SUPPLIED PHOTO Enlarge Image

Filmmaker Ernesto Griffith who recently held a viewing of his film Billy at the Park Theatre.

Tara Sheppard and Stewart Hubbard are hoping to help their son learn about his culture.

The parents, who adopted 16-month-old Joshua Asnake from Ethiopia six months ago, took part in the black history lesson offered by the Jamaican Cultural Centre on Feb. 11. The lesson was part of February’s Black History Month celebrations.

This year’s theme is Moving Together With Peace and Love, and was organized by the Black History Month planning team in collaboration with the North End-based Council of Caribbean Organizations of Manitoba, the Jamaican Association of Manitoba, the Congress of Black Women of Manitoba, and Elmwood-based Afro-Caribbean Association of Manitoba.

Sheppard said it’s important for her and Hubbard to let their son know about his history.

"We feel really passionately about him knowing his history and building his culture in Manitoba," said Sheppard, who lives in Crescentwood with her family.

"We’re making it a priority. When we adopted him we promised to keep his history alive."

Mavis McLaren, who helped organize the history lesson, said Black History Month plays an important role in sharing the contributions black men and women have made over the years.

"I keep telling everyone that we have to tell our stories, we’re not in the history books like we should be," said McLaren, a St. Vital resident who is the secretary of the Jamaican Association.

The Afro-Caribbean Association took part in the month’s events by hosting its 13th annual job fair at Elmwood High School on Feb. 18.

Jim Ogunnoiki, past president of the association, has been co-ordinating the event since its inception.

 Ogunnoiki said organizers were expecting 1,000 people to attend the event, which was open to all members of the community.

"The job fair wasn’t originally established for Black History Month, but as time went on we saw it as an extension of the organization," Ogunnoiki said.

"We need the information to go out to the entire community."

Filmmaker Ernesto Griffith contributed by presenting his movie, Billy, on Feb. 19 at the Park Theatre.

The movie tells the story of an African American man from Minnesota who moves to Manitoba and overcomes racism. It is loosely based on the life of Billy Beal who moved from Minneapolis to Swan River in 1906.

"(Director) Winston Washington and I realized there just wasn’t a lot of black history being told in Manitoba," said Griffith, who lives in Southdale.

"We both were familiar with the story. Beal was instrumental in starting the first school in the Swan River Valley."

Sheppard said it’s important that everyone is aware of the important contributions blacks have made to the local community.

"As a white person it’s good to know how much black people have contributed to Winnipeg," she said.

"We want our son to be proud of his background and remember who he is."

facebook.com/TheHeraldWpg
Twitter: @HeraldWPG

adrian.alleyne@canstarnews.com