BY SIMONE J. SMITH

“It’s unfortunate, but not a lot of people want to see us grow.”

Anick Silencieux (Executive Director of Support Black Charities)

With August being Black Philanthropy Month, it is imperative to shed light on the critical issues of underfunding and inequity in philanthropic support for African/Caribbean communities. Interestingly enough this article is coming out on “Black Giving Day,” which happens to be the day that Martin Luther King delivered his “I Have a Dream,” delivered August 28th, 1963, at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C. It also happens to be the day that while visiting family in Money, Mississippi, 14-year-old Emmett Till, an African/ American from Chicago, was brutally murdered for allegedly flirting with a White woman.

According to a 2020 report from the Foundation for Black Communities (FFBC), for every $100 donated by the top 15 Canadian foundations, a mere 0.07 cents went to African/Caribbean-led organizations—not even a full cent. Hmmmm!

Black Philanthropy Month is vital to address the significant disparities in funding and support that Black-led organizations face. The underfunding of African/Caribbean-led organizations highlights systemic issues within the philanthropic sector. Despite the significant contributions of Black philanthropists and organizations to social justice, education, healthcare, and economic empowerment, these organizations receive disproportionately low funding. This lack of financial support hampers their ability to make sustained impacts in their communities.

Statistics from the FFBC reveal that only 2.3% of philanthropic funding in Canada goes to racialized communities, with an even smaller fraction reaching Black communities. It is the reason that African Caribbean-led organizations face challenges in effectively showcasing the full scope and impact of their programs. This can severely limit their appeal to potential donors. To address this, Supporting Black Charities is committed to providing essential resources and specialized nonprofit services to help these organizations become donor, and investment ready.

However, these efforts represent only one side of the story—ensuring that these organizations are equipped with the tools to communicate their value is just as important as advocating for systemic change in the philanthropic landscape. By improving both internal capabilities and external perceptions, SBC aims to create a more supportive environment for African/Caribbean-led organizations to thrive and achieve lasting change.

“Donate Once, Impact Many!”

In response to the challenges faced by Black-led organizations in securing equitable funding, SBC launched the Global Black Philanthropy Initiative (GBPI). GBPI is essentially a “Cause Fund,” where supporters choose to donate to a cause identified by the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) rather than a single organization. Funds received, after administrative costs are deducted, are evenly distributed to all organizations listed under the respective SDGs on the SBC website.

I had an opportunity to sit down and speak with Anick Silencieux, Founder and Executive Director of Support Black Charities (SBC, and she shared with me what inspired her to found Support Black Charities (SBC), and how its mission has evolved over time.

“I am the product of a non-profit environment. I believe strongly in work that is not for profit. I grew up in the community in Montreal, and my family was very involved,” Anick tells me. “I didn’t appreciate it at the time, but my family played a big role in the community. I also had an aunt in New York, and the same thing happened; I ended up working in the community. Now, I truly understand the power of working with like-minded people.”

This stuck with her throughout her career, and she continued to do work with community organizations. “I have always been inspired to support the Black business movement. It is about contributing to the life of the Black dollar in our community.”

“The first experience of Support Black Charities was a directory, which we tailored and began to vet the charities that became a part of the directory. It just continued to grow after that. I began to grow. During this time, I was working full time as an engineer, and when my position dissolved, I went into building Support Black Charities full force.”

“At first it was about enhancing visibility, now our focus is providing services that allow charities to remain sustainable. The MUSH group (Museums, Universities, Schools, and Hospitals) get all the money, and we are missing out on all the funding, because we don’t have these establishments. This is why I am so actively involved in the missions that are in the directory.”

“What are the key milestones or goals that SBC hopes to achieve in the next five years, Anick,” I asked?

“The philanthropic model is the rich give to the poor. I want to change this. I am talking about the triangle of success. How do we get our community to support ourselves? It is about re-imagining philanthropy in our community. We have to get more people interested in how they can help the community.”

“We want more organizations to live out longer. How do we continue to have the same generational impact? It is about creating pillars to support these organizations.

How do we go from transactional to transformational? It is about being involved in someone’s success.”

BY STEVEN KASZAB

I am an: amateur Zoologist, nature lover, and Canadian. I encourage all Canadians to learn about, explore, and get involved with the incredible gifts that Canada’s wilderness has to offer.

Researchers of all things natural, wildlife and climate have been applying different technologies using artificial intelligence as controls, scribes and collectors of information for the last decade. Implanting tracers upon wildlife has been difficult in the past, as to keeping records given by these trackers, correlating and tallying for understandable information. This has changed with major implications to the human species as well. Extremely small trackers can be placed upon wildlife and last year’s allowing researchers the ability to: find, follow, and track these species in real time and over a number of years becoming fully familiar with them. Cameras are now so small that animals cannot spot them and destroy them as they have been doing.

A.I. has advanced so far as to predicting an animal’s: daily routine, its health, habits, and possible time of death. This information is applied to the present and future management of multiple: waterfowl, birds, reptiles and other species. The advancement of technology is being applied also to the tracking of people, used by intelligence agencies, police and governmental sectors worldwide.

This should concern you. Cameras everywhere intended to catch speeders on our roadways, shoplifters in our retail environments, those who enter corporate, or government lobbies are all under camera inspection. While London may be the city with the most cameras per population density parameters, your local has cameras everywhere taking a picture of you and your passengers, those who go with you to restaurants, shops and the theater as well. Eyes are upon you at all times until you get home, right? Well, there are certain appliances, electrical devices that monitor you also, some legal, some illegally. Not to mention the multiple cameras in your neighborhood positioned near and away from a neighbour’s home towards the street level. Much of this technology is scanned by humans, but imagine when all technology is controlled and scanned for summary decisions by A.I.?

Driving on a local road going to get some milk at the corner store. A.I. cameras keep an eye upon you, collecting data as well as the possibility of cashing in on: some costly tickets for speeding, not stopping at stop lights, strange behavior while driving, driving too close to buses especially near schools. There presently are cameras in use that can do all the mentioned services and more. In my community there are four speed cameras. Information on the type of cameras and their capabilities is not known to the public.

Also, there are camera’s out there hidden from view intended in not only slowing down traffic but keeping an eye upon the public. Local governments see these cameras as sources of revenue, but also intelligence gathering policing devices enabling them to fight crimes such as: breaking and entering, drug traffic operations, prostitution, and protection of governmental staff and property.

A.I. is becoming a great help in the managing and protection of wildlife, while it presents itself as a possible threat to our personal and business privacy. The future holds challenges to the boundaries of what governments expectations are vs our privacy and personal protection. Cheaters, criminals, those who attempt to hide themselves and their actions beware. Big Brother has its eyes on you!

BY SYDNEE WALCOTT

While Black-owned business brands have always been around, the number of Black-owned businesses started seeing a higher increase in the late 2010s, and there’s no sign of slowing down anytime soon.

The High Fashion Designer Showcases and the AFWT (African Fashion Week Toronto) Runway Show was the place to be on August 23^rd, 2024. The fashion show saw Sankofa Square (formerly Yonge and Dundas Square) convert into a runway, where models strutted, wearing clothing designed by talented local Black designers.

African Fashion Week Toronto (AFWT) is a not-for-profit initiative started in 2012 by Isaac Ansah to provide a platform for Black models, designers and creatives to succeed in the fashion industry.

During the daytime, the first part of the fashion show presented just the models strutting down the runway. As daytime transitioned into nighttime, the second half turned into a Rip The Runway-style, consisting of models walking down the runway while a singing or dancing performance took place.

With the event all about highlighting the designs of crafted Black designers, here’s a list of the brands featured in this year’s fashion show:

Remmy Tee: Remmy Tee’s brand specializes in high-quality scarves designed from 100 percent mulberry silk, known for being more: progressing, smoother, lighter and more durable, unlike other types. The scarves are also natural, breathable, and supple on the skin.

House of Filyfing: The vision of Rabiya Tou’s brand is to celebrate the power of appearance. For women, looks can be a key to unlocking opportunities where only impressions matter. The brand worships the essence of being a woman and the impact of female empowerment through formal and semi-formal clothing with an African touch.

Mia Swim Wear: Although Fall is around the corner, summer is still in full swing with the Mia Swim Wear brand. Designed by Mia Swim Wear, the summer-themed brand has the perfect blend of sophisticated swimwear and summer clothing for both women and men.

Kurve Kouture: Kurve Kouture is a Nigerian-based clothing brand for curvy women who are proud of their figures and enjoy flaunting their curves. The formal pieces empower curvy women to wear stylish and sophisticated clothing, allowing their natural confidence to shine.

Omomamae Koncept and Clothing (OMK): Omomamae Koncept and Clothing (OMK) is an established premier fashion brand by Adesanmi Oluwagbnega. The unisex fashion brand sells clothing for every occasion: elegant suits, casual wear, traditional attire and contemporary pieces. Since its establishment in 2008, OMK captured widespread recognition in numerous fashion shows and earned countless awards for its designs.

Ambition: Created by the founder of the African Fashion Week Toronto initiative, Isaac Ansah, Ambition is a newly-founded brand created to represent: inspiration, success and growth. The clothing brand specializes in comforting everyday loungewear with a stylish touch.

NUYU by Stacey: Although Stacey-Ann Vassell’s line designs clothing for women and children of all shapes and sizes, the children’s line is the most captivating. The brand, which stands for Never Underestimate Your Uniqueness, sells luxurious casual and semi-formal clothing, allowing women and children to stay stylish no matter how simple the design is.

QueenFecy: Queen Fecy, a Nigerian-born fashion designer, has a fashion brand that represents more than just fashion alone. Her formal fashion brand, QueenFecy, speaks for her work as a public speaker, philanthropist, and advocate for empowering Black people and youth through all aspects.

The runway show wasn’t all to look forward to that day. In between showcases, acclaimed singers of Black heritage performed a medley of their hits throughout the show. The roster of artists the audience got to be entertained by included: B’Kem, Cobby Kai, Sophia, DT the Artist, and Silla.

The event’s official presenter, Shark Beauty, did a giveaway where audience members could go home with a Shark Beauty product. All they had to do was compete in a series of challenges.

Toronto once again shows the world that fashion lives here!