All posts on November 19th, 2020

Roderick Rodney risked his life to save the life of a stranger Egbert Gaye These days, going on two months after a life-changing moment, Roderick Rodney still walks around with the proverbial lump in his throat and never far from tears when he recounts the events of the morning of September 23. “I’m still mesmerized, still surprised, and still trying to decipher and understand what happened that morning,” is the way he describes his current state of mind. He had left work on 32nd Avenue in Lachine at 8:45 a.m. that Wednesday, heading home after a long and tiring night …

26-year-old Franco Egalité wants his painting to provoke interest in the life of the iconic freedom fighter Egbert Gaye The mural on the eastern wall of Union United Church is there for all to observe: Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, former South African human rights advocate, anti-apartheid revolutionary and president standing tall with outstretched clenched fist reaching upwards, rallying the crowd. The mural’s dramatic impact is without question, capturing observers with its powerful imagery, captivating colors and a stimulating quote. But that’s only part of artist Franco Egalité’s intention. “I also want to rally people. I want to inspire them to learn …

Contact Staff On Saturday, November 7, a wide cross-section of Montrealers came together to protest police violence and to commemorate the life of Sheffield Matthews who was shot by the police during the early morning of Thursday, October 29, near to the corner of Cote St Luc Road and West Hill Avenue in N.D.G. The event organized by Black Lives Matter Quebec, started at Trenholme Park in Notre Dame de Grace, where protestors gathered to hear a line-up of youthful speakers challenging society to reign in the powers of the police and to hold officers accountable for their action. Protestors …

Contact Staff On Nov. 5, a few days after completing her tenure as trustee of the English Montreal School Board, Marlene Jennings took the mantle at the Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN) an umbrella organization of English-language groups across the province. The 69 year-old Jennings was elected president in an online annual general meeting, defeating the long serving Geoffrey Chambers. In a statement on the QCGN’s website, she talked about rebuilding ties among groups within the network following a fractious period when several organizations walked away from the Network for various reasons. “… (A) top priority for me as newly …

FLIRTING WITH TOTALITARIANISM? GOOD RIDDANCE, DON Who knew the character, personality, ambitions… of the man, how far they would take him, and how they would be manifested in the political arena, and take him on the global political stage. But there he was, and goes…Just after 5 PM Thursday, November 5, it was unquestionable that based on the Electoral College count the [Political] Trump Show was finally over. Breathe for the next four years. That’s how I ended last time, assuming all would proceed with some semblance of nor-malcy, pre-election conditions, and that the established protocol of outgoing and incoming …

Contact Staff From Montreal to the Caribbean to Africa and beyond, Black music and the artistes that create it have found a home in this city. On November 28, the world will get a taste when a lineup of some of our community’s most exciting performers will be featured in a musical showcase that will be carried on BCRC’s Facebook Live page This massive musical extravaganza runs from 7 pm to 9:30 p.m. with highlight performances by jazz and blues legend, Ranee Lee as well as Congolese born dancer, choreographer, scholar, and teacher Zab Maboungou. Other performers include: Kim Sherwood …

Story inspired by her deep desire to know what life was like for the indigenous people of her home country… Special to The CONTACT Caribbean literature has gained an exciting new addition with the release of a historical fiction novel by Vincentian writer, poet and journalist Peggy Carr. Set in the Caribbean in the pre-Columbian era, SHAPE OF A WARRIOR is a captivating tale about the indomitable spirit of a young adventurer and her unlikely friend in the battle-centered world of the indigenous Kalina people. Written for a young adult audience, the coming-of-age story is told in soaring language about …

As we approach the end of the year, there’s no doubt that 2020 has been a tough one. From the global outbreak of COVID-19 to the number of international and domestic conflicts that have played out since the beginning of 2020, it’s no surprise many people feel as though this year is the worst in their lifetime. There are also growing concerns about the impact that the second wave of COVID-19 would have on the economy and Canadians’ mental well-being especially if they were forced to go back into social isolation this winter. However, listening to music is a form …

Another N word that has fueled the aforementioned N-word is “NOTHING!” It’s the filthiest, dirtiest, nastiest word in the English language,” was the view of prosecutor Christopher Darden when the issue of saying the N-word came up in the 1995 murder trial of US football star OJ Simpson. In Quebec The N-word has nauseatingly become the topic of lively debates in recent days, starting with the suspension of a University of Ottawa professor for using the derogatory term in class, followed by Montreal High School teacher Vincent Ouelette who was recorded using a racial slur multiple times, claiming it was …

Encouragement blesses the soul… Sometimes life can be full of frustrations, losses, heartbreaks, disappointments, and challenges especially in 2020! We all go through stormy seasons in life and we wait expectantly for the sun to begin shining again. We know that rain helps things to grow; it nurtures and replenishes dry places. We need water to live. But sometimes it feels like when it rains it pours. It feels like everything is going wrong in our lives. It may feel scary and hopeless, like you’re drowning. Know that… Better days are ahead, but in the meantime we have to learn …