York Regional Police, in partnership with LEGACY Enterprise and community partners, celebrated Black History Month in Canada Saturday at its headquarters in Aurora.
At this year’s event, hosted by television anchor Tammie Sutherland with keynote speaker Ginelle Skerritt, CEO of York Region Children’s Aid Society, the 29th edition LEGACY Black History Month Poster by Order of Canada recipient Robert Small was unveiled.
Copies of the poster will be distributed to government agencies, school boards, libraries and community centres throughout Canada to be viewed by millions of people during Black History Month. The poster will feature four prominent Black Canadians whose tireless efforts have immensely enriched Canada.
Those featured this year are social activist Debbie Douglas, entrepreneur Warren Salmon, artist Kwame Delfish and educator Karen Hudson.
Black History Month was formally recognized in the City of Toronto through the efforts of Dr. Daniel G. Hill of the Ontario Black History Society in 1979. Dr. Rosemary Sadlier, past president of the OBHS, solicited the help of former MP and parliamentary secretary Jean Augustine to have Black History Month declared
a national celebration. The bill was passed in the House of Commons in 1995 and Black History Month was celebrated nationally for the first time in February 1996.
