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Rejuvenation of The Marcus Garvey Living Legacy Project; Toronto celebrates the birthday of The Honourable Marcus Mosiah Garvey

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BY SIMONE J. SMITH

He was a man who believed in political and economic independence. He was a leading figure of the Pan-African movement, which encouraged a return to Africa for people of African descent, and an end to neo-colonial rule on the continent. While his vision and unrelenting efforts led to one of the first movements to unite African’s internationally, he has received criticism, during his life and still to this day, for promoting what some saw as unrealistic ideals and beliefs.

His focus was the independence of African people, racial separatism, and the idea that different races should form physically and geographically separate nations. This idea was criticized by many, including W.E.B. Du Bois and others at the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP), who advocated for interracial efforts towards justice.

Born in Jamaica in 1887, the Honourable Marcus Garvey is the founder of the UNIA. It was formed on the 80th anniversary of the Slavery Abolition Act of the British colonies in Kingston, Jamaica. In order to gain momentum for the organization Garvey moved the UNIA’s headquarters to Harlem, New York in 1916 to gain momentum for the organization. Garvey’s ideas of: empowerment, solidarity, and unity of people of African descent worldwide picked up steam, and UNIA divisions started rapidly opening in various cities across North America, including here in Toronto.

It is why on Wednesday August 17th, 2022, Mozia Women’s Network Society and The Global African Communities Network are collaborating to celebrate the birthday of The Right Honourable Marcus Mosiah Garvey. This initiative is being co-sponsored with the support of: The Emancipation Month Initiative, The Jamaican Canadian Association, The Black Chamber of Commerce and The Black Action Defence Committee.

Their featured guest speaker will be Dr Julius Garvey, the son of Marcus Mosiah Garvey. Dr Garvey will speak on what it means for Heritage Toronto to present him with a commemorative plaque in honour of his father’s historical legacy here in the city of Toronto, and how we as a community can now create a social practice to further honour Garvey’s vision, principles and philosophy.

Following up this event will be the 3rd Annual Marcus Garvey Youth Leadership Recognition Awards Presentation on Sunday August 21st, 2022, which will focus on youth who have excelled in their respective communities. Both events are scheduled to take place at 10 Belfield Road, Etobicoke (2nd Floor).

Marcus Garvey’s Impact in Canada

History has shown that Garvey had very strong ties here in Canada, and his impact was resounding.

Sources vary about the location of the first UNIA division in Canada, but it is said that a division was founded in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, in 1918 to support West Indian migrants working in mines. The Montreal branch opened in June 1919, and in Toronto, the desire for an organization to unite African people in the face of rampant systemic racism had existed for a few years already.

In April 1919, the Coloured Literary Association was founded; and the West Indian founders would meet in the back room of Occidental Cleaners and Dyers store at 318 Spadina Avenue. It later became a concert hall for many years and is now a CB2 store. Before finding permanent headquarters, UNIA meetings were held in a rented space at 339 Queen Street West, which is now an Arc’teryx store. Several months later, a charter was obtained from the UNIA headquarters in Harlem, and the Toronto UNIA division was officially founded on December 1st, 1919.

After fundraising for many years, members were finally able to purchase a building at 355 College Street in 1925, which remained the UNIA’s until 1982 and later became the long-time location of reggae bar Thymeless. At its peak, the Toronto division had around 200-300 members who engaged in politics, celebrated culture, and fostered what remained a community hub for decades.

The Toronto division had a very significant role in the UNIA’s global network. UNIA regional conferences were hosted in Toronto in 1936, and 1937. As an Emancipation Day celebration, the Toronto UNIA organized the Big Picnic in St. Catherines every year from the 1920s to the 1950s. The picnic drew thousands of attendees from Ontario and New York State every year, and remained a key gathering for Black communities for decades. Garvey attended the annual Big Picnic in 1938.

The Marcus Garvey Centre for Leadership and Education was founded in the Jane and Finch neighbourhood in 2002 to provide leadership development and training to African-Canadian youth, and Marcus Garvey Day is now celebrated on August 17th, and has been since 1993.

The Marcus Garvey Living Legacy Project

I had an opportunity to speak with Simba Hanley, one of the spearheads of The Marcus Garvey birthday celebration, and he filled me in on some exciting news.

“There are some tremendous announcements that the African-Caribbean community can look forward to in the next few years, and personally, I am excited to share them.

In 2019, I had the opportunity to dialogue with Sandi Loytomaki, who I met at a flag-raising event. We began discussing the idea of having a formal ceremonial street rename for Marcus Garvey in Toronto. The concept is to have streets from College St – where the UNIA building was – through University Ave – to join Nelson Mandela Way. This section of streets would be known as ‘Marcus Garvey Way’.  At that time, we had the support of one of the city councillors, Mike Layton, who was willing to help us.

We also discussed having social gatherings once a month, and potential workshop/lecture opportunities. These events would allow for fundraising and community development for eventual historical/art installations celebrating and honouring Marcus Garvey and the history of the UNIA.”

Unfortunately, right before the project was to start, COVID-19 shut down the world, and everything was disrupted. The construction that was supposed to begin in 2020 did not happen, thus, the place where the original building was on College St is now a hole with garbage and nature taking over.

“Fortunately,” Brother Hanley shares, “We were able to continue to work with the people that had the UNIA tile, and in February 2020, the tile was delivered to Blackhurst Cultural Centre (formerly A Different Booklist).”

The hope is that The Marcus Garvey Living Legacy Project will be rejuvenated with the visit of Dr Julius Garvey, and community, we all must have a hand in this as well. For more info on tickets and information for the events, call 647-812-7322 or contact us at info@moziawomensnetworksociety.com

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.

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Forgetting isn’t just something to be annoyed about, it’s a smart way to survive

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Photo credit - Press Foto

BY KHADIJA KARIM

Have you ever forgotten someone’s name, or where you left your phone and thought, “Why can’t I remember anything?” Forgetting might feel frustrating, but it turns out that forgetting things can actually be good for you. Experts believe forgetting might be an important part of human survival and could even have benefits.

You probably think that remembering everything would be better, right? If you remembered every tiny detail, like what you had for breakfast three weeks ago, or the colour of every car you saw today, you would be overwhelmed. Our brains are constantly receiving information, and if we didn’t forget some of it, we wouldn’t be able to focus on what really matters at that time.

Forgetting helps you clear out information you don’t need, and it helps your brain remember the most useful memories. Think about how hard it would be to focus on important things if your mind was filled with random thoughts. Forgetting helps you stay focused and keeps your mind from getting lost.

So, why would evolution make us forget things? Early humans had to deal with dangerous environments that changed quickly. They needed to remember things that helped them survive, like where to find food, or how to avoid predators. They didn’t need to remember every small detail, like what happened last week. Forgetting information, they didn’t need allowed them to make quick decisions based on what was most important at that moment in time.

For example, if you remember a recent storm, you might make sure to stay inside or find shelter. If you remembered every storm you’d ever seen, it would be harder to make decisions about the present. Forgetting irrelevant details helps you stay on your feet and helps you react faster to new situations. This ability to forget likely helped early humans survive and make better decisions in their everyday lives.

Next time you forget something, don’t be too hard on yourself! Forgetting is a natural part of how our brains work and can actually help you stay focused on the important things. It might seem annoying at times, but it’s helping you make better decisions. Forgetting isn’t just something to be annoyed about, it’s a smart way to survive in a world that’s always changing!

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Blink equity dives deep into the gap between people of colour and decision-making roles in Canadian law firms

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Photo Credit: AI Image

BY ADRIAN REECE

Representation in the workforce has been a topic of conversation for years, particularly in positions of influence, where people can shift laws and create fair policies for all races. Representation in the legal system is an even more talked about subject, with many Black men being subjected to racism in courts and not being given fair sentencing by judges.

The fear of Black men entering the system is something that plagues mothers and fathers as they watch their children grow up.

Blink Equity, a company led by Pako Tshiamala, has created an audit called the Blink Score. This audit targets law firms and seeks to identify specific practices reflecting racial diversity among them in Toronto. A score is given based on a few key performance indicators. These KPIs include hiring practices, retention of diverse talent, and racial representation at every level.

The Blink Score project aims to analyze law firms in Ontario with more than 50 lawyers. The Blink Score is a measurement tool that holds law firms accountable for their representation. Firms will be ranked, and the information will be made public for anyone to access.

This process is ambitious and seeks to give Canadian citizens a glimpse into how many people are represented across the legal field. While more and more people have access to higher education, there is still a gap between obtaining that higher education and working in a setting where change can be made. The corporate world, at its highest points, is almost always one race across the board, and very rarely do people of colour get into their ranks. They are made out to be an example of how anyone from a particular race can achieve success. However, this is the exception, not the rule. Nepotism plays a role in societal success; connections are a factor, and loyalty to race, even if people are acquainted.

People of colour comprise 16% of the total lawyers across the province. Positions at all levels range from 6% to 27%. These numbers display the racial disparity among law practitioners in positions of influence. Becoming a lawyer is undoubtedly a huge accomplishment. Still, when entering the workforce with other seasoned professionals, your academic accolades become second to your professional achievements and your position in the company.

What do these rankings ultimately mean? A potential for DEI-inclusive practices, perhaps? That isn’t something that someone would want in this kind of profession. This kind of audit also opens law firms up to intense criticism from people who put merit above all other aspects of professional advancement. On the other hand, there is a potential for firms to receive clientele based on their blink score, with higher ones having the chance to bring in more race-based clients who can help that law firm grow.

It is only the beginning, and changes will undoubtedly be made in the legal field as Blink Equity continues to dive deep into the gap between people of colour and decision-making roles in these law firms. This audit has the power to shift the power scale, and place people of colour in higher positions. There are hierarchies in any profession, and while every Lawyer is qualified to do what they are trained to do, it is no shock that some are considerably better than others at their jobs. The ones who know how to use this audit to their advantage will rise above the others and create a representative image for themselves among their population.

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“The Pfizer Papers!” Documentation of worldwide genocide

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BY SIMONE J. SMITH

We are living in a world where promises of health and safety came packaged in a tiny vial, one injection was promoted by powerful governments, supported by respected institutions, and championed by legacy media worldwide. Sadly, beneath the surface, a darker truth emerged.

Reports from around the globe began to tell a different story—one that was not covered in the news cycles or press conferences. Families torn apart by unexpected losses, communities impacted in ways that few could have foreseen, and millions questioning what they had been told to believe.

Those who dared to question were silenced or dismissed (the Toronto Caribbean Newspaper being one of those sources). “Trust the science,” we were told. “It’s for the greater good.” As time went on, the truth became impossible to ignore.

Now, I bring more news to light—information that demands your attention and scrutiny. The time to passively listen has passed; this is the moment to understand what’s really at stake.

I reviewed an interview with Naomi Wolf, journalist and CEO of Daily Clout, which detailed the serious vaccine-related injuries that Pfizer and the FDA knew of by early 2021, but tried to hide from the public. I was introduced to “The Pfizer Papers: Pfizer’s Crimes Against Humanity.” What I learned is that Pfizer knew about the inadequacies of its COVID-19 vaccine trials and the vaccine’s many serious adverse effects, and so did the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA promoted the vaccines anyway — and later tried to hide the data from the public.

To produce “The Pfizer Papers,” Naomi, and Daily Clout Chief Operations Officer Amy Kelly convened thousands of volunteer scientists and doctors to analyze Pfizer data and supplementary data from other public reporting systems to capture the full scope of the vaccines’ effects. They obtained the data from the Public Health and Medical Professionals for Transparency, a group of more than 30 medical professionals and scientists who sued the FDA in 2021 and forced the agency to release the data, after the FDA refused to comply with a Freedom of Information Act request.

It was then that the federal court ordered the agency to release 450,000 internal documents pertaining to the licensing of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. The data release was significantly and the documents so highly technical and scientific that according to Naomi, “No journalist could have the bandwidth to go through them all.”

The “Pfizer Papers” analysts found over 42,000 case reports detailing 158,893 adverse events reported to Pfizer in the first three months The centerpiece of “The Pfizer Papers” is the effect that the vaccine had on human reproduction. The papers reveal that Pfizer knew early on that the shots were causing menstrual issues. The company reported to the FDA that 72% of the recorded adverse events were in women. Of those, about 16% involved reproductive disorders and functions. In the clinical trials, thousands of women experienced: daily bleeding, hemorrhaging, and passing of tissue, and many other women reported that their menstrual cycle stopped completely.

Pfizer was aware that lipid nanoparticles from the shots accumulated in the ovaries and crossed the placental barrier, compromising the placenta and keeping nutrients from the baby in utero. According to the data, babies had to be delivered early, and women were hemorrhaging in childbirth.

Let us take us to another part of the world, where research has been done on other pharmaceutical companies. A group of Argentine scientists identified 55 chemical elements — not listed on package inserts — in the: Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, CanSino, Sinopharm and Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccines (according to a study published last week in the International Journal of Vaccine Theory, Practice, and Research).

The samples also contained 11 of the 15 rare earth elements (they are heavier, silvery metals often used in manufacturing). These chemical elements, which include lanthanum, cerium and gadolinium, are lesser known to the general public than heavy metals, but have been shown to be highly toxic. By the end of 2023, global researchers had identified 24 undeclared chemical elements in the COVID-19 vaccine formulas.

Vaccines often include excipients — additives used as preservatives, adjuvants, stabilizers, or for other purposes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), substances used in the manufacture of a vaccine, but not listed in the contents of the final product should be listed somewhere in the package insert. Why is this important? Well, researchers argue it is because excipients can include allergens and other “hidden dangers” for vaccine recipients.

In one lot of the AstraZeneca vaccine, researchers identified 15 chemical elements, of which 14 were undeclared. In the other lot, they detected 21 elements of which 20 were undeclared. In the CanSino vial, they identified 22 elements, of which 20 were undeclared.

The three Pfizer vials contained 19, 16 and 21-23 undeclared elements respectively. The Moderna vials contained 21 and between 16-29 undeclared elements. The Sinopharm vials contained between 17-23 undeclared elements and the Sputnik V contained between 19-25 undetected elements.

“All of the heavy metals detected are linked to toxic effects on human health,” the researchers wrote. Although the metals occurred in different frequencies, many were present across multiple samples.

I am not going to go any further with this; I think you get the picture. We have been sold wolf cookies, very dangerous ones. These pharmaceutical companies must be held accountable. I am proud of anyone who has gone after them for retribution, and have received it. Regardless, in many ways, there is no repayment for a healthy life.

REFERENCES:

https://ijvtpr.com/index.php/IJVTPR/article/view/111

https://news.bloomberglaw.com/health-law-and-business/why-a-judge-ordered-fda-to-release-covid-19-vaccine-data-pronto

https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender_category/toxic-exposures/

Pfizer’s ‘Crimes Against Humanity’ — and Legacy Media’s Failure to Report on Them

55 Undeclared Chemical Elements — Including Heavy Metals — Found in COVID Vaccines

 

Public Health and Medical Professionals for Transparency

FDA Should Need Only ‘12 Weeks’ to Release Pfizer Data, Not 75 Years, Plaintiff Calculates

Judge Gives FDA 8 Months, Not 75 Years, to Produce Pfizer Safety Data

Most Studies Show COVID Vaccine Affects Menstrual Cycles, BMJ Review Finds

Report 38: Women Have Two and a Half Times Higher Risk of Adverse Events Than Men. Risk to Female Reproductive Functions Is Higher Still.

 

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