34th edition of Black History Month kicks off in Montreal with soirée
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Posted January 30, 2025 9:08 pm.
Last Updated January 30, 2025 11:08 pm.
The 34th anniversary of Black History Month in Montreal will be celebrated in February. On Thursday, festivities kicked off at city hall with the opening night of the 2025 round table.
“This month is crucially important to us to spring off the accomplishments of Blacks throughout the time, throughout the years,” said Michael Farkas, president, Round Table on Black History Month.
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The Roundtable on Black History Month is a non-profit organization. It aims to promote activities that connect to numerous aspects of the history of black communities. Its focus is on historical and contemporary dimensions.
A free calendar is released annually as part of The Round Table on Black History Month. It features 12 laureates, who are being honoured as part of the ceremony. It focuses on one theme.
“The theme is ‘All That We Carry.’ So it’s a legacy of just being on Earth all this time and, you know, everything that we’ve journeyed through. So, meaning take the good and with the bad, and take, when we’re, you know, like anything else, we’re interrelated with the Earth, Mother Earth. And in that respect, we carry a lot, just like many, many human beings. So we’re just proud of being able to show that and expose that,” said Farkas.
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“There are 12 laureates, each representing a month of the year. We have beautiful, very strong people who truly deserve this tribute.”
Laureates had the opportunity to sign the Livre d’Or of Montreal, the official guest book of the city, with the presence of Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante.
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Joel Campbell was one of the honourees.
“It’s such an honour to be recognized for your work, for what you’ve done for many years. You don’t do it to be recognized. You just want to affect the community in a positive way. So to actually receive from my peers is huge and I’m so grateful,” said Campbell, a BHM 2025 laureate.
“I just want to say this is great to be recognized. I’m so humbled and grateful to know that people see the work I’m doing, and it only encourages me to do more. So I’m grateful,” he added.
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Vanessa Kanga was another.
“As an African woman coming from Africa like 20 years ago, I was just wanting people to have a cultural platform to express themselves. And the fact that I did that 20 years after I was recognized, it’s really big because I always did that for others,” said Kanga, BHM 2025 laureate.
“This is so amazing. I wasn’t aware it was such a big thing. I was working and doing all that stuff for years, never having in mind that you could be recognized like that. And being at the City Hall of Montreal with the Mayor and all these amazing Black people in the city is just amazing. So it means a lot,” Kanga added.
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“Thank you to the Black History Month table for putting this together for many, many years now. And as a Montrealer, I just want to say continue to build and share what you have, and it will be recognized.”
Farkas expressed that, “they’re role models for other Blacks to see that also they can achieve, especially for the youth, I would say, the role models and the people that have achieved careers and professions. And they’ve taken on different challenges to be able to push us forward in a very positive, constructive way. That helps the whole society here in Quebec and even Canadian society to really, we can bask in their heritage, whatever they’ve left for us.”
Farkas explained the importance of Black History Month.
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“It’s very important as a lot of our history has not been covered through time. We’ve often been forgotten, not so well documented. We know that the history where Black people are part of is always documented, even in the history books in schools. So if we can level the playing field by giving a little more information on the history of Black folks, which is the history of the world, as we’ve participated in so many journeys, so many wars, and even natural disasters, we’ve been part of those too. In that respect, we’ve often been forgotten. So if we can just uplift that knowledge of who we are and what we’ve done throughout time, I think we’ll have done a little bit of our duty,” he said.
“It’s so important to have this promotional window of a month, and then we can continue throughout the year to expose Black contributions and Black successes. Excellence, if I may say, and just be part of the fabric of where we live. So in that respect, this month is crucially important to us to spring off the accomplishments of Blacks throughout time, throughout the years.”
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Others say the conversations shouldn’t end there.
“Well, to me personally, I always look on it as a form of showing the next generation to come to the foundations that we’ve been laying. It’s so important that they see the recognition is there and that the work is being done. So, I always look on Black History Month as a recognition of setting the boundaries for the future,” said Campbell.
“I understand the recognition and I do get the focus. But Black people build a lot. The history is based on the backs of a lot of Black people in the nation. So I always don’t look on it as Black History Month. I look on it as our contribution to society in general. From the beginning of the foundations of the world, as far as I’m concerned, Black people have played an integral part and continue to do so. So the month is great, but the spotlight shouldn’t stop after February.”
Kanga adds, “I think it’s the start. Black History Month should be the start of something, not the end of something we just have to do and check off. We have to think that Black people in Canada and in Montreal are part of the community—a huge community. And we have to sincerely recognize their contribution and the fact that they built this city and all that we see, as well as the other communities. So it is a start, and it’s February, and it’s short. So it just has to be a start.”
This year’s edition of Black History Month will feature other events throughout the month.
“We’re totally welcoming that people find their way. There’s more than 160 activities. So, it must be one or two that can interest every single person here in Quebec,” said Farkas.