VoicePrint Observes Black History Month 2010

One day our descendants will think it incredible that we paid so much attention to things like the amount of melanin in our skin or the shape of our eyes or our gender instead of the unique identities of each of us as complex human beings. 

~Franklin Thomas (philanthropist and lawyer)

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Across North America, February is recognized as Black History Month, a commemoration of trials, tribulations and triumphs. In this country, February was officially recognized as Black History Month in 1995 by the Parliament of Canada. Black Canadians make up more than two per cent of the population, according to Statistics Canada. From Mary Ann Shadd, Lincoln Alexander, Jean Augustine, Oscar Peterson, Michaelle Jean, Harriet Tubman, Jean Augustine, Rosemary Brown and Elijah McCoy are just some of the more prominent individuals that represent just a small part of the enormous contribution Black Canadians have made to this country.

Tune in to VoicePrint for special Black History Month programming throughout February, generously sponsored by TD Bank Financial Group.

On February 14th  at 4.30 p.m., VoicePrint’s award-winning interview program, Contact, presents an interview with filmmaker Nadine Valcin on her movie, Fire, which is based on the best-selling book by Afua Cooper, The Hanging of Angelique. Angélique was the Canadian slave accused of starting the Montreal fire in 1734. The film will be presented at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto on February 18th.  Valcin discusses the significance of the film, her reasons for making the movie, black history in Canada and her thoughts on making movies in Canada.

On February 24th at noon (repeated at 6 p.m.), VoicePrint will feature an interview with diversity consultant, Rabia Khedr. She will speak on the challenges facing parents of a visible minority with disabilities in trying to gain access to social services and even navigating through the legal system. While raising a children can be a both a blessing and, at times, a burden, a parent with a disability faces newer barriers that need to overcome.
Tune in and find out.

On February 27th at noon, VoicePrint presents an interview with actress Olunike Adeliyi on her career in television and movies. She is currently appearing in the television program, Flashpoint. Born in Toronto and raised in Brooklyn, Adeliyi provides a unique perspective on the subtle and not-so-subtle distinctions of being an actor in North America as well as the distinctions of black culture in Canada and the United States.