Rodriguez
Lawrence Rodriguez is a youth journalist with FOCUS Media Art Centre