'All kinds of different backgrounds' celebrated on P.E.I. for Black Heritage Month

One of the organizers of P.E.I.'s Black Heritage Month hopes February will be a time for Islanders to recognize the past and the future of the black community.

"Being a member of the local black community I think it's important that we celebrate — we're calling it Black Heritage Month," said Scott Parsons, a member of the society.

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Open to everyone

He said the goals of the month are to celebrate black culture and to help others understand it.

"The Black Cultural Society of P.E.I. is open to anyone who has any interest in black history and black culture. We have people from all kinds of different backgrounds that help us put these events together," he said.

"As well, a lot of P.E.I.'s black history has kind of been forgotten about or not talked about much or not mentioned much over the years," he added.

"There's people from one end of P.E.I. to the other and vice versa who if they look back in their family history they'll find that they perhaps had a black person that was here as one of their ancestors — and that goes right from Miminegash to East Point."

A mix of old and new

This month doesn't just focus on the history of black people living in P.E.I. — a history that dates back to the 1700s. It also looks to the future, and celebrates newcomers to the Island.

On the history front, one of the events — Feb. 18 at the Confederation Centre Public Library — Parsons will perform songs about the Island's black history.

That same event will showcase the new as well. Also on the bill is musician Pepito Pinto, who lives in Winsloe, P.E.I., but is originally from Jamaica.

"Pepito is probably one of a about 50 or so people in the world who make steel drums and handpan drums," he said. "It's beautiful, the music that he makes."

Numerous events

There are several other events planned throughout February.

"We wanted to celebrate some of that and also the accomplishments of a lot of the newer and younger people that are here in the community," said Parsons.

Parsons credited two young women — Kendi Tarichia and Sarah Tamula — on the committee for doing the majority of work to organize the numerous events for the month.

"We have some really good events. I hope people come out."

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