Latest news with #AfricanCaribbean
Hamilton Spectator
3 days ago
- General
- Hamilton Spectator
Rising Stars: 16 Students Awarded Scholarships by African Caribbean Council of Halton
On May 23, the African Caribbean Council of Halton (ACCH) held their third annual Black Excellence Scholarship Awards and Fundraising event. The ACCH is a non-profit organization whose aim is to strengthen and empower the African Caribbean community through political and educational advocacy, and collaboration with other community groups. Scholarships, like the ones given out last Friday to graduating students who met the ACCH's criteria, are another empowerment tool the group uses. The award is open to students of African, Caribbean, and Black descent. Students must attend a high school in Halton and have been accepted to a post-secondary institution. According to the ACCH website, students are also expected to be involved in community work and the Black History Month initiative. Recipients are expected to mentor other students, volunteer, and be ambassadors of the community. Sixteen awards were given out, seven for Halton District School Board (HDSB) students and nine for Halton Catholic District School Board (HCDSB) students. The event was held at Burlington's Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School and was attended by many dignitaries, including politicians, a Halton Regional Police Service officer, and both school board directors. The ceremony was held in the school gym, with tables and chairs set up for guests. A Jamaican dinner was prepared for attendees, which was served after the scholarships were handed out. Students also walked around with a QR code on their phones, which enabled attendees to donate to the ACCH. Adejisola B. H. Atiba (also known as Lady ABHA), founder and board chair, spoke first at the event and talked about the importance of nurturing our youth. 'We always say our students are our future,' Atiba said. 'But they are only our future if we invest in them today.' Atiba also spoke about how valuable time is and quoted an African proverb about asking for help. 'Time is your most precious currency,' Atiba said. 'It doesn't wait. It doesn't pause, and you can't rewind it. How you use it determines what you become.' 'Lean on your mentors, your teachers, and your elders,' Atiba continued. 'Seeking guidance is a strength. If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.' Atiba finished with an analogy to guide students going forward. 'Time is your seed, mentorship is your soil, and intentional living is how you bloom,' Atiba said. Edosa Adams-Idode, president of ACCH, spoke next and outlined the three pillars that, for her, make these awards essential. 'Ownership is number one,' Adams-Idode said. 'We cannot complain that our youths are not successful without a conducive and collaborative environment to recognize their hard work, leadership, and service of volunteerism, which is the bedrock of our Canadian values.' 'The second pillar is the link between student achievement and mentorship,' Adams-Idode continued. 'Where one is weak, the other is compromised. Without both, there can be no trust in our educational system. And finally, the last pillar is investing in our youth. That's where we look to the future with hope and confidence.' Adams-Idode noted that she thinks this group of recipients will produce many MPs and the future prime minister. Paul Sharman, Burlington Ward 5 councillor, followed with reflections on the rewards of public service, encouraging the students to consider careers rooted in empathy and community impact. 'The best career of all is being an elected official, because that way I can make contributions to the community,' Sharman said. 'And as you think about your careers, if you think about your empathy, doing good for the community, doing good for your families, and for your loved ones, that is the biggest gift you can give the world.' Milton Regional Councillor Sammy Ijaz (Ward 3) reiterated the importance of time when he stepped up to the front of the room to speak. 'If you waste time today, at some point, time will waste you,' Ijaz said. 'That's not a promise, it's a commitment of time. If you do justice to time, time will do justice to you. But if you do injustice to time, time will catch up and then do injustice to you.' Curtis Ennis, director of education for HDSB, urged the students never to let go of their dreams and emphasized the importance of perseverance. 'Never lose your dream,' Ennis said. 'Regardless of what anyone says, work hard, stick to it, and never lose your dream. You are going to be discouraged. You're going to find others who are trying to stop you, but never lose your dream because you, and you alone, along with the determination, the purpose, and the resilience that you have, determine where you end up.' 'When you are locked in, when you are focused, when you are determined, when you are committed, there is nobody or nothing that can stop you from becoming who you were created to be, absolutely nothing or no one,' Ennis continued. 'I believe that to my core, I believe that every single one of you here has a gift and a purpose that you must realize, and so do not be distracted.' John Klein, director of education for HCDSB, drew on faith in expressing his hopes for the students' futures. 'There is a very old saying in the church that says, 'The glory of God is humanity, fully alive,'' Klein said. 'So I'd ask you to think about what it means to be fully alive for those that you encounter each and every day, how you honour them and how you respect them. And that's really my prayer and my hope for you.' Ryan Smith, a staff sergeant for Halton police, spoke of the lasting impact the students will have on the community and how they will help shape Halton going forward. 'Don't lose the fact that you will have such a tremendous impact on this community for generations to come,' Smith said. Effie Triantafilopoulos, MPP for Oakville North-Burlington, was not present at the event, but sent a video message that was played via projector. In it, Triantafilopoulos spoke about her continued involvement with the ACCH's work. 'As part of my commitment to the important work done by ACCH leaders, each summer I offer a job in my community office to one of the successful recipients and will be doing so again this summer,' Triantafilopoulos said. 'So, please contact ACCH if you're interested in better understanding how the Ontario government works.' The following students were honoured with scholarships at the event:
BBC News
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
'Place and people now gone' caught on camera by city snapper
A self-taught photographer has said he hopes images he took capturing life in Bradford's African Caribbean communities in the early 1980s can eventually find pride of place in a museum in his home photographs by Victor Wedderburn, who is now 70, reveal a snapshot of life in Manningham towards the end of last century and are currently on show in his first ever public exhibition as part of this year's City of Culture Wedderburn said he hoped the photos could eventually go on display in the National Science and Media Museum in said: "I was right when I thought it was important to take these pictures. It's of a place and people that have now gone." Mr Wedderburn arrived in the UK from Jamaica in 1971 at the age of 16 to join his Windrush Generation he was later made redundant from his driving job at Crofts Engineers, he used his pay-off to buy a second-hand camera and kit to develop an atmosphere of racism and community tensions, he set about documenting everyday life in Bradford as he saw it. His colour photographs of landmarks on Lumb Lane such as Roots Record Shop, the Young Lions Cafe and the Perseverance Hotel remained unseen for after publishing them online and getting a positive response they also came to the attention of the Bradford City of Culture 2025 team. The images show everything from sound system parties to anti-apartheid marches and shine a light on a sometimes neglected part of Bradford's multi-cultural history. Mr Wedderburn, who still lives in Bradford, explained: "This community doesn't exist anymore, people have moved on."When you go to the area now, it's completely different. It's completely changed. "We miss it of course, but that's life." Mr Wedderburn's pictures are currently on show in his first ever public exhibition, Frontline 1984/1985, which runs until Sunday 11 May in the Gallery at the Loading Bay in said that once that exhibition was over, he hoped they could find a permanent home."For the photographs, I'm hoping - or the plans are - that they go to the photographic museum in Bradford," he said."And, who knows? But I hope they get exhibited elsewhere. That's the plan." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Daily Mirror
29-04-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Coffee can slash diabetes risk if you make key change, claims expert
Type 2 diabetes risk is influenced by a number of factors, but making one simple change to your diet could help to significantly decrease the odds of developing the condition The risk of developing type 2 diabetes is largely influenced by diet and lifestyle. While there are other genetic and lifestyle factors at play, making simple changes to your diet can significantly reduce the risk of developing this disorder. And Diabetes UK has made a somewhat surprising suggestion. The charity advises swapping fruit juices for tea or coffee. Ideally, if you can enjoy these hot drinks without adding extra sugar, it could help lower your risk of type 2 diabetes. Fruit juices may seem like a healthier option than a cup of coffee, but many popular brands contain high levels of free sugars added by manufacturers. Even natural fruit juices without added sugars can still contain significant amounts of free sugars due to the fructose in the fruit. The diabetes experts still recommend consuming whole fruits like apples, grapes and berries, while avoiding their juiced counterparts. Consuming whole fruits provides fibre, which slows down the body's absorption of fructose, thus preventing the sugar spikes caused by fruit juices. The link between sugar-laden fizzy and energy drinks and chronic conditions like type 2 diabetes is well-documented, but weaning off the caffeine fix is rarely easy. For those who find unsweetened tea or coffee lacking as a replacement can try opting for low calorie or no added sugar variants of your beloved beverages to satisfy the craving without increasing your diabetes risk. Diabetes UK has chimed in with some helpful advice, noting: "Any amount of weight loss can help, research shows losing even 1kg can help to reduce your risk." Keeping an eye on your waist size is crucial for gauging the risk of type 2 diabetes, as it indicates how much fat you're packing around your pancreas and its potential impact on insulin function. Helpfully, Diabetes UK provides benchmarks for healthy waist measurements. But let's not forget that some risk elements are out of our hands. People of African Caribbean, Black African, or South Asian descent, and those with relatives who have type 2 diabetes are statistically at a greater disadvantage.
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
The 'surprising' legacies of Windrush generation
"Surprising stories" from a city's first African Caribbean residents are being shared in an exhibition looking at the legacies of the Windrush generation. The project was the brainchild of Dr Carol Brown-Leonardi, founder of the African Caribbean Research Group (ACRG), in partnership with the Museum of Cambridge. She said: "Stories I didn't expect to hear came flowing out and I thought, 'Oh my gosh, we need to put them in a museum and let people see them'." They include an artist whose works are now in national collections, a midwife who set up a clinic in Sierra Leone - and a forgotten cricket team. Open University lecturer Dr Brown-Leonardi began gathering the oral histories in 2023 and found them "so surprising and unexpected" that she approached the museum about showcasing them. "We didn't realise we had an elder who is an artist called John Lyons, now 92, who is part of the Cambridge community, who has his work in several national collections in art galleries all over England," she said. "And there's a 92-year-old Windrush nurse called Lileth Warford, who was in a dual-heritage marriage in the 1960s. She and her husband went to Iran and then to Sierra Leone, where she opened a mother and baby clinic." In 1948, the British Nationality Act gave people from colonies the right to live and work in Britain to help fill post-war labour shortages and rebuild the economy. That year, HMT Empire Windrush docked in Tilbury, Essex, bringing hundreds of passengers from the Caribbean to the UK. It became a symbol of a wider mass-migration movement. These travellers - and those on other ships which came to the UK until 1971 - became known as the Windrush generation. Many had served in the British armed forces in World War Two. Jamaican-born Albert Gordon was the landlord of the Midland Tavern, on Devonshire Steet, now the Devonshire Arms, and it turned out he had a link to a forgotten cricket team. Dr Brown-Leonardi said: "His grandson discovered he was very instrumental in forming a Caribbean cricket team in Cambridge which lasted until the 1980s. "The ACRG thought we were the first to set up an African-Caribbean cricket club - which is open to people from any ethnicity in Cambridgeshire - but we weren't the first at all." The project also unearthed the first soldier of Caribbean-heritage to serve in Northern Ireland, the woman who set up the city's first African Caribbean church and a man who fought in Borneo while serving with the RAF. "It's really important to have these stories in a local museum because the city's Caribbean community is very much in the shadows and people will see the contribution they made, how dynamic they were - what they did is incredible," she said. Legacies of Windrush in Cambridge was funded by a £48,000 grant from the Arts Council and the National Lottery Heritage Fund. It runs until January. Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. The city where one in four has a non-UK passport 'Film is an act of love from the whole community' Windrush was 'the best decision I ever made' Project celebrates legacy of Windrush families What is Windrush Day? Museum of Cambridge African Caribbean Research Group
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
The 'surprising' legacies of Windrush generation
"Surprising stories" from a city's first African Caribbean residents are being shared in an exhibition looking at the legacies of the Windrush generation. The project was the brainchild of Dr Carol Brown-Leonardi, founder of the African Caribbean Research Group (ACRG), in partnership with the Museum of Cambridge. She said: "Stories I didn't expect to hear came flowing out and I thought, 'Oh my gosh, we need to put them in a museum and let people see them'." They include an artist whose works are now in national collections, a midwife who set up a clinic in Sierra Leone - and a forgotten cricket team. Open University lecturer Dr Brown-Leonardi began gathering the oral histories in 2023 and found them "so surprising and unexpected" that she approached the museum about showcasing them. "We didn't realise we had an elder who is an artist called John Lyons, now 92, who is part of the Cambridge community, who has his work in several national collections in art galleries all over England," she said. "And there's a 92-year-old Windrush nurse called Lileth Warford, who was in a dual-heritage marriage in the 1960s. She and her husband went to Iran and then to Sierra Leone, where she opened a mother and baby clinic." In 1948, the British Nationality Act gave people from colonies the right to live and work in Britain to help fill post-war labour shortages and rebuild the economy. That year, HMT Empire Windrush docked in Tilbury, Essex, bringing hundreds of passengers from the Caribbean to the UK. It became a symbol of a wider mass-migration movement. These travellers - and those on other ships which came to the UK until 1971 - became known as the Windrush generation. Many had served in the British armed forces in World War Two. Jamaican-born Albert Gordon was the landlord of the Midland Tavern, on Devonshire Steet, now the Devonshire Arms, and it turned out he had a link to a forgotten cricket team. Dr Brown-Leonardi said: "His grandson discovered he was very instrumental in forming a Caribbean cricket team in Cambridge which lasted until the 1980s. "The ACRG thought we were the first to set up an African-Caribbean cricket club - which is open to people from any ethnicity in Cambridgeshire - but we weren't the first at all." The project also unearthed the first soldier of Caribbean-heritage to serve in Northern Ireland, the woman who set up the city's first African Caribbean church and a man who fought in Borneo while serving with the RAF. "It's really important to have these stories in a local museum because the city's Caribbean community is very much in the shadows and people will see the contribution they made, how dynamic they were - what they did is incredible," she said. Legacies of Windrush in Cambridge was funded by a £48,000 grant from the Arts Council and the National Lottery Heritage Fund. It runs until January. Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. The city where one in four has a non-UK passport 'Film is an act of love from the whole community' Windrush was 'the best decision I ever made' Project celebrates legacy of Windrush families What is Windrush Day? Museum of Cambridge African Caribbean Research Group
