Connect with us

Community News

Even when memories fade, traditions can live on; the impact of the short film, Sugar Dumplin

Published

on

BY SIMONE J. SMITH

What happens when the memories start to fade, when the warmth of family meals and the comfort of tradition slip away, leaving behind only echoes of the past? When these memories fade, they take with them pieces of our identity, especially when dementia comes into our lives. It is a silent thief, one that strips away memories, not just of the person, but of the food they once made, the stories they once told, and the culture they helped pass down.

This week, I want to talk about a mental health challenge that affects our community. Dementia is becoming more common, but it is rarely spoken about. Sometimes, people don’t even realize it is happening until it’s too late.

I had a chance to check out a peer reviewed article titled Dementia among Minority Populations: A Scoping Review of Meaning, Language, and Translation, and it revealed that dementia affects around 55 million people globally, with over 60% living in low-and middle-income countries. Every year, 7.7 million new cases are diagnosed. In minority communities: misconceptions, cultural factors, and spiritual beliefs often complicate the understanding of dementia.

The prevalence of dementia nearly doubles every 20 years, affecting 65.7 million by 2030, and expected to rise to 115.4 million by 2050. It is a global crisis, but in minority communities, it is often overlooked, and misunderstood. Language barriers, cultural beliefs, and even invalid assessment tools… All these make it harder for people in minority groups to get proper care. Dementia often gets mistaken for spiritual issues, or just ‘old age.’ We have to change that.

On Friday, September 13th, 2024, the Toronto Caribbean Newspaper was invited to watch Sugar Dumplin, a 15-minute movie that follows the story of a woman dealing with her father with dementia. In addition to addressing mental health issues and the impact of dementia, the film touches on themes of food and culture, and family.

We received a personal invite from Donisha Prendergast, Executive Producer of the film and the Executive Director of Humanity Ova Vanity. She shares, “I am filled with immense pride and gratitude for the journey we have undertaken. Our mission extends beyond social justice advocacy; we are deeply committed to curating arts and cultural events that not only entertain but also enlighten and inspire.”

This brilliant, touching film was written and directed by Tristan Barrocks. Tristan Barrocks is Co-Founder of Mid-Career Productions Inc., an internationally recognized, award-winning Afro-Canadian commercial and film director in Toronto. He focuses on telling human-centred stories and has been featured on platforms like: Henrys Canada, Glossy Inc., and Medium.

This film demonstrated Tristan’s incredible and unique ability to craft narratives that deeply resonate with human emotions. At the heart of his work lies a passionate commitment to center stories around the intricacies of human experience. With a desire to effect change, Tristan aspires to assemble a collective of creatives who share his vision, aiming to collaboratively redefine the portrayal of the Black experience in all its dimensions.

During the question-and-answer period of the event, he had a chance to share his experiences working on the film. “It was quite an interesting experience. There was a particular scene where we had to stop filming, because the lead character Oliver Samuels broke down in tears, overcome by the emotion of it all.”

Another key element of this film’s production was Natanya Barrocks: producer, co-founder, and Chief People Officer of Mid-Career Productions. She oversees business strategy, project management, and the operations of our most important asset: our people. In 2022, Natanya co-produced her first short film, Mother to Mother, offering an intimate perspective on motherhood through the stories of six diverse mother figures. Most recently, Natanya was the Associate Producer on a web series called “Wallflower,” which had its world premiere at the 2024 International American Black Film Festival and is scheduled to be streamed in fall 2024.

That night we were also introduced to the beautiful Chantel Riley as Ebony James (actress, singer, and songwriter). Known for her lead role as “Trudy Clarke” in the Canadian hit series Frankie Drake Mysteries and currently the voice of “Lucy Santana” in Daniel Spellbound, Chantel kicked off her career in a German legit production of Disney’s The Lion King only to learn the whole musical in English one year later for her run on Broadway.

Finally, the incredible Oliver Samuels as Desmond James (actor, comedian, and writer) amazed the audiences with his incredible performance. If you are Caribbean, you know Oliver Samuels is a renowned: Jamaican actor, comedian, and playwright, celebrated for his significant contributions to Caribbean theatre. Known as the “King of Comedy” in Jamaica, his career spans over four decades, during which he has captivated audiences with his humor and relatable characters.

He gained widespread recognition through his television series “Oliver at Large,” which became a cultural staple in Jamaica and the Caribbean diaspora. He has an innate ability to make every role he plays a comedic masterpiece, and in Sugar Dumplin, the comedy is cut short. I saw a different side of Oliver, one that truly shows his mastery as an actor, and as an advocate.

The popular comedian explained that while the film is currently only 15 minutes, there are plans to have it expanded to a larger scale, and he has no qualms about reprising his role if ever called upon again. “Overall, I enjoyed the experience. The intention is to take it around to various film festivals at the moment with the hopes that it gets picked up. It is supposed to be shown in Jamaica between the end of this year and early next year.”

What Sugar Dumplin reminded me is that even when memories fade, traditions can live on. We can still preserve the: recipes, the laughter, the culture. We can honour our loved ones through what they’ve given us. Family, food, and culture are the ties that bind us… even when the memories fade away.

We, as humans are guaranteed certain things in life: stressors, taxes, bills and death are the first thoughts that pop to mind. It is not uncommon that many people find a hard time dealing with these daily life stressors, and at times will find themselves losing control over their lives. Simone Jennifer Smith’s great passion is using the gifts that have been given to her, to help educate her clients on how to live meaningful lives. The Hear to Help Team consists of powerfully motivated individuals, who like Simone, see that there is a need in this world; a need for real connection. As the founder and Director of Hear 2 Help, Simone leads a team that goes out into the community day to day, servicing families with their educational, legal and mental health needs.Her dedication shows in her Toronto Caribbean newspaper articles, and in her role as a host on the TCN TV Network.

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Community News

Is Canada’s Wonderland participating in the racial profiling of young black men too?

Published

on

BY MICHAEL THOMAS

Is Canada’s Wonderland participating in the racial profiling of young black men too? Try asking this question to Keishia Facey and the answer would be a no-holds-barred YES, and I shall explain why as we progress in this article.

Imagine you are the mother of a sixteen-year-old son who happens to be Black. Imagine sending your son off by Uber to enjoy himself at Canada’s Wonderland, but when he gets there, he is refused entry.

N (as I would call him) was told that he fits the profile of someone who was not welcomed at the amusement park and that was it, case closed and if he persisted, he was told they would call the police on him. As we shall find out later, N and his mother decided to show his ID as evidence that he was not there before, but that was ignored, and he was left outside the amusement park. Imagine that!

Readers, your next question would be why, or what happened? Let us keep imagining things for now. Remember this young man was put in a cab by his mother, so naturally when he was refused entry at the Vaughan amusement park on September 28th, 2024 he called his mother to see if she could help clarify things.

Let’s imagine that you are the mother of this 16-year-old, you show up at this amusement park thinking this should be easy, he is going to be admitted now that you are here, what is the misunderstanding?

Picture yourselves readers as the boy’s mother trying to find out why your son was refused entry, only to be dismissed and to find out there is another group of black boys that are not wanted at the entrance either. This article will test your imagination, but you will be unpleasantly surprised.

Now picture yourself standing at the entrance of this amusement park with your son and seven, or eight other Black boys between the ages of 14-16, being refused entry into Canada’s Wonderland. Shall we imagine that all nine, or so of these little Black boys looked like someone who was denied entry previously? Shall we?

Now readers, this gets worse, try, and imagine you as N’s mother having the police called on you by Canada’s Wonderland just because you are inquiring why your son cannot enjoy an amusement park in the country where he was born.

I think this imaginary horror story has run its course, and regrettably, I must inform you that all that you have read so far is not a fairy tale, but a real-life ordeal. Now let me introduce you to this real-life cast.

I had the privilege of speaking with N’s mother Mrs. Keishia Facey, Co-founder of the REST (OR) REFORM Equity Conference which advocates for racial justice in our community.

According to Facey, Canada’s Wonderland security called the police on her and her son to inquire why he was refused entry.

Facey told me that when the officer arrived and she tried explaining what happened, Officer K. Ramos told her that, as a minority himself, he found nothing racial about this incident. “After taking what the security guards told him, he said he deemed it not racist,” Facey told me.

It is important to note here that the amusement park security called the police not to clarify things regarding her son’s refusal of entry, but to arrest her because they deemed her manner aggressive. After all, she questioned their decision.

“It just goes to show how a lot of the racist troupes against my son and myself were at play. I am a Black woman so therefore I am angry, and I am aggressive, when all I am trying to ask is what is the reason why my son is not allowed to come in,” Facey told me.

“The problem is that this is not just an individual case of my son and his friend. I am standing here with a group of Black boys who are not allowed to come in, while all these other kids are dressed the same and are allowed to go in, while there is a wall of security screening people out. That is racial profiling,” she said.

Facey told me, “Whoever they were saying my son was, they had no ID for such a person.”

Facey believes that these security guards are not properly trained, and so, one dangerous Black boy to them means one size fits all. “That is racial profiling,” she told me.

Canada’s Wonderland Marketing Director told another news source the reason for turning back N from the amusement park was for wearing an item that concealed his identity, an act that is a violation of the park’s Code of Conduct, yet as stated earlier in this article Canada’s Wonderland downplayed the idea of an ID check from N and his mother. For the record, N’s mother called that statement by Canada’s Wonderland a lie.

In all fairness, I reached out to Canada’s Wonderland by contacting Dwayne McMulkin, the Corporate Director of Marketing and Brand Management at Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, which owns the theme park, to obtain their version of this tragic incident, but no one replied to me.

I asked Facey what she would like to see happen at the end of all this, she replied, “I think the security guards need to be trained, they need to know what anti-Black racism is, they need to know that no matter if  they are: Brown, Indian, White, or Chinese that anti-Black racism in Canada needs to be fought against, and so they can respond differently.”

Facey said she is in conversation with York Regional Police on the matter as well.

Continue Reading

Community News

The Caribbean diasporic dynamic: Untapped potential power

Published

on

Credits: Piki Superstar

BY STEVEN KASZAB

“The truth is everyone is going to hurt you. You just got to find those worth suffering for.” Bob Marley spoke of both a personal and national quest. Find unity, and you’ve found those worth suffering for.

The Caribbean diaspora is one of the untapped powerhouses of North America. Imagine how many fellow citizens of Caribbean descent: live, work and prosper in America and Canada. Together we are looking at 18 million legal and illegal migrants giving to their preferred neighborhoods throughout the continent. A million in Canada and many more in the USA inject into our societies their: passion, emotions, social activism, professionalism and their: blood, sweat and tears to build a home and community for themselves and their future comers. A population centered in the urban spheres, in Florida and New York City. Toronto is home to over a hundred thousand of this incredible diaspora of: artists, workers, professionals, and educators.

There are many forms of misinformation regarding the migrants trying to achieve citizenship in America and Canada. “They are a drag upon the established financial and social order, criminals and social dependents.” Thank you, Donald Trump, and most Republicans, for showing what type of people you really are. In fact, the Caribbean diaspora make up a majority of small businesses in their new homelands, creating employment and financial investment in places once not there.

Those that flee: Haiti, Dominican, Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica, Cuba, Puerto Rico and other places are often ambitious: professionals, teachers, skilled workers and potential citizens for a marketplace that can and does welcome them. Financial, or security are the primary reasons these people leave their homelands to brave travel to our neighborhood.

Imagine if a group with such vitality and connection could unite in the face of America’s chaotic financial and political onslaught. Being a minority in America has always been a challenge particularly if you’re still considered an “outsider” like most visually, socially different people are. How could this small group reflect its desires, demands and expectations? Perhaps alliances between Canadian-American and Caribbean based groups are essential. Acquiring, managing, and programming media outlets not only friendly to the Caribbean, but centered upon the Caribbean community’s needs, wants and future expectations.

Reimagining the old notion of traveling to the Caribbean for a week, or two and bye bye until next year. Developing notions that the Caribbean is not over there, but right here in Canada, and the USA, in your community and neighborhood. Being a distant place to vacation makes it easier to forget that place and its people. Bringing that place and its people’s traditions, culture and lived reality to Canadian and Americans attention is another story. Establishing a connection with their host nations is essential.

The Caribbean diaspora has a massive financial sway upon the Canadian and American economy as too their political sector. The Caribbean diaspora interjects 145 billion dollars into their host nations’ economies annually. Those who came from the Caribbean invest their professionalism and money into their host nations’ businesses, corporations, and governmental agencies. The Caribbean diaspora is a huge asset to their hosts. Make the host nations realize this in real time. The Caribbean diaspora must leverage their importance to their host nations: culturally, socially, financially, and politically.

In unity will any cultural, or ethnic group achieve attention and consideration from the majority. Look at how and what the: LGBQT community, the Jewish community, and the Black Lives Matter achieved. The Caribbean diaspora with the greater Caribbean community can achieve much if they can unite their commonality and purpose here in Canada/America as to their homelands.

Continue Reading

Community News

American individualism and Canadian cooperative thought; Alternatives offered to free people

Published

on

BY STEVEN KASZAB

Many of my American customers have made commentary upon the relationship between Canada and the USA, and upon what makes up a Canadian. Are these two people the same or somehow different? Canadians and Americans share a great deal, watch the same television, have similar love for democracy and work together in business and play. Millions of us travel back and forth with seemingly only our national labels separating us from the other.

Our histories are intertwined, families spread across each border, with Canadians expressing their trust and love for the cousins down south. We have historically fought one another, distrusted one another, yet become the greatest of allies as well. A huge border separates each nation from the other, yet millions cross this border freely each day. Our economies are interwoven, and we walk in space together as a unit of explorers with lapel flags identifying us from the other.

What makes Canadians and Americans different? Two words and their meaning makes the case clearly. Family and Cooperation: A group of related things living together – descendants of a common ancestor working together.

“Family” holds a special place of reverence and historical significance socio-politically to both Canadians and Americans. That similarity is clear. I believe the difference in how we view family, and what family means to us. American individualism holds a pivotal historic place within the American social fabric. This flows into how they view and live their family experience. Family is a part of the greater national experience, but individualism maintains a separation from the greater public’s expectations. Individuals and their families are separate from the greater whole. Importance to the needs, expectations, myths of the individual run supreme and above the national needs and expectations. Nationalism in America is characteristically centered on independence and self-reliance.

Canadian expressions of “family” are similar, but the lived concept of family is far more holistic in its approach. Not only are family members part of the family unit, but Canadians view others in Canada as family as well. Our acceptance of the social compact unites Canadians and presses our expression to help the other. Canadian social thought evolved to accept and place social policy decisions such as our universal health care and the protection of the citizen from undue: financial, mental, and physical challenges.

America’s acceptance of the supremacy of capital and individualism places its citizens in harm’s way should that citizen face such challenges as illness (no insurance), or loss of job (loss of home). Canadian social attitudes place cooperation among our citizens as the primary method of achievement as a society and family.

Americans’ reverence of competition places citizens and American institutions against one another. Darwinian attitudes place capital and individualism into every aspect of American life from the moment an American is born in a hospital to the day they pass away. Capital, wealth, personal achievement reaches into every American’s lived experience as though it were a religion. Not so in Canada. Perhaps it is Canadians feeling of inferiority living beside the greatest democratic nation on earth, or because we understand America’s importance to Canada’s welfare and well-being be it: financial, economic, or our national defense. The proverbial little cousin.

That feeling unites Canadians, making us far more empathetic to our neighbors and the world. This empathy enters our political and social realities, as to how we see ourselves. Our inferiority makes us more cooperative, and socially responsible.

American individualism and Canadian cooperative thought. Alternatives offered to free people. Choose and choose well.

Continue Reading

Trending