Global Black Pride Event set for 27-31 July in Toronto
By Daniel Itai
Global Back Pride brings together Black 2SLGBTQIA+ communities across all continents to celebrate their culture, diversity and provide a space for activists and community-based organizations across the globe to engage and reflect.
Global Black Pride, will be conducting two events in Toronto at the end of July starting with the Human Rights Conference on Thursday the 28th of July, 2022 and the Global Black Pride Marketplace on Friday the 29th of July, 2022.
The Human Rights Conference will serve as a coming together of human rights defenders and activists across the globe, physically and digitally. The conference will respond to the violence, discrimination, and exclusion that have harmed Black people and people of color who identify as 2SLGBTQIA+.
In addition, Global Black Pride Marketplace will highlight and showcase Black 2SLGBTQIA+ vendors, artists, and merchants. This outdoor street market will provide a space to celebrate, connect, and support the rich and wide artistry and creativity of Black 2SLGBTQIA+ entrepreneurs and artists where participants can display, sell, and promote their crafted goods and services.
"The opening and closing ceremonies will highlight the partnership and collaboration between Global Black Pride, Pride Toronto, Blackness Yes!, City Councilors, the Mayor’s Office and communities. The opening ceremony will be co-hosted by Blackness Yes!, Global Black Pride, and the Mayor’s Office to reestablish the importance of community partnership involvement and leadership engagement," read a statement from the Global Black Pride.
Founded in 2020, Global Back Pride is the first ever and only activist-led global Pride event that brings together Black 2SLGBTQIA+ communities across all continents to celebrate their culture, diversity and provide a space for activists and community-based organizations across the globe to engage and reflect.
Meanwhile, Toronto Public Health (TPH)'s Drug Strategy Refresh will be hosting a roundtable on the 30th ot August 2022 between 14h00 and 16h00 via zoom for African, Caribbean, and Black (ACB) people.
"Toronto Public Health is hosting this roundtable to gather input on policy and programming recommendations as it refreshes the Toronto Drug Strategy.
This roundtable will be conducted by MASS LBP, an independent organization that is supporting our consultation process. Members of the Toronto Drug Strategy Secretariat will also join this roundtable.
For the population specific roundtables, we are aiming to prioritize input from people who identify as a member of the specific population, however, relevant stakeholders and those who identify as allies may also attend. We ask participants to be mindful of this when choosing a roundtable, and remember that there are four non-population-specific roundtables where a variety of views can be incorporated," read a statement from the TPH.
Toronto Public Health facilitates the development and implementation of evidence-based primary substance use prevention across the lifespan. It works with partners to expand low-barrier access to safer supply programs, prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and health and social services for those most at-risk of drug-related harms and is continuing to work with Health Canada and other community stakeholders on an alternative approach to drug criminalization for Toronto.