“This Year’s theme for Black History Month is Ours to Tell. This theme represents both an opportunity to engage in open dialogue and a commitment to learning more about the stories Black communities in Canada have to tell - about their histories, successes, sacrifices and triumphs.
No matter where you live, we invite all Canadians to learn more about these communities, and how they continue to help shape Canadian history.”
Source: Canadian Heritage
Chantha’s Reflections:
Black History Month is of great significance to me personally. I have my young daughter who is biracial, half Cambodian/half Haitian and my young (bonus) son who is Kenyan. It is through our family conversations, celebrations, traditions and sharing our beautiful rituals, culinary delights, and history of our cultures; it is in these special moments where my husband and I can help them both to know who they are, to grow and to build their confidence to be the best versions ofthemselves as their parents and mentors. It is also truly important for my family and I to continue to learn about and celebrate the significant contributions of notable Black Canadians, understand challenges, support community building through mentoring and stand as allies and advocates to fight against stereotypes and anti-Black racism.At Orion’s Reach our team is focusing on spreading more knowledge on various forms of mentoring and the benefits, focusing on providing mentoring to youths and early career professionals. Meaningful mentors help youth and early career professionals to manage interpersonal relationships, build connections and a professional network, acquire essential skills, navigate their life transition, begin their career journey and excel.
I also want to leave everyone with some helpful resources to continue to learn more about Black History Month and celebrate the many inspiring Black Leaders and their stories:
Thank you and take care!