GRIOTS REPUBLIC - AN URBAN BLACK TRAVEL MAG - AUGUST 2016

PASSPORT
PARTY PROJECT
Takes Toronto
Black Lives Matter,
Expatriation
& Africville
SPECIAL SECTION

ISSUE
CONTRIBUTORS

Archivists Note
We’ve literally been chasing Canadians all across
North America. From training facitilities in Florida
and up into Toronto, everyday was a “Canadians
are everywhere” moment.
With the Olympics broadcasting, we absolutely
had to find one of Canada’s medal contenders.
So we chased down Aaron Kingsley Brown (pause
- he allowed us to catch him) before he left for Rio
to compete in track and field. Two days before
our interview he had just set a sub 10 record in
the 100m and yet he was one of the most humble
guys you could ever meet.
Along with Kingsley, we finally chased down (1)
Oneika The Traveller (2 ‘L’s” - she’s Canadian).
She brilliantly discusses the wonders of growing
up Canadian and how it contributed to her wanderlust.
She also talks about travel elitism and
how we often use travel as another way to separate
ourselves. She sat down for our interview
and then immediately raced home to get
ready for another trip around the world.
We also got an opportunity to talk
to Canadian photographer and
artist (2) Stacey Tyrell. Her
work which deals with identity,
race and heritage in
post colonial societies
is stunning. Writer
T H E A R C H I V I S T S
Tiffany Em’s interview
with Stac-

ey is one for the books.
Writer Bill Young, a contributor to
the Society of American Baseball Research,
was also happy to share the
story of (3) Jackie Robinson’s time
with the Montreal Royals. If you’re
a historian or baseball fan then you
will love it.
So, here’s a little story of our own...
We’re eyeball deep into the Canada
issue and we get an email from overseas.
“I have a job opportunity in L.A,
but I’m scared to move to a country
where the government is killing its
black citizens and no one is being
held accountable.” That was the gist
of the email and with that everything
stopped for us.
Each month we put this publication
together with one major goal: to discuss
and expose black travelers to
the cultures, issues, and places they
encounter while out on the road. But
this wasn’t on the road. This was
at home - at least for us it is..
Our B.L.M section (4)
is our way of using
this platform to
continue the
conversation.

G L OH BE AL LGT IH
F T S
SICKLE CELL
The effects of SCD on the
Global Black community.
By Brittany Hayes
Sickle Cell Disease (SCD), an inherited condition in
which there is not enough healthy red blood cells to
carry adequate oxygen throughout the body, is the
most common genetic disorder in the United States.
With 100,000 individuals currently diagnosed with
SCD within the U.S. (approximately 1 out of 365 being
African-Americans) the effects of the disease can be
devastating.
Symptoms include severe pain, vision loss, hand and
foot syndrome, anemia, acute chest syndrome, stroke,
and in many instances death. SCD is particularly common
among those whose ancestors come from sub-Saharan
Africa, Spanish speaking regions in the Western
Hemisphere, Saudi Arabia, India, and Mediterranean
countries such as Turkey, Greece, and Italy.

Globally, SCD is the most common in
West and Central Africa where as many
as 25% of individuals have Sickle Cell
Trait. Worldwide, the disease is thought
to affect more than 500,000 babies a
year approximately 1,000 of those being
born within the United States. Today,
Sickle Cell Disease has become an
international health
problem and truly a
global challenge.
While scientific advances
have led to
effective approaches
for the management
and treatment
of SCD and the prevention
of complications,
much is still
needed to help bring
awareness to this
painful disease and
ultimately bringing
about a cure. In efforts
to bring awareness
and a cure for
SCD a call to action
is required.
For the global
black community
collective advocacy,
education, and
playing a hands
on role in
finding a cure
(i.e. participating
in clinical trials)
is vital.
For the global black community, collective
advocacy, education, and playing a
hands on role in finding a cure (i.e. participating
in clinical
trials) is vital. The value
of knowing if people
are carrying the
SCD, or not, is insurmountable,
and holds
the solution needed
to further enhance
awareness around the
globe. Heightened
awareness increases
the ability to capture
public attention
through sharing the
personal experiences
of people who live
with SCD each day,
makes SCD a community-wide
issue,
and places the significance
of this disease within the realm
of national consciousness. This is precisely
the focus of SCDAA.
The Sickle Cell Disease Association of
America, Inc. (SCDAA) has been the
leading nonprofit, patient focused organization
100% dedicated to Sickle Cell
SCD since its conception in 1971. SC-
DAA has worked nearly four decades to
develop a coordinated
national approach and
partner with community-based
organizations
to provide information
and support to people
affected by SCD and
their families. With a
mission to advocate for
and enhance our member’s
ability to improve
the quality of health,
life, and services for individuals,
families and
communities affected
by Sickle Cell Disease
and related conditions,
and promoting the
search for a cure, SC-
DAA has more than 40
community-based member organizations
located in over 30 states serving
throughout various communities in the
U.S.
To date, the organization
holds multiple
events throughout the
year to bring awareness
and promote
better treatments for
those living with SCD
including its National
Advocacy Day on
Capitol Hill, the Annual
Sickle Cell Convention,
and the National
Walk with the Stars
Sickle Cell Walk and
5k.
To promote awareness
of Sickle Cell Disease
in your local community
and to learn more
on how you can help, visit our national
website at www.sicklecelldisease.org.

GRIOTS READ
MID LIFE CRISIS AHEAD
Terry McMillian is back with a new book,
I Almost Forgot About You.
Review by Natalie Blake
In her signature flavor, Terry McMillan
takes us on a journey into the life of
Dr. Georgia Young, a mid-fifties, twice
divorced woman who has all the trappings
of success; great friends, family,
and a thriving career. However, all that
glitters isn’t gold.
Georgia is unsatisfied with her lot in life
and decides to take a trip down memory
lane when she learns about the death
of a man she once loved. On a whim,
she decides to locate all her old flames
to talk about her lessons learned and
possibly rekindle a flame or two.
Adding a little more fuel to the fire,
Georgia impulsively decides that she
wants to sell her house and optometry
practice, and try her hand at a career

McMillan weaves a
tale of love, regret,
betrayal, hope,
failure, and success.
The characters
come to life
and are so relatable
that images
of your mom,
daughter, sister,
girlfriend, and ex
loves will surely
come to mind.
With just enough
flair and drama we
join Georgia as she
ponders some of
life’s age old questions
and attempts
to create her ideal
life.
change. Not knowing where she wants
to go or what she wants to do, Georgia
plunges head first into what appears to
be a midlife crisis.
Set against the San Francisco backdrop
I almost forgot
about you is a feel
good, tell it like it
is story of a woman who decides not to
settle for the safe life she has created.
As Georgia journeys into the unknown,
she realizes that the life she always
longed for isn’t so far away after all.

Where were you when the inspiration for a
documentary on the Green Book sprung?
Gretchen Sorin, an extraordinary historian
who is a professor and the Director of the Museum
Studies program at the Cooperstown
Graduate Program, has been researching the
history of African American
travel for years. She
has an amazing archive
of oral histories and
photographs and is just
completing a book about
African Americans, car
culture, and “automobility”
in the era of Jim
Crow.
The Green Book, is the
best known of a number
of travel guides, which
beginning in the 1930’s were written specifically
for African Americans. The guides were
meant to provide information for black travelers
about safe places to stay, to eat, and to fill
their gas tanks, while moving through towns
and cities in this country that were incredibly
dangerous for black people.
One afternoon, after telling me about some of
the stories she had gathered over the years,
Gretchen said, “we need to make a film about
this,” and I knew she was absolutely right.
What steps do you take in developing a historical
documentary?
First and foremost
we want to do justice
to the stories that
people tell.
more – from all across the
country.
Projects like this require an incredible amount
of research on the front end. Gretchen Sorin’s
extraordinary research and archive have provided
a jumping off point and we are now
drawing on all
sorts of archival
materials,
including
photographs,
advertisements,
billboards,
road
signs, maps,
brochures,
newspaper
accounts,
letters,
records
legal
and
The narrative will be shaped by oral histories
and the on-camera insights of scholars, writers,
musicians, artists, religious leaders, and
others with strong stories to tell.
What are you hoping viewers will take away
from the film?
We hope the personal stories and the history
that they illuminate will provide people with

GREEN BOOK
REVISITED
A Q&A with Ric Burns, director and producer of the
feature-length documentary, Driving While Black.
new ways of looking at and thinking
about the complex nature of freedom,
mobility and race in America.
We want the film to be a catalyst for
discussion about race and equality
and with that ultimate goal in mind,
Gretchen and our team have been
working to develop a number of
wonderful partnerships.
As an example, we are partnering
with the International Coalition of
Sites of Conscience, a global network
of historic sites, museums,
and memory initiatives whose mission
is to connect past struggles to
today’s movements for social justice,
to develop a dialogue program
that will involve training facilitators
and conducting community discussions
throughout the country.
Our hope is to create a space in
which all Americans can reflect on
shared experiences and values—the
freedom to travel, the joy of driving,
the sense of wonder and adventure
on the open road, the fear of seeing
police lights in the rear view mirror
— but also on those experiences
that divide us, which document a
powerful and deeply troubling, but
often inspiring, history of struggle
and perseverance.
How does this documentary compare
to your previous work? How
does it feel different?
Although my colleagues and I have
a very systematic approach to research,
each time out a film, very
early on, develops its own specialness
– it demands a certain stylistic
approach, for example. In this
case, I am very excited about the
oral histories. Hearing from people
who were “there” so to speak,
who have first-hand knowledge and
experience, is always thrilling and
often very moving. And of course
the opportunity to collaborate with
Gretchen on this project, which she
has really been developing for decades,
is a privilege.
What type of response do you receive
from people when you tell
them about the film?
It is interesting the way that some
projects come about, just at the
right moment. Our sense is that all
of us need and want to be talking
about race in this country. Open
any paper on any day and you’ll
very likely find a story that in one
way or another resonates with the
title of our film – which is “Driving
While Black.”

The Green
Book, is the
best known
of a number
of travel
guides,
which
beginning
in the
1930’s were
written
specifically
for African
Americans.
First and foremost we want to do justice to the stories that
people tell. We also want the film to provide historical context,
and serve as a catalyst for discussion. What we hear
from people when we tell them about the film is – “Wow! That
is so timely.”
When will it be completed? And where can viewers see or
buy it?
We’re aiming to complete the film in late 2017 when it will
be broadcast on public television.We will have a very comprehensive
and active website and community outreach campaign
leading up to the broadcast, and PBS will be creating
material for classrooms as well.
What’s next for you?
We are completing a film about the Chinese Exclusion Act of
1882, which is another fascinating story about terrible racial
prejudice and injustice in this country. And we are completing
a film about the history of the Department of Veterans
Affairs, which is far, far more interesting than it sounds. Stay
tuned!

EVENT OF THE YEAR!
12 th ANNUAL
Taybeh Oktoberfest
AT TAYBEH BREWERY
September 24 & 25, 2016
CONFERENCES | EVENTS | RETREATS
Tel: +972 2 289 9440
Taybeh-Ramallah, Palestine
info@taybehgoldenhotel.com
www.taybehgoldenhotel.com
Make your reservations today
Book Now!

TRUE
NORTH
Motherland Connextions’ Tours Explore the
Shared Black History of the Canada region
By Kevin Cottrell
Motherland Connextions interprets the history and follows the serpentine
path of the Underground Railroad through the United States and Canada.
Neither underground nor a literal railroad, it was a secret network of individuals
with numerous “stations” that helped an estimated 100,000 enslaved
blacks make their way to freedom.
We began our cultural pilgrimage back in 1993 with 12 people from the
U.S. and Canada. One Canadian was a direct decedent of Harriet
Tubman. We used a broken down church van and carried $1,500
worth of t-shirts following the Old Harriet Tubman Trail from Guildford
North Carolina along the Eastern Seaboard to St. Catharine’s
in Ontario, Canada. The journey spanned 15 cities in 18 days.
Little did we know the die was cast.
Today, guides donning the attire of the period,
escort tours to the historic sites in
the Buffalo/

As
Niagara
Falls region
- an integral location
where slaves could reach the “promised
land” of free Canada.
history
lovers, we
make sure to
interpret the
story beginning with the
movement of the African. This story
begins with the Age of Discovery, the
Italian Renaissance, and the search for
a water route to the Middle East for spic-

es by Portuguese and
Spanish explorers. They
stopped in on the western
shores of Africa and soon
turned to dealing with African
Kings and trading for
Africans slaves. These
slaver ships sent from
Spain, Portugal, Denmark,
Sweden and Great
Britain soon engaged in
large-scale human trading.
As they made their
way to South America, the
Caribbean and ultimately to
North America, conditions
aboard the ships marked a
dark history of transatlantic
brutality and chattel slavery.
We make a point to compare
and contrast the history at different
points (i.e. African men
and boys were desired to make
the transatlantic voyage that lasted
3-12 weeks because of their
strength to endure such a long journey
compared to the 20th & 21st centuries,
where black men and boys are
driving the criminal justice system to the
unprecedented numbers we face today).
A Motherland Connextion tour covers
the history of slavery in the United
States, particularly the 19th century, the
movement of slaves seeking freedom,
and the introduction of the Black Cowboy.
We cover the black church, Negro
spirituals (the original rap songs) and
their role in aiding those to escape on
the Underground Railroad – speaking in
riddles and singing in code. Lastly, we
cover the federal legislation that began
the movement beyond the northern United
States borders –The Fugitive Slave
Law of 1850.
This law began the Freedom Seekers
migration to Canada and brought in two
states to the union, California, a free soil
state, and Missouri (Ferguson), a slave
state. It lessened our count from a whole
person to 3/5 of a person regarding the
electoral vote and ultimately the creation
of bounty hunters, who were deputized
to capture fugitive slaves, as well as,
free persons of color (12 Years a Slave).
We refer to Canada as Canaan due to
the fact that Sunday was the slave’s
only day off, in most cases. Slave were
given a choice to either attend their socalled
owner’s church or their own –
where they would request to be read to
from the book of Exodus and its story
of Moses leading the Hebrews out of
Egypt to the land of Canaan, the land of
milk & honey. This was their story, one
that they could relate to. From this biblical
story, Tubman earned her nickname
“Grandma Moses.”
Phonetically, Canada and Canaan
sounded similar. Border cities like Buffalo,
Niagara Falls Ny, and Detroit,
Michigan have a shared story. Those
freedom seekers escaping from the
American south naturally made a life for
themselves and their families in a landscape
similar to the environment they
had escaped from (the southern Ontario
landscapes are like the American south,
only the south is not as cold).
After the passage of the Fugitive Slave
Law, the risk of being sent back to slavery
or being kidnapped as a free person
and shipped into slavery was just

too risky. The federal government’s actions made this
possible through legislation.
My region played host to thousands of freedom seekers
seeking the promise of permanent freedom with the
aid of our Canadian neighbors opening up their lands
to those weary freedom seekers. It’s at this point on
the historical time line that American history becomes
North American history and the African-Canadian story
begins. Motherland Connextions ensures that the
complete story is told with honor and care.

See what’s
possible
l’Experience NOIR:
An interest session on the Black Peace Corps experience
Celebrate and hear the life-defining experiences of currently-serving and returned African American/black returned
Peace Corps Volunteers.
Meet Natalie Felton, who served in Vanuatu from 2011- 2015, and hear her personal story from her
Peace Corps service in the South Pacific. Learn how it changed her life, and how Peace Corps could change yours.
Saturday, September 24, 5:00- 6:00 p.m. EDT
HOTEL RL DC, 1823 L Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20036
After the event, follow Natalie over to the National Black Peace Corps Volunteer Social Mixer and mingle
with black returned Peace Corps Volunteers.
Questions about Peace Corps service? Need more information about this event? Contact Natalie Felton at
nfelton@peacecorps.gov.

PASSPORT P

ARTY
01 PASSPORT
PARTY PROJECT
TRAVELER PROFILE
The Passport Party Project is a National Geographic
award-winning global awareness initiative
providing first passports to underrepresented
American girls 11-15. The Passport Party
Project helps plant the seeds of community
service, international exploration, study abroad
& global citizenship.
The founder, Tracey Friley, is an award-winning
travelpreneur & travelanthropist (with stories
published on sites like Oprah’s Angel Network,
American Airlines’ Black Atlas & TravelChannel.
com). She is also the face behind “One Brown
Girl in Paris” and has been taking teen girls on
travel adventures to places like the U.S. Virgin
Islands, Belize, Lake Shasta, Paris & Toronto
since 2010.
A self-proclaimed culturalista and Francophile,
Tracey is also a lifelong entrepreneur with an
MBA in Global Management. She enjoys planning
and hosting trips to Paris for women & girls,
and has owned & operated a French-themed permanent
pop-up boutique for close to 10 years
where she sells the treasures she finds while
travelling. The creator of The Phantasmagorical
Adventures of Buttercup Bottletop, Tracey finds
magic wherever she goes.
Bio taken from their website:
www.passportpartyproject.org

TYRELL
BY TIFFANY EM

ARTIST PROFILE
Take one look at the series of photos
in Stacey Tyrell’s Backra Bluid and prepare
for those haunting images to stick
with you. Tyrell, a photo-based artist,
boldly reimagines herself several times
over in portrait form, posing as imagined
distant Scottish relatives. What
exactly is she getting at? The fact that
most people in post-colonial societies
can point to moments in their lineage
where racial or ethnic mixing occurred.
She compels the viewer to confront the
fact that blackness and whiteness in
the Americas share such entangled histories
and are perhaps not as distinctive
as we’d like to believe. By blurring
the line between black and white, who
then is the other?
Tyrell grew up in Toronto, the child of
proud West Indian parents originally
from the tiny Caribbean island of Nevis.
Tyrell remembers
her father This feeling of
reading “The being the “other”
Castle of My was present, even
Skin” and though you can’t
authors like put it into words
Frantz Fanon; when you’re
he was constantly
af-
small.
firming her,
“Don’t believe
what they’re telling you [in school],
sometimes they turned those slave
ships right around!”
Up until age eight, she grew up around
first generation Canadians just like her.
After being put into a gifted program
however, she found herself surrounded
by mostly white students from a
vastly different economic background.

This tension, being proud of who she
was, yet feeling the pang of wanting to
blend in and assimilate was probably
what pushed her to explore heritage
and identity in Backra Bluid. “Most of
my time in school, I was the only black
female in my year. This feeling of being
the “other” was present, even though
you can’t put it into words when you’re
small.”
Tyrell’s exploration of race, identity,
and memory in her photographic work
is deeply personal and by her own admission,
she creates work selfishly to
grapple with big questions she harbors
deep within. “I don’t make the kind of
work that doesn’t have meaning or is
only meant to be pretty. It’s trying to
say a lot.”
Tyrell’s sharp intellect and sense-ofself
evidenced in her work was evenly
matched by her warm curious spirit. A
conversation with her will include frequent
cackling, excited interjections,
and maybe even an amen or two. She is
well-traveled from frequent family trips
to England and the Caribbean growing
up and even still, exudes a fervent tourist-like
curiosity at home and abroad.
Tyrell is a self-proclaimed history nerd
and loves visual references of life in past
times. Take a look at her portfolio and
you will find that most of her work is
concerned with memory, constructions
of the past, and stories of people in her
life. Tyrell bears the true mark of an
artist: the ability to find inspiration anywhere
and in everything. Being an artist
is central to who she is as it gives her an

outlet for her curiosity and a reason to
engage with others. After studying photography
in college and working in the
commercial photography industry for
15 years, she can still fondly recollect
the early days when her father introduced
her to film and credits the camera
with keeping her out of trouble during
a rough
stretch
“Slow down. Think for
a couple seconds
and really look at
what you’re putting
in that frame.”
of teen
years.
Today,
Stacey
lives in
Brooklyn,
New
York. It’s not too far from home, but far
enough that she is living her own kind
of immigrant experience.
“My parents once told my sister and
I that they felt bad because we didn’t
know what it was like to function in a
society where everyone looked like us.
Slipping into life in certain neighborhoods
in Brooklyn, I recognize how
much I missed out on that.”
She credits her move to Brooklyn as being
hugely influential in the work she’s
begun making in the last seven years.
Being able to leave the house feeling
comfortable in her skin has given her
access to a reality she’s never known
while simultaneously reminding her of
all the ways Canadian and American
culture are not one in the same. One
of the social theories school children
in Canada are taught is that we are a
cultural mosaic. This is in direct opposition
to the U.S., which sees itself as a
melting pot.
“You can come to Canada and build
community around your culture without
having to conform to some uniform
Canadian identity.” One of her earliest
works, Position As Desired, expresses
her mother’s life as a mosaic of old
photos and spaces between photos in
an album that when combined, tell a
fuller and perhaps more precarious
story. This work is included in Heritage
Canada for its unique expression of the
Canadian cultural mosaic ideal.
As a photo-based artist in the age of social
media, Tyrell has fascinating views
on the similarities between the photo
albums of yesterday and the curated
realities we live online. “People’s life
events are reduced to archetypal images
that others can relate to. The only
reason these images have currency is
because they’re being exchanged.”
For those who lament the days of hard
copies of photos and aged sticky photo
album pages, Tyrell would contend that
the value of any image (or collection of
images) comes from the emotion embedded
within, or the emotion one is
trying to convey through it. That it isn’t
the medium at all that makes an image
valuable, but the intention and emotion
within it.
Next time you find yourself ready to snap
a photo, consider taking a page out of
Stacey Tyrell’s book. “Slow down. Think
for a couple seconds and really look
at what you’re putting in that frame.”
Avoid the tendency to snap-snap-snap
and look for the inspiration in every corner
of the frame. She would advise that
you try raising the camera or going in
for a tighter shot.
“The craftsmanship comes from looking,
but you have to do more than simply
look because the goal is to tell a story.
You don’t know the next time you’re
going to be in that place. What will the
story be?”

Tiffany Em is a trained dancer currently studying
international urban planning and development
at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
To combine her love for travel, culture, and
social justice she began writing about urban
development, curiosity, and tourism on her
personal blog: www.theroadlessinquired.com.
She hopes to one-day work with artists, businesses,
and local residents to develop sustainable tourism
enterprises around the world, but especially in
Sub-Saharan Africa.

The
intoxicating
aroma of
strawberries
hits you first. As
you enter from the
street into the warehouse-like
structure,
your eyes adjust from
the shining sun to the
darkened shadows of
the Marché Jean-Talon.
It is a place of parallel
paradox. Light streams in
from glass paneling near
the roof and from all sides
of the open-air design,
aisles widening and narrowing
according the bounties
they border, the volume of
foot traffic. Scent and color
are very important to the vendors
and their customers at
Jean-Talon. And also flavor.
When one thinks of Canada, flavor
might not be the first consideration,
but do not be mistaken:
not just Toronto, but Montréal has
very diverse and vibrant popula-
The Flavor of Montreal’s Markets
By Selome Brathwaite

Jean-Talon
tions that contribute to the current
foodie havens in several neighborhoods.
International spices, localized
condiments and cosmetics,
and straight-from-the-source
animal and vegetable produce
all have their moment to shine
here.
Jean-Talon Market, located at
7070 Avenue Henri-Julien in
Montréal has been open and
running since May 1933,
when it was called the
Marché du Nord (north-end
market), later renamed after
the first Intendant of
New France, Jean-Talon.
New France, as its name
implies, was the name
of the area colonized in
North America by the
French Monarchy and
held between 1534
and 1763.This area
included modern-day
Louisiana and as far
north as Newfoundland,
with vibrant

emnants and communities even
as the political territories shifted
hands.
The market is located in Montréal’s
Little Italy community, which has
itself changed with the times. At
Jean-Talon, evidence of this mélange
is available in the dairy and bakery
items, oils, vinegars, spices and
herbs, as well as the faces of the vendors
and customers themselves- immigrants
from Asia, French-speaking
Africa, the Caribbean, and Eastern
Europe.
Per the Montreal Gazette, as of
2015, Montréal’s over four million
residents have statistically included
several immigrant populations, with
over 40,000 new immigrants between
2014-2015, which accounts
for 18% of all new immigrants to
Canada during this time period.
Today, Jean-Talon is an official member
of the Montréal Public Markets
(Marchés Publics de Montréal), and
has fed several generations of visitors,
immigrant locals, and vendors
alike. About 300 vendors populate
the market, coming in from the Quebec
countryside, while nearby outside
stores like William J. Walter
boucherie (butchery) benefit from
the hungry shoppers. If you are in
the mood, try one of their spiced
sausages, grilled on the spot with
your choice of sauerkraut and mustard
fixins, stop by and say “hello”
to the friendly staff!
In the winter, one can expect steaming
hot metal pots of apple cider by
the cup, and an extra emphasis on
the locally-produced maple syrup in

all its Canadian iterations. The summer
market is the best time to enjoy
Jean-Talon, as a festive air includes
a variety of street performers nearby
for the children and their parents,
while they stock up on supplies.
Many vendors show off their stone
fruits (peaches, nectarines, two kinds
of cherries, three kinds of plums!),
and make fresh slices as quick as
the samples are eaten. In a far corner,
you can choose freshly laid eggs
from chickens, quails, ducks, and
even geese. A favorite haunt of mine
has its own four walls and door within
the market: Épices de Cru.
Husband and wife Ethné and Phillipe
de Vienne are spice trekkers, starting
Épices in 1982 as a catering endeavor
that evolved into a food-centric
pilgrimage of sorts. Having made
regular international trips with their
children to learn from the native
users and eventually source their
wares, this small spice shop boasts
an impressive collection of teas and
hard-to-find spices, alongside the
art of traditional preparation, ceremony
and a humble respect for the
knowledge shared to them.
In its colorfully decorated corner, the
store commands awe as you pour
over the meticulously labeled metal
tins of whole and finely ground
peppercorns, making hard choices
between Masala Curry from several
regions of India and Indonesia.
Needless to say, if you are coming
to Montreal for the first or thirtieth
time and enjoy fresh foods, a lively
atmosphere with some down-toearth
offerings from people from all
over the earth, Jean-Talon Market is
a must. Vendor prices range from
reasonable to specialty rate, and
there is an on-site ATM available, as
many but not all vendors prefer cash
payments. So come prepared and
hungry.
Selome Ameyo (Brathwaite) likes to look
back at history while she moves forward in
her travels and advocacy. Having studied
environmental sustainability, human rights
and international affairs policy, she is quite
aware of the value of knowing and engaging
the people of the world and their genuine
connection to the spaces in which they move.
Selome seeks to encourage women of varying
backgrounds to be curious and critical, all
the while empowering them to get out there
and never settle when they have a passion
to manifest and share with others. This is her
first written article for Griots Republic.

2016
RIO
Working The Games:
An outsiders inside view
of the 2016 Olympics.
By Dave Reynolds

Brazill is such a beautiful country with so much history and culture. So
imagine spending three months here is a dream come true. The people,
the food, and rich history leaves you longing for more. When I first
heard the Olympics were coming here, I knew I had to come. However,
I never thought I would be working it. This is my first Olympics and I
must say it is truly an amazing experience. After spending so much
time here, I have learned that what most folks see is a much different
place than what the local Brazilians see.
Like many other countries in South America, the Caribbean, and Central
America there is a high poverty rate, a corrupt government and a
lack of resources for urban inner city communities. So one would think

the Olympics would bring about more
than just exposure, but opportunity and
revenue for the country.
The cost of hosting an Olympics is very
expensive; so much so, that there are
several countries that have re-considered
the opportunity and declined to
put in a bid to host. It was definitely
quite an undertaking for Brazil. The impact
has taken such a heavy toll on this
country’s financials and has left many
of the residents very unhappy. This
historic event might have been a little
more to handle than this country would
have thought.
Many of the locals feel that the government
has pulled away too many financial
and local resources from the people
to support this event. As we see in the
media, many people have taken to the
streets in protest. Although the financial
toll has been quite heavy on this
country they are still managing to pull
the games together.
Looking deeper, there is much truth to
how the country and many of the poorer
neighborhoods are being affected.
Many of the favelas have been impacted.
Residents have been relocated, so
the country can build new housing,
hotels and buildings in support of the
Olympic Games. The local transportation
has also been exhausted in support
of this event. Much of the financial
resources, that would normally support

local infrastructure, have been diverted
to ensure that the Games go on.
Now that you have heard some of the
negatives, lets look at some of the positives
that I see coming from this experience.
This is not to say that I am
disagreeing with the plight of many of
the locals.
The World Cup and the Olympics have
brought many jobs and opportunities
for a lot of the local residents. Industries
such as construction, transportation,
service, banking, and the local industries
have all ben affected. The hosting
organizations of these events FIFA and
IOC (International Olympic Committee)
have also employed many of the residents
in cities being impacted by the
games. The IOC trained hundreds of
local Brazilians in many different areas
from general business operations
to technical operations. Manu of the
workers who I have spoken to, are very
happy for the training and subsequent
work opportunity.
While in Brazil, I have had the opportunity
to visit many of the beautiful and
historic sites, meet local folks, that I
have grown close to in this short time,
ate amazing food and partied it up as
well. Spending three months here is
definitely an eye opening experience
and I won’t forget it. I will remain a huge
fan of this country, its people, culture
and beauty and I am looking forward to
definitely coming back.

Born in Jamaica, Dave Reynolds spent
his childhood my traveling. After migrating
to the U.S at 18 and getting
his Electrical Engineering Degree,
he followed his passion and now
works in the TV and Film industry. He
is still just as passionate about traveling,
photography, cooking and fitness
and makes time for those as much as
possible.

Music Director,
JASON IKEEM RODGERS
MUSIC. PASSION, LEGACY.
For concert dates visit www.orchestranoir.com.
facebook.com/orchestranoir @orchestranoir @orchestranoir

BROWN OLY

MPICS
02 AARON
BROWN
TRAVELER PROFILE
Aaron Brown made his Olympic debut at London
2012 where he came within one spot of qualifying
for the 200m final, finishing ninth by 0.05
seconds. One of the country’s top sprinters,
Brown is a former Canadian record holder in the
200m.
On June 11, 2016, he became just the fourth Canadian
man to ever break the 10-second barrier
in the 100m, running 9.96 at a meet in Florida.
Brown made his senior IAAF World Championship
debut in 2013, where he was part of the
bronze medal 4x100m relay team. He ran the
leadoff leg when Canada successfully defended
that bronze in 2015. Earlier in 2015 he was the
anchor of the 4x100m relay team that appeared
to have won gold at the Pan Am Games in Toronto
before a lane violation led to disqualification.
Brown had previously won 200m bronze at
the 2010 IAAF World Junior Championships
and 100m silver at the 2009 IAAF World Youth
Championships. At the 2011 Pan American Junior
Championships, he won 100m bronze and
4x100m relay silver. Brown raced collegiately
for the USC Trojans. As a senior, he won 100m
bronze and 200m silver at the 2014 NCAA Championships.
(Bio from the Canadian Olympic Team
website, www.olympic.ca)

1945
ROYAUX DE MON
T h e y
came to the table.
Seventy years ago this
autumn (2015), Jackie Robinson
came to Montreal and started a journey
that changed the face of baseball forever.
On October 23, 1945, the young African-
American shortstop, fresh off an allstar
season with the Negro American
League’s Kansas City Monarchs walked
into the Delorimier Stadium offices of
Montreal Royals’ team president, Hector
Racine, sat down, and signed a contract
to play for the International League club
in 1946.
Never before in the 20th century had
such a thing happened in baseball. Never
before had an African-American been so
openly invited onto the playing fields of
Organized Baseball.
And never again would the game be the
same.
Up until this moment, all of Organized
Baseball had unflinchingly adhered to
a strict, albeit unofficial, colour barrier,
what author Art Rust, Jr. described as a
series of “private agreements [intended]
to maintain the game’s ‘white purity.’”
Its roots reached back into the 1880s

TRÉAL
BY BILL YOUNG
when
certain of
baseball’s opinionsetters
began taking
brutally vocal exception to the
small numbers of blacks then entering
the game. Perhaps the most notorious
bigot was the legendary Cap Anson who
one time in Toledo, when confronted
by Moses Fleetwood Walker, one of two
blacks on the home team, is famously
reputed to have yelled, “Get that nigger
off the field.”
Rust maintains that because of Anson’s
popularity and power in baseball circles,
he, “almost single-handedly sped up the
exclusion of the black man from white
baseball until 1946.” That was the year
Jackie Robinson first suited up for the
Royals.
By 1890, at all levels, from the major
leagues to their affiliated minor leagues,
segregation ruled. Occasionally, teams
might try to pass off an especially
talented African-American as a Native
Indian, or declare that a dark-skinned
Latin was actually Caucasian, but these
ploys always failed. Organized Baseball
was white, end of discussion.
Over the years, African-Americans
looking to play the game banded
together to form their own teams and
leagues. By the 1930s, a loose but
functioning structure of Negro leagues
had developed, with two loops, the
Negro National and American Leagues,
considered major league.

Their showcase event was the annual east
west All-Star game. Usually played before
a full house at Chicago’s Comiskey Park,
these matches increasingly revealed the
sophisticated skill-levels of many of the
participants. It was getting ever harder
to claim that blacks were not talented
enough to play the white game. Change
was inevitable, but when?
Attitudes began shifting during World War
II as large numbers of African Americans
enlisted in the United States military to
fight - and die - for their country. For many,
the contradiction was unacceptable. A
black man could be asked to surrender his
life in the defence of freedom: he was just
not free to play baseball.
But still, the colour barrier could not
be breeched - not until Branch Rickey,
president of the Brooklyn Dodgers, decided
to take matters into his own hands.
A devout man, Rickey considered that
segregation in all its forms was abhorrent,
especially in baseball. The practice
offended his Christian principles and by
1945 he was ready to challenge it head on.
He was also a brilliant baseball tactician.
Responsible for a number of the game’s
advances, most notably the development of
those holding pens call the ‘farm system,’
Rickey was relentless in his hunt for new
talent. Well aware of the riches buried in
the Negro Leagues, he was determined to
be the first to stake a claim.
The Dodgers’ president fully understood
that breaking through baseball’s colour
barrier would be a delicate operation -
one wrong step and the damage would be
incalculable. The player selected to lead
the way would have to be capable enough
to leave no doubts as to his playing ability
and strong enough to withstand the bitter
vituperation that would come his way from
all sides. It took some time - but when
Rickey met Jackie Robinson he knew he
had found the man he was looking for.
Although born in the Deep South, Robinson
had grown up in California where he soon
developed a reputation as an outstanding
athlete. At UCLA, he had the unusual
distinction of earning a letter in four
different sports - track and field, basketball,
baseball, and football.

Robinson joined the army following Pearl
Harbour and earned the rank of second
lieutenant. It was here he encountered the
full force of white supremacy for the first
time - he faced a court martial for having
refused to move to the back of a bus - and
by the time he received his honourable
discharge in 1944 he was firmly resolved
to combat racism in every way possible.
Robinson began civilian life playing
shortstop for the stellar Kansas City
Monarchs. Although he shone on the field,
he recognized that this was not enough - he
was searching for a bigger challenge. Thus
when Branch Rickey summoned him to
Brooklyn and outlined his plan, Robinson
was ready.
There was never any question as to
where Robinson would begin his career in
integrated baseball. Before he could even
consider joining the Dodgers, he would first
have to prove his mettle and gain acceptance
in the minor leagues. To accommodate
this transition, Rickey selected the relative
obscurity of the International League,
and what he considered to be the most
accepting of all cities on the Dodgers’ map,
Montreal.
“There was never any
question as to where
Robinson would
begin his career in
integrated baseball.”
Noted sports writer, Tom Meany, wrote,
“Rickey felt that he had the ideal spot in
which to break in a Negro ball player, the
Triple A farm in Montreal where there was
no racial discrimination.” And Dink Carroll
of the Montreal Gazette echoed, “the
absence here of an anti-Negro sentiment
among sports fans . . . was what Mr.
Rickey doubtless had in mind when he
chose Montreal as the locale of his historymaking
experiment.”
In fact, Jackie Robinson was far from the
first African-American to play professional
baseball in Quebec. As baseball historian
Christian Trudeau has pointed out, blacks
were part of the local semi-pro and

independent league scene as far back as
1924, if not before. Chappie Johnson, a
veteran of the Negro Leagues, frequently
brought his touring All-Stars to the province
where they were so well received that he
eventually sponsored an all-black team
in a Montreal circuit. By the mid-1930s
there were several blacks, including locals
Charlie Calvert and Chico Bowden, playing
in the independent Provincial League and
elsewhere.
Rickey, who had left no stone unturned in
his crusade to draw African-Americans into
mainstream baseball, would have known
of this history. He understood that while
racism was certainly present in Montreal,
it was not the virulent factor of daily life
that so dominated much of America. If
Robinson was to have any chance to gain
acceptance, he believed, Montreal was the
best bet available to him.
Robinson himself acknowledged the
importance of this choice. “I owe more
to Canadians than they’ll ever know, “ he
once said. “In my baseball career they
were the first to make me feel my natural
self.” William Brown notes in his excellent
Baseball’s Fabulous Montreal Royals how
Robinson declared years later that had
Montreal not supported him in 1946, “I
might not have had the courage to go on.”
Rickey had been very deliberate in his
march toward baseball integration, but
when in the autumn of 1945 he was finally
ready to act -when he had selected the man
to break through the wall - he acted quickly.
On very little notice, and without tipping his
hand, Rickey arranged for Robinson to be in
Montreal on October 23 and formally sign
with the Royals. The press were summoned,
but not told why.
And so when Hector Racine introduced
Jackie Robinson as the newest member of
his baseball team and invited him to sign a
contract, the reporters in the room reacted
with stunned silence. Baseball was about
to be integrated - and they had not seen it
coming.
Then, almost as one, they broke for the
telephones, clamouring over each other
in their haste to be the first “to relay the
incredible news to their editors.” What
Le Petit Journal would call a, “ veritable
revolution in the world of baseball,” had
begun.
And it had begun in Montreal.
BILL YOUNG is co-author with Danny Gallagher
of Remembering the Montreal Expos
(2005) and Ecstasy to Agony: The
1994 Montreal Expos (2014) and author of
a number of articles about baseball in Quebec.
He served as dean in the Quebec community
college system and is a founding
member of SABR’s Quebec Chapter. Married,
with adult children, he lives in Hudson,
Quebec.

TORONTO’S
PREMIER HIP HOP
FESTIVAL CELEBRATES
10 YEARS OF ARTS
AND CULTURE
Manifesto Festival of Community
& Culture​will celebrate ten years
with ten days of music, art exhibitions,
community summits, and
more across the city of Toronto,
September 9 - 18, 2016.
Over the past decade Manifesto
Festival of Community & Culture​
has become Canada’s premier
celebration of hip hop culture
and beyond – a multi disciplinary,
world class festival with a positive
social and economic impact. Manifesto​is
committed to addressing
the challenges faced by urban artists
including systemic exclusion
and under resourcing of marginalized
and racialized communities.
Highlights of the 10th Annual
Manifesto Festival of Community
& Culture​(MNFSTO10) ​include
an opening night party on Friday,
September 9 at the Drake Hotel
with art installations, dance crews,
and DJs Sophie Jones​and Boi 1da​.
On Saturday, September 17 MN-
FSTO10​will present the largest
show in Manifesto history with
rapper, singer and producer An-

derson .Paak ​and Polaris Music
Prize short lister Kaytranada ​at
Echo Beach
MNFSTO10​will end with a massive
block party at Yonge Dundas
Square on Sunday, September 18
with A Tribe Called Red. The MN-
FSTO10​block party will feature
multiple stages on all sides of the
Square, creating an intimate space
to celebrate with DJs, dance crews
and MCs, plus a community market
and tons of food vendors.
More programming for all MN-
FSTO10​elements including art
exhibitions, community summits
and additional music will be announced
in the coming weeks.
Manifesto Festival of Community
& Culture​was created after a small
group of local artists, community
organizers, and event promoters
gathered at Toronto City Hall
to discuss ideas for establishing
a new urban arts platform. Identifying
the challenges they faced,
those young leaders pooled their
passions, talent and resources to
create opportunities to showcase
local artists and organizations.
Since then, Manifesto​has become
a non profit, youth powered platform
designed to put local artists
on the map and unite, inspire and
empower diverse communities of
young people through arts and
culture, year round.

BLM
SPECIAL SECTION

1
WE CONTINUE
TO BE MAGICAL
Roundtable on building
and sustaining the Black
liberation movement
BY NANA ADU-POKU
2
LIBERIA 2.0
A case for the
revitalization of the Back
to Africa Movement
BY ANTOINE KINCH
3
MEANWHILE IN
CANADA
Africville... The recap.
BY LINCOLN BLADES

WE CONTINUE
TO BE
MAGICAL
Roundtable on building
and sustaining the Black
liberation movement
BY NANA ADU-POKU
ILLUSTRATIONS BY KALKIDAN ASSEFA
Against a backdrop of high-profile police
brutality and violence in the killings of
Sandra Bland, Trayvon Martin, Andrew
Loku, and Jermaine Carby, we are in the
midst of a recharged protest movement
led by Black people, particularly young
folks, who are angry with the systemic racism,
sexism, transphobia, homophobia,
and economic inequality legitimized by
the state.
Armed with the power of social media,
feminist and womanist literature, and
grassroots organizing communities, activists
are spearheading intersectional
movements that cast light on issues of police
violence, violence against trans folks,
and systemic discrimination in the labour
and education systems.
It is frustration with the current state of
race-based discrimination in Canada that
has pushed me to look beyond my own
experiences and toward others for their
perspectives. We convened a roundtable
discussion to get at the heart of issues
that are specific to Black folks who are
engaged in the Black liberation struggle;
their responses highlight the varied beliefs
and complex problems facing Black
peoples in Canada.
Are you an activist? If so, what kinds of
organizing or resistance work are you (or
have you been) a part of?
CHUKWUMA NWEBUBE: Yes, I would consider
myself a politically conscious citizen.
During my last two years at the University of
Guelph, I was deeply involved with the C.J.
Munford Centre, a resource centre for students
of colour that served as a place of refuge
on a white-dominated campus.
CASSANDRA THOMPSON: I would definitely
consider myself an activist. The first act
of resistance that I take every day is waking
up. I’m a queer, Black, radical womxn and I’m
alive. This subverts the prescribed systemic
plan. Period.
I work on grassroots initiatives, on campus
and in the Toronto community more broadly,
and I’m on the path to becoming a midwife
and a doula for Black and Indigenous queer
individuals, which is not only resistance to the
patriarchal medical system, but is also an act
of reclamation of an African and Indigenous
healing and creation practice. I engage in resistance
art, as both a writer and a subject in
visual art pieces, and I work with Black Lives
Matter – Toronto when possible. For me,
political consciousness and action is not
separated from my everyday personhood.
Just as my queerness isn’t, my Blackness
isn’t and my femme womxnhood isn’t.

PRESENTED BY

DANIEL TSEGHAY
CONTRIBUTORS
is a Vancouver-based writer and organizer. He currently writes for RankandFile.ca, a Canadian
labour news site.
HAWA Y. MIRE
is a diasporic Somali storyteller, writer, and strategist. She is a master of environmental studies
candidate at York University, where her research incorporates traditional Somali stories
with discourses of constructed identity while pulling from archival histories of resistance
and radical curatorial practices.
CASSANDRA THOMPSON
is a community educator, activist, published writer, and creator. She is currently the store
manager of A Different Booklist, is working on a queer children’s book, and is pursuing her
dream of becoming a midwife and doula.
DUANE HALL
is an artist and social change agent who is passionate about using a creative approach to
discussing mental health and the human condition. He is a founding member and curator of
Spoke N’ Heard in Toronto.
CHUKWUMA NWEBUBE
attended the University of Guelph, where he was involved with the C.J. Munford Centre, a
campus resource center for people of colour. He is committed to dismantling the systems
that disenfranchise Black communities.
HAWA Y. MIRE: I tend to stay away from
terms like activist because the name itself
comes laden with additional baggage and
is increasingly co-opted by systems that
don’t work in my communities’ interests. I
have had far too many experiences of “activist”
being used as a shield against critique
and reflexivity for the harms that are
committed in the world. I am more interested
in what we do when we believe no one is
watching us. How do we treat those we are
intimate with? How do we treat those we
believe to have little power over us? How
do I continue to support Black peoples in
all of my interactions? I know myself intimately
to be a storyteller, to believe deeply
in the work of African feminisms as I follow
in the footsteps of my ancestors.
I am currently curating, with Luam Kidane,
NSOROMMA, a pan-African arts initiative
that incubates, supports, and amplifies insurgent
African art and artists. We politicize
art as a site for experimentation and
building our freedom dreams.
DUANE HALL: These days, anyone who is
socially or politically conscious and engaged
in dialogue about issues that plague
our community is seen as an activist. I am
not an activist; that is a very specific role.
There are many different roles to play in
the progression of our people, and activist
is just one of them.
DANIEL TSEGHAY: These days I’m wrapped
up in the ongoing refugee crisis. I’m from
Eritrea, the country producing the third
largest number of refugees crossing the
Mediterranean. There are so many stories
of what this particular moment means for
Eritreans, and many Africans as a whole.
It means languishing in refugee camps,
being smuggled across the Sahara, some-

times held for ransom, held in detention
centres, and risking drowning in the sea,
only to reach a continent that doesn’t want
you. Lately I’ve been organizing around
this, trying to connect individuals and organizations
across the country who have
noticed that Africans are treated differently
than refugees from elsewhere. I’m hoping
to make this issue central in Canada.
What is “anti-Blackness,” and what
does the term capture that is different
from “racism”?
CASSANDRA: “Anti-Blackness” is a prejudice
rooted in colonial and capitalist ideology.
“Racism” is similar in its roots, but
it is necessary to acknowledge that anti-Blackness
is a specific prejudice that is
targeted at those who identify as being a
part of the African diaspora.
HAWA: The language of anti-Blackness
helps us understand the layered complexity
of white supremacy and the ways
in which collapsible terms like “people of
colour” or “racism” do not get at the specificity
of the experiences of Black communities.
Anti-Blackness also helps us to
understand the ways in which racialized
communities, in a bid to legitimize themselves
within white supremacy, actively
contribute to the ongoing dehumanization
of Black peoples. The intricacies of racism
require us to think of context as part
of racialization; it is the failure of thinking
through that context that necessitates the
conceptualization and widespread use of
a term like anti-Blackness.
DUANE: Anti-Blackness is a specific form
of racism directed specifically to African
peoples. To be “anti-,” to be against someone,
is different than preferring your own
kind, being elitist, or thinking someone is
beneath you. With racism, especially in
Canada, it can be quite subtle, something
not always obvious. Police brutality, systemic
oppression, KKK, institutional discrimination,
groups of drunk white people
– all these are forms of anti-Blackness
and are life-threatening situations. But the
smile-on-your-face-and-knife-in-your-back
moments will always catch you by surprise.
DANIEL: I agree with everybody that
there’s something specific about the forms
of racism Black people face. Hawa rightly
points out that there are hierarchies
within racialized communities. But I don’t
know if that means anti-Blackness captures
something different from racism. It
seems like it’s just another way of saying
racism … against Black people. Regardless,
racism against Black people is definitely
different because the conditions of
Black people are the product of a history
which is different from that of other people.
Chattel slavery in the United States,
for instance, has brought certain, specific
conditions for Black people in the United
States. At the same time, a general concept
of racism against Black people may
not be nuanced enough. What I face as a
second-generation immigrant and what my
“Black, as an identity, is
experienced differently
all over the world, and
all of our experiences
are relative.”
relatives in Eritrea face will be different;
the generalized concept of anti-Blackness
just doesn’t seem to work. It helps, and it
speaks to some shared struggles and understandings
and commitments, but, as
should be unsurprising since it’s a term
attempting to capture such complexities,
it’s simply not big enough.
What do you say to the notion that anti-Blackness
is less prevalent, or “not
as bad” in Canada compared to the
U.S.?

DANIEL: In the United States, anti-Black
racism is certainly more palpable than
here. Black people here are less likely to
face some of the more newsworthy forms
of racism, from the police brutality to the
rhetoric of even candidates for president.
But racism has always been more than
these extreme acts. “Attention is drawn to
the ‘spectacular event’ rather than to the
point of origin or the mundane,” write Tamara
K. Nopper and Mariame Kaba in a
Jacobin essay. “Circulated are the spectacles
– dead lack bodies lying in the streets
or a lack teenager ambushed by several
police officers in military gear, automatic
weapons drawn.”
The point of origin, of course, is the basic
relationship – whether economic or psychological.
It’s a relationship which is inevitably
exploitative and damaging to the
psyche of the people at the bottom. And I
believe it’s one which exists in Canada. The
brutal and obvious forms of racism are
less prevalent here, but the logic of racism
knows no border between Canada and the
United States.
“I’m tired of seeing
Black bodies on
my timeline.”
HAWA: The myth of race respectability
continues to plague Canada. Comparing
and contrasting which Black people have
more or less violent experiences based on
the nation state they live in does exactly
what it is meant to do: it absolves all of
us from feeling pressure to do the work to
change the places where we live.
Anti-Blackness is global, from the
Dalit caste in India to the Somali
Bantus in Somalia, to Afro-Brazilians
in Brazil, to the erased historically
Black settlements in Grey
County, Ontario. There is nowhere that anti-Blackness
is less prevalent, including as
part of conversations on shadeism or colourism
within Black communities themselves.
To say anti-Blackness is less prevalent
anywhere is to suggest that white
supremacy, imperialism, and colonialism
ha[ve] places where they do not function.
These are all systems that require a Black
body from which to position themselves.
CASSANDRA: Black, as an identity, is experienced
differently all over the world,
and all of our experiences are relative. I
think to compare oppression is to put emphasis
on each other’s pain, as opposed to
uplifting each other and working together
to combat anti-Black racism as it is enacted
internationally. The concern should be:
how can we strategically work with other
cities to learn how they have resisted
state-sanctioned violence, and how we can
assist them in their resistance and revolution?
DUANE: Canada is a tricky little country.
Slaves living in America struggled hard to
make it to Canada, where they could finally
be free to live the life they preferred.
But what they found once they made it
over was a nightmare. This is what Canada
does best: subversion under the guise
of charity. Gentrification is the perfect example
– the blueprint, actually. From colonialism,
displacing Indigenous peoples
onto reserves and taking their land, to
historically Black land, such as Africville,
where the residents were evicted, their belongings
relocated in garbage trucks, right
up to this day where residents of Regent
Park and Eglinton West [in Toronto], for example,
are forced to leave their homes to
make room for condos. There is simply no
regard for our lives.
How have your personal politics been

influenced by the work of the Black
Lives Matter (BLM) movement combatting
anti-Blackness in North America?
DUANE: BLM has commendably brought
awareness to the diaspora. But what is
needed now, more than ever, is internal
organizing, not external pleading with the
“powers that be,” not external media campaigns
and news headlines. It would be
interesting to know what would happen if
the Black community went completely silent
for a period of time, if we had a Blackout,
and that time was spent developing
internal systems of economy, political organization,
education, employment opportunities,
business infrastructures to support
each other’s initiatives, building and
owning our own entertainment outputs,
where Black culture could be experienced
only on our platforms, building relationships
with other countries who support us,
the list goes on and on. The country, the
world, would have to pay attention. We’ve
been sold the idea that Black movement =
taking it to the streets.
HAWA: BLM adds to the years and years
of work that Black organizers have already
done across the globe. I say this as a reminder
that Black organizing is not a new
concept. While BLM has allowed for more
conversations within the mainstream, the
idea that Black dialogue is only legitimate
if approved by white institutions is
very troubling. BLM also fails to address
the intersectional and intricate experiences
of Black peoples – for example, young
Somali men who are often both Black and
Muslim continue to [be] underrepresented
in anti-Blackness discourse while overrepresented
in the justice system. Until
we look at Blackness as moving beyond a
monolithic identity, we fail to build movements
that engage Black people with differing
experiences. Our work is global, our
struggle is global, and the ways in which
anti-Blackness becomes a unified rallying
cry is only when we can link #BlackLives-
Matter to #RhodesMustFall to #Cadaan-
Studies; anti-Blackness does not begin or
end in North America.
CASSANDRA: It gave me a team to work
with. I know that I am not sitting in isolation
with my pain, frustration, anger; I’m
not grieving alone because there is a group
of people taking disruptive and educational
political action against the institutional
and systemic anti-Black racism that exists
in this world. I really appreciate the affirming
Black transfeminist framework that the
movement works from. This framework asserts
that the healing of our community,
in order to move forward, requires the inclusion
of the queer and trans Black community
in the planning and action. I mean,
shit … it’s been us at the front of most
movements, anyway: Bayard Rustin, Marsha
P. Johnson, Patrisse Cullors … take a
look back at who is really doing a lot of the
mobilizing and advocacy groundwork.
DANIEL: My personal politics have been
profoundly influenced by it, in perhaps
surprising ways. I’ve learned a lot about
how to bring a clear, specific, and pressing
issue onto a major stage. And I’ve also
learned a lot from the many criticisms.
Many have pointed out that there’s a difference
between how Black Lives Matter originated
– organically in Ferguson by people
directly affected by police brutality – and
where it is now. There’s been great work
noting that influential and visible members
of BLM have taken positions that
appear in conflict with the spirit of BLM.
There are, for instance, members who support
the privatization of education. Some
leaders have taken reformist positions and
have, in the view of some activists, been
co-opted by politicians. Whether all of
these criticisms are accurate or not is an
open debate. But what it’s raised for me is
the question of how to organize. We may
agree on goals (ending police brutality),
but how we go about doing that matters.
I want liberation for both myself and my
people badly enough that I don’t just want
quick victories or media attention. I want

to be a part of building something sustainable
and strong – something that can truly
ensure victory. This is the time to think
about how to do this right.
How is racialized policing experienced
in your community or region?
DANIEL: In Vancouver, much of the racialized
policing is directed toward Indigenous
people. Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside,
disproportionately Indigenous, is currently
being gentrified at breakneck speed.
The gentrification process means displacing
people in at least two ways: by raising
rents and by physically removing people
from public areas that are meant to appeal
to investors. The police, of course, serve
as the primary enforcer of the latter [displacement].
CASSANDRA: I have been stopped under
the assum[ption] that I was in sex work,
which is not problematic in and of itself,
but conflated with the misogynoir stereotype
that Black womxn are constantly hot
to get fucked, it becomes a race-based
premise and a prejudiced act. I have also
had police assume I might exchange sexual
favours to get out of a bogus marijuana
possession charge. I have known people
who have faced physical violence. I have
known people who have been harassed almost
daily through routine carding practices.
There are schools in communities
across the city that have police presence
regularly, to surveil and curtail “problematic
behaviour.” I know specific communities
that have a disproportionate number
of cruisers and bike cops lingering, again
for surveillance. There are close ties between
Children’s Aid services, welfare, and
other government institutions with the police,
which yield […] disproportionately
problematic ways in which police interact
with racialized people.
HAWA: Mustafa Mattan was a 28-year-old
Somali man who had moved from Toronto
to Alberta, as many have, to search for better
employment. Mattan was shot through
the door of his apartment building on February
9, 2015. No killer has been apprehended
and media (including social media)
have been entirely silent. His death follows
the fifty-odd other Somali young men between
Toronto and Alberta, killed, shot at,
left to rot. The Somali community is notoriously
under-represented in Black organizing
across Ontario but overrepresented
in jails. In the case of Toronto, if we are
speaking about racialized policing, carding,
or over-policing and militarization, we
would be remiss if we did not pay careful
attention to Somali community pockets,
through which these things run rampant.
How is racialized policing not experienced
by Black communities? We need to instead
be asking why Black communities continue
to be subjected to extreme police violence
and the ways in which this can be
dismantled.
For some, sharing images and videos
of police violence against Black people
on social media is an effective tool
to raise public awareness. For others,
it’s painful and violent to have the videos
shared and rewatched. What’s your
take on the role of technology and videos
in the Black Lives Matter movement
and anti-racism organizing?
DANIEL: During the heyday of lynchings in
the United States, the press used to publicize
these murders in gratuitous detail. It
was done to keep people informed about
the actions of the oppressor. It was meant
to tell Black people: “Look at what can
happen to you if you get outta line.” Today,
few things have changed. Black people are
still murdered for nothing. And the media
(with some exceptions, of course) are intimately
tied with corporate and state power.
I wouldn’t put it past the media to – if
only subconsciously – give Black people
that same lesson today. So, in that light, I
don’t know that the seemingly endless parade
of images of Black death is good for
us.
I personally feel deeply and negatively affected.
Some days it’s hard to do much
else other than stew about what I’ve just

seen. Also, I resent that we need to see
such images to make the case. Shouldn’t
we all just get it by now? Why do Black
people have to give their lives for other
people to care? Saying that, of course
technology has helped. It’s helped poke
major holes in what cops say. They lie.
They tell us some Black person, for no
reason, went berserk and started being
a threat to everybody, including the
armed and trained officer. But then we
watch the videos and we know the truth.
So, yeah, it helps in certain cases. But,
we shouldn’t rely on it. We should be
quick to assume the cops, because it’s
the nature of their position, are murderers.
DUANE: I’m tired of seeing Black bodies
on my timeline. I think it needs to stop.
You can have awareness without seeing
blood and guts. Our mental health is at
stake and that’s worth honouring. Our
ancestors deserve better.
CASSANDRA: I can’t watch most of the
videos. To be honest, I’ve still not been
able to watch Eric Garner die. I can’t. It
hurts too much. And there are so many.
So many. Our spirits weren’t made to
withstand watching our family get murdered
on repeat. That’s unhealthy. That’s
trauma. I don’t need the evidence. My
soul doesn’t need the abuse. It’s had
enough.
CHUKWUMA: It depends on the person
sharing these videos and images. If it
is coming from a Black individual, then
I am in full support, as they are directly
related to the issue. However, when it
comes from a non-PoC, I don’t necessarily
believe that this is the correct method
of spreading awareness. Oftentimes
posting these articles can re-traumatize
Black people, and it does nothing to
aid in our fight against anti-Black racism.
Instead of posting an article, they
should discuss their role in the system
and find effective ways to support Black
people in their fight.
HAWA: When non-Black people share
videos of police brutality with surprise
and shock, I resent the sharing in and
of itself. Why is the burden of proof on
“For the master’s tools
will never dismantle the
master’s house.”
– Audre Lorde.
Black communities to substantiate their
claims of being racially profiled, of being
killed or already being expected to
die? I confess that my recent quiet on
social media is from exhaustion at seeing
people who look like me, who could
very well be me or people I love, killed
every day. I do not want to be reminded
of a continual refusal to see my humanity.
In sharing these videos, I can’t help
but believe that we demonstrate our
deaths for the white gaze, never fully understanding
that it does not in fact give
us justice. Demanding another police officer
be incarcerated or punished does
not change or remove the death itself, it
does not dismantle a system intent on
Black people’s demise.
We need more conversations as Black
people as to the strategies we use as we
organize. We need more time just among
one another to grieve our dead and our
ongoing dying. While I do not discount
that there is a great power in the use of
technology in connecting Black liberation
and struggle across the globe, there
is also great devastation in being subjected
to [the] ongoing dehumanization
of my peoples.
Some important critiques coming
from the movements targeting anti-Blackness
include the fact that the
experiences of cisgender, heterosexual
Black men with police have dom-

inated the media conversations. What
do you think should be done to ensure
that the voices of women, gender
non-conforming folks, trans folks, and
queer people are amplified in these
movements?
HAWA: These critiques are not unusual;
similar critiques were levied at Black nationalist
and civil rights movements. Those
for whom the risk and costs are greater in
our communities should be centralized in
our movements. In all places, at all points
in the process, we should be asking ourselves
who is missing and why? Whose voice
requires amplification, whose experiences
shape our movements? Whose blood is taken
for granted? Whose work do we continually
take and not credit? In whose name
do we forget to march? None of these are
easy questions. We rarely see queer Black
muslimahs at the forefront. We rarely see
people with disabilities or mad, gender
non-conforming folks on the front lines.
We use language and resources to appear
middle class, to legitimize ourselves as we
move. Even within Black communities, it is
the small decisions that expose our ideas
of who we consider disposable.
DANIEL: For the most part, the issue
that’s most recognizable within BLM is police
brutality. And the reality is that Black
men are typically the victims there. So, as
long as that’s the issue, Black men will disproportionately
be the focus of the movement.
I think one way to amplify everybody
else is to widen the number of issues. Police
brutality is, of course, incredibly important
and is something Black people
feel has to be halted immediately, but it’s
not the only pressing issue. Racism manifests
itself in countless ways, many of
which could lead to death in subtle ways.
If we’re talking about housing, that could
affect women as much or more than men.
If it’s austerity measures, that could affect
women more than men. Anti-Black racism
is just a structure but it has countless
manifestations and police brutality is just
one, though the most sensational, form.
CASSANDRA: People who do not know the
lived experience of being trans or queer
cannot liberate us. If you have not lived
through it, you don’t know what we need.
It’s the same idea as having white folks
telling us what we need to feel safe, free,
and supported as Black people. It is counterintuitive
and oppressive in its construction.
We need to publicize queer and trans
experiences and we need to talk about
the womxn and queer and trans people
who have been leading our healing efforts
and our resistance.
We need to reveal
their his/herstories.
We need to prioritize
and frame the
Black trans, Black
womxn’s, and Black
queer struggle as
part of the “Black
struggle.” I think
that Black Lives
Matter is attempting
to do that, but
we need to stand
behind this as a
people. We really
have to start there.
Moyo Rainos Mutamba
has written,
“Racism and
colonialism root
the Canadian nation
state and they
continue to sustain
it.” Leanne
Betasamosake
Simpson has similarly
argued that
“Black and Indigenous
communities
of struggle
are deeply connected
through
our experiences
with colonialism,
oppression and
white supremacy.” What are some
strategies for strengthening the links
between anti-colonial and anti-racism

struggles to dismantle white supremacy?
DANIEL: I’ve thought a lot about why Eritreans
are fleeing the country and risking
death by dehydration in the Sahara, detention
in Libya, drowning in the Mediterranean,
and, after all that, expulsion from
Europe. The main reason is that most Eritrean
adults are, essentially, enslaved labourers,
working on various state-run projects.
They work indefinitely (sometimes
over 10 years) with little pay and terrible
work conditions. The prospect of living
that way is a major reason people are fleeing.
Currently, there are a few mining sites
that employ these workers. One of them
is owned by a Vancouver mining company,
Nevsun Resources Ltd. I personally see
projects like that – extraction of resources
from one country enriching another – as
simple colonialism. And that’s where the
struggles of Indigenous peoples and Black
people intertwine. The reality is we have a
common enemy and it’s time we recognize
it and work together. I think one strategy to
help that happen is to take a specific issue
(like mining in Eritrea) and connect it to
similar struggles locally (Indigenous people
throughout Canada [being] displaced

and poisoned by extraction). to make it to
Canada, where they could finally be free
to live the life they preferred. But what
they found once they made it over was a
nightmare. This is what Canada does best:
subversion under the guise of charity.
Gentrification is the perfect example – the
blueprint, actually. From colonialism, displacing
Indigenous peoples onto reserves
and taking their land, to historically Black
land, such as Africville, where the residents
were evicted, their belongings relocated in
garbage trucks, right up to this day where
residents of Regent Park and Eglinton
West [in Toronto], for example, are forced
to leave their homes to make room for condos.
There is simply no regard for our lives.
CASSANDRA: Anti-Blackness is a result of
capitalism and colonialism, just as Indigenous
oppression is. I’d suggest we look
to parts of Nova Scotia for historical guidance
and study their examples of building
Black and Indigenous communities as an
ideal start. Sankofa – the traditional Akan
concept that teaches us to look back in order
to move forward – reflects this practice.
HAWA: I do not forget that we live in a white
supremacist, imperialist, patriarchal, colonial
society. When we begin to believe
our individual experiences are somehow
more important than our collective liberation
and struggle, we fail again to build
coalition and solidarity in the places that
matter. To deeply understand anti-Blackness
and colonialism as two sides of the
same coin require[s] us to understand that
the society in which we live is sustained
by the dispossession of Indigenous lands
and dispossession of Black labour/bodies.
I believe my work is understanding the
ongoing colonialism on the lands I do my
work. How can my organizing disrupt other
power dynamics that are at play?
Many have brought attention to the
fact that one of the lasting effects of
racism is damage to the physical and
mental health of its targets. How does
this connection between racism and
health affect the way anti-racist work
is organized?
CHUKWUMA: This question could be a
conversation on its own, but to summarize:
Black people have been taught not
to love themselves. Growing up in a society
in which white is the ideal and Black
is imperfect can cause long-lasting damage.
It took a long time for me to be fully
accepting and proud of my Blackness.
To this day, though, I find myself lingering
between feelings of intense anger and sadness
constantly. I am now a man with no
patience and zero tolerance with regard to
issues of race. There is literally a genocide
occurring on Black bodies in today’s society,
and it hurts me so much. I’m unsure
of how to cope.
DANIEL: It deepens my commitment. While
it can often debilitate me (as I said earlier
about the endless images of Black death),
the racism I’ve experienced keeps me angry
and focused. I don’t want anybody else
to experience what those us who’ve come
before have.
CASSANDRA: We need to massage our
DNA strands and excise the post-traumatic
(en)slaved syndrome we all carry as descendants
of the African diaspora living in
the West. We need to have the emotional
and mental strength and empowered
sense of self to fight back as a people, as
a team.
HAWA: This work is exhausting. There are
not enough words to articulate the ways
in which this exhaustion manifests itself.
Black people doing work in their communities
are more often than not doing that
work as a result of wounding. And yet we
continue to survive, persevere, and thrive.
We continue to be magical.
Do you think electoral changes in government,
specifically the Liberal government’s
seeming commitment to
diversity, can have an effect on race relations
in Canada?
DUANE: No. The faces have switched over,
but the bodies remain the same. This ma-

chine has been in effect since colonization
and it will remain in effect, operating under
the very same mandate, trying to achieve
the same goals, until it is dismantled.
HAWA: I do not believe that the Liberal
government’s commitment to diversity
does anything to improve race relations in
Canada. In fact, I believe the Liberal party,
though certainly less offensive than the recent
Harper Conservatives, still functions
largely using conservative values. I don’t
think that appealing to the systems we live
in to recognize and see us is a strategic
method forward. Blow it up. Blow the system
up. I have no interest in conversations
that begin and end with diversity. I have no
interest in conversations that look at me
as little more than a choice on a platter
of other similarly brown-hued people as
a model from which to rebuild our world
and work in the interests of my community.
I have more interest in thinking through
what diversity does to mimic power structures
of the society in which we live, and
what draws racialized people toward ideas
of tolerance and recognition instead of resistance
and revolution.
CHUKWUMA: Anti-Black racism is systemic,
and must be attacked at its root. A new
Liberal government will not do this.
DANIEL: Malcolm X once said, “You can’t
Malcolm X once said,
“You can’t legislate
good will.”
legislate good will.” While I can maybe
agree that electoral changes will be a
part of a bigger project, I don’t want to
emphasize it. Yes, people need immediate
changes and I support reforms if they
have a tangible effect on someone’s life.
But I don’t believe in the political system.
I believe race relations will improve when
communities are empowered, not when
parties are elected. [The Liberals’] policies
are deplorable in nearly every way. Diversity
on the surface is nice, and, maybe in
some limited ways it opens a discussion
and raises consciousness, but it can also
be seen as simple PR. I don’t buy it and I
hope more Black people see through it as
well.
CASSANDRA: “For the master’s tools will
never dismantle the master’s house. They
may allow us temporarily to beat him at
his own game, but they will never enable
us to bring about genuine change” – Audre
Lorde.
Nana Adu-Poku is interested
in philosophy, technology,
science fiction and fantasy,
gaming, and social justice
issues of income inequality,
racism, and sexism. In his
spare time he reads, plays
the trumpet, and takes photos.
This article was presented by and first published in Briarpatch Magazine.
For more information visit www.BriarpatchMagazine.com

LIB
A case for the revitalization of
the Back to Africa Movement

ERIA 2.0
BY Antoine Kinch

The Star Spangled Banner is the national anthem of the United States
of America. It is sung at the beginning of every major event in the country
and played whenever a U.S team wins a medal in the Olympics. It was
written in 1814 by Francis Scott Key after witnessing the bombarding
of Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland during the War of 1812. The
eighth lyric of the song reads: “O’er the land of the free, and the home
of the brave.” This line has become synonymous with the idea of what
America is supposed to be. Free.
However, for many freed black American slaves at the time, true freedom
was something that they could only hope for. As those lyrics were being
penned there was a movement to resettle freed slaves in Africa. In 1816
the American Colonization Society (ACS) was formed specifically for this
purpose. The name of that colony would be: Liberia, which ironically
translates to “Land of the free” in Latin. The history of Liberia is unique
in Africa as it started neither as a native state nor as a European colony,
but began in 1821 when the ACS began funding it for free blacks from
the United States.
You see at this time in our country’s history many White Americans
thought that African Americans could not succeed in living in society as
free people. Some were abolitionists and some were former slave owners
alike. Others considered blacks physically and mentally inferior to
whites, and believed that institutional racism and societal polarization

esulting from slavery were insurmountable obstacles for true integration
of the races. Thomas Jefferson was even one among those who
proposed colonization in Africa: relocating free blacks outside the new
nation.
So why didn’t African Americans leave? In the earlier part of the 20th
century Pan-African advocates included leaders such as Haile Selassie,
Julius Kambarage Nyerere, Ahmed Sekou Toure, Kwame Nkrumah,
grassroots organizers such as Marcus Garvey and Malcolm X, and academics
such as W. E. B. Du Bois. Garvey even
founded the Black Star Line, a shipping and
passenger line to promote the return to ancestral
lands. The biggest problem that all of
these movements had was what the initial effect
of slavery already accomplished. It disconnected
us and forever made it hard for us
to unify.
Exactly 200 years
from when the idea of
“Liberia” began, have
things really changed
in America?
Over the years African Americans in the U.S
have had to endure years of inequality like during the Reconstruction
era (1863-1877) which would see freed slaves voting for the first time
and witness the birth of the Ku Klux Klan. After reconstruction, southern
politicians sought to take away the political power of Blacks by removing
their right to vote and introducing laws such as “Literacy tests”, “Poll

taxes”, and the “Grandfather Clause” (if your grandfather hadn’t been
eligible to vote then neither were you) for slaves this made it impossible.
These were also known as “Jim Crow” laws which would last until the
1950’s. In the historic case of Plessy vs Ferguson (1896) racial segregation
was upheld in public facilities under the doctrine of ‘separate but
equal’. This wouldn’t be challenged in the Supreme Court until Brown vs
the Board of Education (1954) that recognized “separate educational facilities
are inherently unequal.”
The 1950’s and 1960’s brought about what is now known as the Civil
Rights Movement where notable figures like Martin Luther King, Malcolm
X, Ralph Abernathy, Jesse Jackson, Rosa Parks, and others helped organize
the Montgomery Boycott, sit-ins, freedom rides, Voter registration,
the integration of Mississippi universities and the March on Washington.
The results being the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 & 1965 and the Voting
Rights Act of 1965.
In the 1970’s and 1980’s we would endure another crisis in the “War on
Drugs” and the rise of the prison industrial complex that would have a
dramatic effect on black families. According to the National Association
for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), African Americans constitute
nearly 1 million of the total 2.3 million incarcerated population of
the country, and have nearly six times the incarceration rate of whites. If
you are a convicted felon in America, you also lose the right to vote. It is
called Felony disenfranchisement. Thereby having no the power to change
your circumstances.
In America, the rich and powerful have always known that voting has been
the key to real change and that is why they have made it so difficult for
black people to gain any of that power by disenfranchising them. The definition
of franchise is “the right to vote” (as does suffrage), to disenfran-

chise is to “take away the right to vote.” On July 29th, 2016 the Supreme
Court ruled that in North Carolina the practice of “Voter ID” was being used
to discriminate against blacks and other minorities.
Which brings us to today.
Exactly 200 years from when the idea of “Liberia” began, have things really
changed in America? After this 200-year experiment with integration have
we been able to overcome the obstacles that were set before us? After enduring
all that we have, is now the time that we leave in critical mass? We have
witnessed pockets of progress. We have had a black president for the last 8
years. Michelle Obama even so poignantly stated in her speech in July 2016,
“I wake up in a house built by slaves.” But there is a still a lot of work left to
be done. With the steady rise of police brutality provoking the creation of the
Black Lives Matter movement, and now with the black community starting to
shift their wealth into black owned banks with the hashtag #BankBlack, will
we finally start to see change? Or do we go to Liberia and start over?
This much is clear. Our ancestors have fought long and hard for this country
and just to have the right to vote and we shouldn’t take it for granted.
Whether we leave or we stay, nothing will change unless there is UNITY in
our community.
Antoine Kinch has a BA
in Communications from
Boston College and has been
working in Digital Media for
over 16 years. Tweet him:@
bajankinch

Meanwhile
In Canada
By Lincoln Blades
Imagine for a moment that you were a young person
living in Africville with your parents. You were
given a small piece of land by your father or your
grandparents. You built your home on that piece of
land. You paid cash for everything. It took you two
years or more of hard work and you put every penny
and every free moment into building this home.
After two years, you had a home, a piece of land,
mortgage free. It gave you an opportunity to bring
up your own family and have a good start. You had
financial security.
My generation has been deprived of this opportunity.
We will struggle for everything we get, because
someone decided that the land of Africville would
serve the city better as industrial land.
- Terry Dixon

As our society
is further inundated with
cell phone videos showing white
folks going on racist diatribes, and Black
bodies being ravaged by guardians of
the carceral state, it has become far
too easy for many people to abridge
the totality of racism down to unkind
words and physical brutality. This is
problematic because it ignores and
under-appreciates the insidious scourge
of systemic racism. Those who constrict
racism to “nigger” and iPhone videos
of death will often miss the nuanced
dehumanization of voter suppression,
mass incarceration, employment bias
and housing discrimination, especially
the type that robs Black folks of their
homes, their land and their wealth.
While the United States has many
communities such as Oakland and
Baltimore where these detrimental
practices destroyed our community’s
wealth, very few people realize that this
form of systemic injustice isn’t just
American tradition, it’s also Canadian
history, and it occurred, not too long
ago, in a place once called Africville.
Just because
our persecution
isn’t televised,
doesn’t mean it
doesn’t exist.
To understand the importance of the
Africville community, located in Halifax,
Nova Scotia, one must understand its
historical significance.
Every July 4th, Americans gather
together to celebrate Independence
Day, an ode to the adoption of the
Declaration of Independence that
solidified The United States removal
from British colonial rule. One aspect of
the story that is rarely discussed is how
escaped Black slaves fought as soldiers
for the British under the “freedom and
a farm” promise, declaring that they
would get to be free and have their own
land if the British beat back the rebel
forces. The British then entered the
names of these Black Loyalists into a
large registry - the book of negroes -
which would allow these men, women
and children to obtain certificates of
freedom. Once the war was over, the
enslaved Blacks were taken, in bondage,
to the West Indies, while those named
in the book of negroes - 1336 men, 914
women and 750 children - were put on
Navy ships and British chartered private
transports headed for Nova Scotia.
The battered and defiled bodies of
these resilient souls landed in Nova
Scotia between April and November of
1783, where they created settlements
in Shelburne, Digby, Chedabucto,
Halifax and along the Bedford Basin on
Campbell Road (which would eventually
become known as Africville.) They
arrived in a country much like the one
they were unceremoniously evacuated
from, rife with racism and slavery.
Three decades later they were joined by
around 2,000 Black Refugees, African
slaves who escaped slavery in the War of
1812. Despite monumental challenges

and obstructionism, they built shacks
into houses and turned a makeshift lot
into an actual community. While the
local and provincial government refused
to support or even legitimize their
existence in a truly quantifiable manner,
they literally bootstrapped their way out
of oblivion into autonomous hardship.
As Black folks have for generations, they
adopted the tenuous joy of survival.
“Maybe [the living conditions] weren’t
up to standard to the people who set
the standards, but to us, that was home
no matter what the houses looked like,”
said Terry Dixon.
Although they avoided the surety of
enslavement, the British neglected
to follow through on their promise to
provide them with land, food
and utilities necessary
to effectively
begin the process of curating
successful independence. Although
they began paying taxes to the City
of Halifax, the city didn’t provide the
community with the recompense that
taxes should necessitate. Africville
was deprived of paved roads, running
water, garbage pickup, streetlights,
public transportation, snow plowing,
and sewers, amongst other services
granted to mostly white Nova Scotians.
Much like citizens in Flint today, their
water was so heavily contaminated
that they had to boil it thoroughly
before use. Unfortunately, their
collective community
wealth was not
such that

they
could
easily provide
these things for themselves
(a la the Black Wall Street in Tulsa).
While some residents operated fishing
businesses and some run farms, 65%
of Africville residents worked as lowpaid
domestic servants, and only 35%
of the labourers had steady wealth.
But, just like Black folks who’ve battled
discrimination at various times in
various countries around the globe, one
of the biggest battles against racism
is resisting state-sponsored plunder.
Whether it’s the government, or some
quasi-powerful white-interest group,
sometimes Black folks things are just
taken. Although Africville residents
were granted the land that they settled
on, and they even signed the first land
purchase agreement in 1848, the city
decided that their records weren’t
official enough, ushering in an era of
nebulous, unrepentant bias.
While gentrification today is done
by financially preying on the less
advantaged, what happened to Africville
was far more odious, direct and brutal.
In the 1850’s, not only were some
Africville residents relocated due to the
construction of a railway but also the
Rockhead prison was built right beside
their community. In 1858, Africville
became home to the city’s fecal waste
depository and, more than a decade
later, became home to an infectious
disease hospital. Eddie Carvery, a
former resident, said “The hospital
would just dump their raw garbage on
the dump—bloody body parts, blankets,
and everything.”
Eventually an open city dump was
placed in Africville and Carvery believes
that assisted in the rat explosion in the
community. Although the area wasn’t
incredibly large, Carvery believes that
the rat population was around 100,000
at any given time. Once the rats reached
the white communities, they came
down and recklessly doused the dump
in rat poison - leaving it for the citizens
to breath in and ingest.
After the 1917 Halifax explosion,
which occurred when a French cargo
ship laden with explosives collided
with a Norwegian vessel, killing 2,000
people and destroying large swaths of
the city, including many of the small
frail homes in Africville, the already
devastated community received little of
the donated relief funds that was given
to rebuild the city. That tragedy also
gave Halifax their opportunity to steal
the land and use it for what they really
wanted: industrial redevelopment.
“There were other communities, and
not just Black communities, that had
also the same type of living conditions,
if not worse. But we were close to the
city and we were predominantly Black
so our living conditions were used as a
reason to move us,” adds Dixon.
In 1947, Africville was officially
designated as industrial land and
the Halifax city council, without
consulting the actual residents of the
community, began discussing the
industrial potential the land held. By
1954, the city manager recommended
shifting Africville residents to cityowned
property so they could undergo
the North Shore Development Plan.

It was not just a proposition to steal
their land, but more importantly, a
plan to steal their ownership to turn
them from land-owners into propertyrenters.
Because of the nature of how
land was given and passed down, only
a handful of families had actual legal
title, and some were offered only $500
to leave the land they owned to begin
renting from the city.
Residents who refused to take the
money found their homes being
bulldozed while they were still inside
them, and the church, which had been
a symbol of Black survival and the
center of their communal universe for
over a decade, was bulldozed in the
middle of the night without warning.
The last building was demolished by
1970.
And just like that, it was gone.
The place that former slaves built.
The community that was once visited
by Joe Louis and Duke Ellington. The
home of Black residents who, against
every odd, built a life for themselves
despite the racist intentions of different
governments and fellow white citizens.
Forty years after the last home was
destroyed, the city of Halifax decided it
was time to say “sorry” and they issued
an official apology. But, as with most
Black suffering, the recognition was too
little and too late. Today, the children
and grandchildren of Africville residents
are less likely to be homeowners than
other Halifax natives of their generation.
In fact, in 2004, the UN declared that
Africville residents deserved reparations
for what they endured.
time Black Americans find themselves
flooded under a deluge of videos
detailing racist rants and police
brutality, they’ll resist the urge to post
any “meanwhile in Canada” memes
propagating the ‘Great White North’ as
a land free from systemic racism. Just
because our persecution isn’t televised,
doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.
So, hopefully, the next

When Lincoln Anthony Blades is
not writing for his controversial
and critically acclaimed blog
ThisIsYourConscience.com, he can
be found contributing articles for
many different publications on topics
such as race, politics, social reform
and relationships.
Lincoln is an author who wrote the
hilariously insightful book “You’re
Not A Victim, You’re A Volunteer.” He
is also the host of the upcoming news
show, “All Things Being Equal.”

If you haven’t seen an issue of Briarpatch lately, you’re missing
your bi-monthly dose of feisty, independent reporting and
analysis. Right now we’re offering a risk-free chance to catch up.
Call 1-866-431-5777 for your free trial issue!
Free Trial
issue!
If you like what you see, you’ll get one year at a special rate for
Griots Republic readers – only $25.* If you aren’t satisfied, we’ll
cancel your order free of charge.
*Briarpatch offers a low-income rate of $18.05 per year.
For US subscriptions, please add $10 for shipping.
You can also request by email: publisher@briarpatchmagazine.com.
Visit us at briarpatchmagazine.com.

BLM
SPECIAL SECTION

ONEIKA

03 ONEIKA
RAYMOND
TRAVELER PROFILE
Oneika the Traveller is a leading travel website
that provides travel advice, information, and
inspiration to travellers (be them inexperienced
or seasoned). The site is particularly geared toward
female travellers between the ages of 25
to 45, and enjoys a large readership of African
American travellers.
Oneika the Traveller is syndicated on major
online publications such as The Huffington Post
and the author is also a contributor to Condé
Nast Traveler and Yahoo Travel. The Oneika
the Traveller persona and blog have also been
featured on National Geographic.com, CNN.
com, Bloomberg, Yahoo Travel, BBC Radio, and
Buzzfeed.
EasyJet ranked Oneika the Traveller as one of
their Top 10 Travel Blogs in April 2011, and the
author was voted as one of the 11 black women
who inspire travel by Clutch Magazine. More
recently, Oneika the Traveller was selected as
GoAbroad.com’s Blog of the Week. Oneika has
also written for, and been featured in, many
other online travel publications and blogs that
have all linked back to the Oneika the Traveller
site.
Bio Taken from her website
www.OneikaTheTraveller.com

COMIC
GEEKS
A Look at Toronto’s Booming
Comic Book Culture
BY JASON FRANCIS
ART WORK BY LAMIN MARTIN
www.LaminMartin.com
Since the start of the new millennia there has been a surge in public interest
toward comic books and the characters that have come from that
genre. Ranging from the classics figures of Batman, Spiderman and
Captain America to the more recent creations like “The Walking Dead,
there has been new life breathed into this world of sci-fi and fantasy.
This current popularity has fueled a media expansion far beyond the
pages of news stand comics to now seeing every platform of communication
as a home for superhero tales. There are tons of events
in the U.S that fans can attend to celebrate the comic book culture
and many cities are breeding grounds for the talented artists looking
to be a part of the industry. One place that is equally immersed in
the comic book world but often flies under the radar is Toronto. It is
a gem within the genre with conventions for the surging tourists and

fans, emerging talent and style all of
its own.
If you’ve made the decision to partake
in the comic book festivities then
you’re in luck as there is no shortage
of events to attend. Unbeknownst to
many, Toronto’s FAN EXPO CANADA
is the 3rd largest event of its kind in
North America. Essentially Fan Expo
Canada has been in existence for 22
yrs now and attracts roughly 130,000
people from around the world. It’s
the next stop for full on Pop Culture
engagement after Comic Con in the
United States. In terms of star power,
it’s attracted many of the industry’s
biggest names like Stan Lee, Patrick
Stewart, Buzz Aldrin, William Shatner,
Christopher Lloyd, Elijah Wood
and Gillian Anderson. In addition to
that, it’s Hollywood’s brightest venture
up north for Fan Expo too.
Stars from hit television shows: The
Walking Dead, Star Trek, The Vampire
Diaries, Arrow and Agents of
S.H.I.E.L.D are just some of the celebrities
to make an appearance. The
overall experience takes place in early
September spanning 4 days of citywide
events with the epicenter of the
Expo being the Metro Toronto Convention
Centre.
If you’re looking for something earlier
in the year, then perhaps March’s Toronto
Comic Con, which is under the
FAN EXPO umbrella, is what you need.
While smaller in scale than FAN EXPO
CANADA, tens of thousands of guests
attend over the 3-day event which also
takes place at the Convention Centre.
Offering up a more contemporary option
during the spring is the Toronto
Comic Arts Festival. Running for a full
week, TCAF focuses greatly on the lit-

erary aspects of comics and graphic
novels.
The Toronto Reference Library hosts
TCAF with a variety of panels, interviews
and readings. The final two
days serve as a huge artist and vendor
showcase for comic book creators
from around the world. One difference
about the Toronto Comic Arts Festival
is that it does not promote itself
as a convention in the usual manner.
Activities like cosplay or scene skit
acting is discouraged. Taking place
within a major library, TCAF prefers
to exist among the every day crowd
rather than the more elaborate show
that most comic cons are. This does
allow people easing into the culture
to experience a lot of quality without
feeling that they aren’t as into the
material as other people may be.
Besides the various comic book focused
events that you can attend,
there is a wealth of talent emerging
from Toronto. Working both independently
and with the major comic
companies, you’ll find many creatives
bringing unique style to the culture.
Freelance artist Sanya Anwar is the
woman behind 1001, which an amazing
recreation of One Thousand and
One Arabian Nights’ central character
Scherezade. Sanya’s has a very
clean minimalist style that captures
depth and detail while often utilizing
only 3-4 colors in a given piece.
On the other side of the spectrum is
Marco Rudy who has brought his intricate,
haunting style to books like
The New Swamp Thing and Marvel
Knights: Spider-Man. Marrco’s signature
layouts will have you looking over
every inch of ink making sure you’re
not missing something.
One of the biggest names coming out
of Toronto is Ty Templeton. His work
can be seen in various mainstream
publications ranging from DC Comics’
Justice League Unlimited and
Batman ‘66, Age of Heroes and The
Amazing Spider -Man and even pop
fixtures like The Simpsons and MAD
Magazine. In the midst of all those
various assignments, locally Templeton
is just as known for his Comic
Book Boot Camp. Holding the belief
that all creative crafts come from
teachable skills, Ty leads numerous
classes to teach students about print
and digital comics, graphic novels
and more.
The talent residing in the capital of
Ontario is not just bubbling within the
comic realm, but it’s also reaching out
to other industry and artistic mediums.
Lamin Martin, whose distinctive
style has graced various graphic art
novels, has transitioned into creative
concept design for various major releases
in other entertainment fields.
Unbeknownst to many, Toronto’s
FAN EXPO CANADA is the
3rd largest event of its kind in
North America.
You can currently see his enchanting
illustrative style in t.v, film and
electronic gaming with releases like
Heroes Reborn, Pixels, Hannibal and
Game of Thrones. His attention to detail
in both main characters and background
environment imagery truly
puts Lamin in a class by himself and
has earned him recognition and ac-

colades in publications like EXPOSE
that annually presents the best in
digital art from creatives around the
world.
Within the ever growing
space of comic book culture
there is no shortage of
skilled creators of various
ethnicities and dedicated
fans of all backgrounds to
push the art forward.
As you read this article, the Marvel
World is reeling from its’ recent Civil
War 2 storyline and that blockbuster
event is laced with cover work from
another Toronto heavy hitter, Mike
Del Mundo. Many of Marvels best
series feature Mike’s stand art work
like Deadpool, Spiderman, Carnage
and Vision. Del Mundo is a super talent
that has an array of styles to the
point that he believes he has no style
at all.
“If you look at my covers, they always
change, they’re always different.
A lot of artists, they have a distinct
style. With me, maybe because
I have a short attention span, I get
bored of doing the same thing...Another
thing, too, is, if you work on
something for a very long time, when
you start over thinking things, you’re
not showing your honest work.” Mike
Del Mundo via TheGeeksverse.com
In many ways Toronto prides itself
on diversity. Within the ever growing
space of comic book culture there
is no shortage of skilled creators
of various ethnicities and dedicated
fans of all backgrounds to push the
art forward. Toronto also continues
to grow as a destination for those
looking for international comic book
pleasure and appreciation. As you
set your annual plans for the Comic
Cons across the U.S., make sure you
take a peek up north and make it a
point to enjoy what the comic geeks
of Toronto have to offer.
Jason is a New York based social media
manager with a passion for the ever
evolving digital space of social media,
blogging and marketing. He has operated
online in various capacities for over
10 years. He is also the Head of Social
Media and part of the overall managing
team, The High Council, of the Nomadness
Travel Tribe. The tribe is a 13,000+
member strong travel network focused
on sharing the value of travel with the
Urban demographic and introducing
travel to the upcoming youth.

GLOBAL MUSIC
FEATURE
Assistant Professor of Music &
Director of Bands at Drexel University

Orchestra music is enjoyed globallyand
yet there are very few professional
black conductors. As such, when we
get the opportunity to interview one, we
take it! Griots Republic had the opportunity
to interview Dr. Wesley Broadnax
about his love of chamber music and
his travels.
TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF:
I am Dr. Wesley J. Broadnax, Assistant
Professor of Music & Director of Bands
at Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA.
My duties include conducting the Concert
Band, Pep Band and teaching a
survey course entitled Introduction to
Music. I have held this position since
Fall 2013.
Prior to my appointment at Drexel, I
served on the faculties of the University
of Delaware, California State University-East
Bay, and Michigan State University.
Professionally, I am the artistic
director/conductor of the Mid-Atlantic
Chamber Players, and co-conductor of
the International Wind Ensemble in Italy.
I am a native Texan, born and raised in
East Texas and attended the Texas Public
Schools. Most of my immediate family
still reside in Texas.
HOW DID YOU BECOME INVOLVED IN
MUSIC?
Music has been a major part of my life
since being a toddler, from dancing to
pop songs of the 1970s to admiring
my mother singing in our church choir.
I joined my elementary school beginning
band program in the 6th grade as
a trombonist. Learning the instrument
really paved the way for me excelling in
music and developing my musical skills.
I had EXCELLENT music teachers in my
junior high and high school programs in
East Texas, and I was fortunate enough
to be co-drum major of our high school
marching band during my senior year,
perform with our symphonic band and
jazz band, and win such honors as being
selected for various honor bands, and
ultimately being selected for the 1988

18
Texas All-State Symphony Orchestra!!
My love for music deepened to the point
of wanting to become a conductor, and
this desire led me to attending Stephen
F. Austin State University (Nacogdoches,
TX) and receiving my Bachelor of Music
Education (BME) degree in 1993,
and teaching instrumental music for
two years in the Texas Public Schools. I
would attend Michigan State University
(East Lansing, MI) for graduate school,
receiving both my masters (1997) and
doctorate degrees in Wind Conducting
(2000).
WHERE ARE YOU CURRENTLY CON-
DUCTING/PERFORMING?
I currently teach at Drexel University in
Philadelphia PA, conducting our Concert
Band, Pep Band, and Chamber Winds.
In addition, I conduct the Mid-Atlantic
Chamber Players, and I co-conduct the

International Wind
Ensemble each
summer in Italy.
I have served as
guest conductor
for numerous ensemble
nationally
and internationally.
IN VIEWING
SOME OF YOUR
CONCERT VID-
EOS, CLEARLY
YOU ARE ENJOY-
ING WHAT YOU
DO, WHAT ARE
YOU FEELING/
THINKING WHILE
CONDUCTING?
I tell you, being a
conductor is one
of the most fascinating
endeavors
one can ever
undertake! It is a
position of leadership
and music
making (re-creating
the composer’s
music)! Whenever
I conduct, I
am always thinking
of the following:
Am I reaching
the “ audience” with the music? Is my interpretation
both unique and in line with
the composer’s intent? If it is a living
composer, am I pleasing him/her with
my interpretation? Am I inspiring the
players/performers? Do I know my score
(meaning the musical structure/form,
harmonic analysis, when to cue various
players)?
As you can see, there are a host of concerns
that go through a conductor’s
mind when he/she is conducting an ensemble!
I’m sure many conductors have
other concerns I have not listed here, but
these are my concerns while conducting.
However, what determines the ultimate
success of a conductor and the performance
is how well the conductor knows
the score/music, as well as how strong
is the relationship between the conductor
and performers.
IN REGARDS TO TRAVEL, WHERE HAS
YOUR ROLE TAKEN YOU?
My conducting engagements have taken
me all over the United States, as well as
Canada and Italy. I am looking forward
to more international travel in the near
future, as I desire to perform in more
places in Europe, South American, the
Middle East, and Far East (China, Japan,
etc.).
DO YOU TRAVEL WHEN NOT PERFORM-
ING?
I do travel for leisure, but not nearly as
much as I would like to. Nevertheless,
most of my leisure travel has been within
the US. I do have a desire to see more of
Europe, South America, The Carribean,
Australia, and perhaps Russia! Traveling
is a wonderful experience for anyone,
and to have an opportunity to see and
experience other cultures is exciting all
around!
WHERE ARE SOME OF YOUR MOST
MEMORABLE TRAVEL MOMENTS?
Some of my most memorable travel moments
included being in Alaska (Fairbanks),
Banff (Canada), Toronto (Canada),
Upstate New York, California (San
Francisco Bay Area, Sierra Mountains,
Yosemite National Park), and of course
Italy (Region of Umbria, Rome, Northern
Italy, and the Adriatic Sea).

04 LIBRYIA
JONES
TRAVELER PROFILE
Libryia is the type person who will look at the
price tag on a designer handbag or a pair of
shoes and think “Man I could get a plane ticket
to Istanbul for that”. Libryia checks google
flights before emails, her friends and co-workers
don’t ask what she did over the weekend,
they ask she where she went. Libryia keeps a
carry-on packed with travel essentials ready
to go at all times. In between landings and
take-offs, she’s a single Soccer Mom, and an
IT Project Manager, who loves cooking and doing
DIY decor projects at home.
Over the last two years, Libryia became increasingly
passionate about travel, which lead
her to create a solution for a location independent
lifestyle. My Wander Year is a curated
Digital Nomad Program, spanning one calendar
year of Global Travel. “My Wander Year
is not a vacation, it’s a lifestyle. We are facilitating
a Lifestyle for people who want to live
abroad, but do not want to do it alone.” Libryia
has cultivated a community of 30+ people
who will live in a different country every
three months. The inaugural journey takes off
in July of 2016.
Bio taken from press kit. For more
information, visit mywanderyear.com

Tiki c
flashy
terest
times
with i
hula
glass
and b
With a
specia
es a s
spark
ries fo
TIKI
TORONTO
The Popularity of Tiki Cocktail Culture
Brings the South Pacific to Canada
Many
Luau
wearin
shirts
say th
bra. O
lously
ordere
of co
with
server
aroma
cockta
la or
to so
(let’s
Well
count
reside
ronto;
of On
its ex
snow
ers, m
polite
been
Toron
able r
in Tik
asking
Toron
is re

ocktail culture is bold,
, exotically exciting, ining
and yet can sometoe
the Tiki line of tacky
ts bright flower prints,
girl lamps, demi god
ware, flaming cocktails
amboo paneling décor.
ll that said, there is that
l something that enticense
of adventure and
s past tropical memor
us all.
of us have been to a
/ Tiki themed party
g full print Hawaiian
, grass skirts and dare I
e “oh so sexy” coconut
r the time you meticuscanned
a drink menu,
d and then shared a bit
cktail remorse dashed
envy when you saw a
bring over a beautiful,
tic, brightly colored
il with a fancy umbrelflower
adorning its rim
meone other than you
be honest)?
our friendly Canadian
erparts, namely the
nts of the city of Tothe
provincial capital
tario, a city known for
tremely cold winters,
storms, large skyscrapaple
syrup, extremely
people and Drake; have
bitten by the Tiki bug.
to is seeing an undeniesurgence
and interest
i cocktails. You may be
yourself why Tiki in
to or even, how? There
ally nothing remotely
tropical in or even around the
Toronto geographical area
but to understand the roots
of this emerging culture and
why it has been embraced by
the residents of this northern
metropolis, we have to look
at the origins of
Tiki culture.
Let’s look back
to Los Angeles,
1933. One of
the earliest and
best-known Tiki
themed establishments
was
named “Don the
Beachcomber”
and was created
by Ernest Gantt.
The bar served
an impressive
array of exotic
rum drinks and
displayed many
trinkets and souvenirs
that Gantt
had collected
on earlier trips
through the tropics
when Gantt
was sent to fight
in World War II.
Even in its humble
beginnings,
TIki culture and
its cocktail was
learned, appreciated and
brought back for others to
enjoy.
This concept of appropriation
is not lost and lives on today
in Toronto, where in this land
of nothing close to tropical,
we find many a Tiki oasis.
This marriage of adopted cultures
has found a huge Canadian
audience and increased
consumer demand in this
ethnically diverse city along
Lake Ontario’s northwestern
shore. A great deal of Canadians
of Caribbean origin
create one of the largest
non-European ethnic-origin
groups in Canada. According
to the 2011 census, the total
of Caribbean Canadians rose
to 2.9% of Canada’s entire
population and continues to
climb, creating an emerging

TORONTO
TIKI BAR
PICKS
MISS THINGS
1279 Queen St. W.,
between Dufferin and
Lansdowne
THE SHAMEFUL TIKI
Room 1378 Queen W
Toronto, ON M6K 1L7
BOVINE SEX CLUB
542 Queen St W
Toronto, ON M5V 2B5
THE SHORE LEAVE
1775 Danforth Avenue
Toronto, ON M4C 1J1
population looking to redefine the social
landscape of the Canada that they
now call home Like a warm embrace of
a friend, Tiki cocktails have appeased
their island sensibilities.
The Caribbean thirst for fresh tropical
flavors, the combination of potent rum
and aromatic liqueur filled cocktails
that may have originated in the islands
of the South Pacific, oddly gives a fragrance
and slight memento of places
they may have called home. An Island-like
style or wave-crashing culture
that may have more of a significance
to its drinker than what lies beyond the
confines of the beautifully well-crafted
garnish that adorns the rim of the
cocktail glass.
So next time you’re in Toronto with your
Kanaka or Wahine, embark on an island
adventure, making sure you experience
some of the best Tiki Toronto has to offer.
Mahalo.

Bruce Blue Rivera, The Urban Mixologist.
is an accomplished Mixologist with
over 16 years of bartending, wine and
spirits experience, boasting an impressive
resume that spans across 12 countries.
He teaches the history and cultural
background, as well as the application
of bartending and has been featured
on Spike Tvs Bar rescue and Wendy
Williams to name a few. To learn more
about The Urban Mixologist check out:
www.TheUrbanMixologist.Com

The Making of
Dous Makos
Presented by www.haitian-recipes.com
BY MARTINE
STEPHENSON
This dessert is extremely popular
among the Caribbean
natives of Haiti and has been
growing in popularity within
North America.
Dous Makos has been around from as
early as 1939. Legend has it that it was
created by Fernand Marcos, an entrepreneur
from Belgium, who first settled
in Petit-Goave, Haiti. It was while here
that he decided to produce this unique
dessert and supply it to the market for
profit.
As time went by the dessert became
very popular. The original recipe remains
in the hands of the Labarre family
who has transformed its production
into a family owned business.
So what exactly is Dous Makos? Dous
Makos is a sweet sugar based dessert
that is extremely popular among the
Caribbean natives in Haiti particularly
in the town of Petit-Goave. It has fudge
like texture and is made using milk,
sugar, and a variety of ingredients that
are often kept as a secret among the
natives in Petit-Goave.
Market-wise, it can be found in almost
every corner shop in Haiti and also a
selective variety of bakeries within the
United States. However, to get the real
authentic Dous Makos you would need
to take a trip down to the Petit-Goave
as that’s the only place you can find the
genuine dessert.

Ingredients
10 cups of fresh coconut milk
5 cinnamon sticks
4 cups of sugar
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh ginger
4 cans of evaporated milk
zest of one lemon
1 tsp of nutmeg
1 tsp of salt
15 oz. of coconut butter
3 tsp of vanilla extract
2 tsp of almond extract
Believe it or not, the
process of producing
your own Dous Makos is
not hard. Simply start
by combining fresh coconut
milk, sugar, and
cinnamon, among other
ingredients until it
becomes a concentrated
mixture. The mixture
will then begin to
thicken, and during the
last stages coloring is
added.
Next arrange the different
colors to form layers
of how you would
like your finished product
to look. The Dous
Makos is then set aside
to cool using a deep
9x4x4 loaf pan for up
to six hours.
Once the Dous Makos is
ready, this sweet treat
can be cut into squares
and used for family
outings, large events,
as a simple sweet treat
and many other occasions.
Fill your life with
the sweet treat; you deserve
a little sweetness
in your life.
How to Cook
Pour the coconut milk into a medium saucepan over
high heat.
Add cinnamon sticks. Heat until boils, then add in
sugar and stir.
Reduce to a simmer over medium-high heat and add
ginger. Stir occasionally.
After about 1.5 hours, the liquid should darken and be
slightly reduced.
Remove the cinnamon sticks. Bring heat to high and
stir constantly to prevent the sugar from burning.
Add evaporated milk, salt, nutmeg, lemon zest, and stir
constantly for about an hour.
Reduce heat and stir in coconut butter and extracts.
Divide mixture into three separate saucepans over low
heat - 1/5 with brown coloring, 1/5 with red coloring,
3/5 in original form.
Using a deep loaf pan, smooth and flatten each layer.
Place on top of each other. Let it cool then cut into
squares.

JOIN THE
MOVEMENT
WEAREBLACKANDABROAD.COM

Griots Republic Vol. 1 Issue 8
AUGUST 2016
Editor in Chief Davita McKelvey
Deputy Editor Rodney Goode
Copy Editor Alexis Barnes
Video Editor Kindred Films Inc.
Advertising
Brian Blake
Brian@GriotsRepublic.com
Business Manager
Alexandra Stewart
Alexandra@GriotsRepublic.com
www.GriotsRepublic.com
Email: info@GriotsRepublic.com
Mail To: 405 Tarrytown Rd STE 1356,
White Plains, NY 10607
Phone: 1 929-277-9290
For Photo Attributions Please Reference
the following:
AUGUST PHOTO ATTRIBUTIONS
Published monthly by Griots Republic LLC
All Rights Reserved.
The views expressed in this magazine are those of the
authors and do not necessarily represent or reflect
the views of Griots Republic.