Jcom Celebrates Black History Month

Yes yes y’all...its Jaff back at it again! And this time I’m here to drop some knowledge. As you know January was a very monumental and historical month. Not only with the celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Day, but the following day being the presidential inauguration of the first black president, one Mr. Barack Obama. It was a great event to experience and witness, one of those moments that had you glued to your television and absolutely captivated. It was a true milestone in history, one that you’ll always remember where you were at that very moment. And what a way to kick start the month of February, more significantly recognized as Black History Month.

This weekend I had the great privilege to attend the Black History Month conference at the North York Central Library. This conference featured workshops with inspirational motivational guest speakers, spoken word poets, dancers, and recording artists alike. All with one common goal to educate and spread knowledge of the importance of black history. Both the cultural hardships and great accomplishments of African-Americans, African-Canadians, and people of the Caribbean, have shaped a lasting imprint on our society today. And this was a celebration of these achievements and a time of reflection while focusing on continued success in the future.

This conference coming just one day after the influential late great Bob Marley's birthday. And more importantly, as Toronto Mayor David Miller officially declared it ; February 6th, Bob Marley Day. The event was hosted by Flow 93.5’s Jeni McKenzie, of the mid-day break. With music provided by Flow’s newest DJ, and Valid Point Productions very own, DJ James Redi.

The first speaker was Dwayne Morgan, an author, producer, poet, spoken word artist, and motivational speaker. He shared his thoughts and views on growing up as a black youth and his decisions to rise above the negatives and strive to set positive examples for himself and others to follow. He performed some of his poems that delivered strong and empowering messages. One that I took away from listening was that you have to look at yourself in the mirror and be responsible and accountable for the decisions you make. Do the right thing, not the popular thing. And just overall surround yourself with the positives in life and pay no attention to the negatives.

Next we heard from the beautiful Miss Stacey McKenzie from America’s and Canada’s Next Top Model. She shared her story of trying to break into the harsh fashion industry. She was constantly told no and had countless doors shut in her face from talent agencies all over the world. She had to struggle with the constant reminder that she didn’t posses the “desired” look of what a model was “supposed” to look like. But the girl with the quirky look and deep voice never quit. She knew she was beautiful inside and out, and knew what she was capable of achieving. Eventually her relentless persistence paid off and she got her big break. Since then Stacey has been a prominent figure in the world of fashion and has set the trend and opened the door for other models that possess a unique look, different than that of the typical model. It was a very touching recollection of memories, as Stacey was often brought to tears when reliving some of the difficult times she endured. She was very sincere and all of her success was earned through hard work and dedication. Her message to everyone was that you can truly accomplish anything you set your mind to if you want it. And never take NO for an answer!

The event came to a close with an energetic performance by local rapper and personality, The Kid Famous. He performed his hits “I’m Here”, “Big Man Tings”, and “Ain’t No Use”. Afterwards Famous spoke a little bit about his story, and it is nothing short of remarkable. He left his hometown of Montreal to pursue his dreams in Toronto. He interned, working for free for two years at Universal and Sony/BMG just to study and learn about the industry. He was working at the “Champs” store in Scarborough Town Centre, and then quit his job on New Year’s Eve 2007, to focus on his plan to become a “Famous Rapper”. He aligned himself with Flow 93.5 working as a member of their street team, “Team Flow”, and made some key connections in the process. Long story short, Famous didn’t have a single song out before January 2008, four months later he was opening for Nas in Toronto, and then he released his first album the “I RAP NOW” EP. And not even one year later, Famous is now nominated for the most prestigious award a Canadian musician can obtain, a Juno! That’s right, Famous went from being virtually unknown a year ago, to living out his dreams of being a rapper and now receiving the welcomed surprise of being nominated for the Juno for the best rap album of the year, alongside Kardinal Offishall and other well established Canadian hip-hop artists. Famous himself was still in disbelief, laughing and speechless when recounting his story to success. He compared it to feeling as if sometimes he’s dreaming. Famous’ story is another true example of how anything is possible! With hard work and dedication you can make your dreams a reality.

Overall the Black History Month conference was a huge success, and was an uplifting experience. It was one that transcended all races; black, white, or indifferent. The message was loud and clear, through tremendous adversity with perseverance there can be great success. With the power of education, knowledge, and learning from history, we can ensure to provide a better future for everyone all over the world.

Look out for this event to be even bigger and better next year and if you have the chance to attend I would highly recommend being a part of it.

Yours to discover...its Jaff!

PS. This event was made possible in part by Andre Blenman, events coordinator for “YOUTH ASSISTING YOUTH” a non-profit charitable organization and peer mentoring program. YAY is now currently looking for mentors for at risk and newcomer children throughout Toronto. It is a great way to get involved and help out children in your community. So if you are interested in becoming a mentor please call YAY at 416-932-1919, or e-mail at mail@yay.org. For more information please visit their website at http://www.yay.org/. Thank you.