Diaspora Dinners

Agenda

Event Start - 5:00pm

Appetizers and Activities - 5:30pm

• Photographer
• Music
• Artists
• Surprise activities for all ages
• Storytelling

Dinner & Facilitated Storytelling - 7:00pm

Q&A/Goodbyes - 8:30pm

Event End - 9:00pm

Description

This October, and are hosting the first in a series of Diaspora Dinners, bringing together generations of community leaders, celebrating our shared history and connecting those who built our communities with those who will lead the growth and evolution of our communities in the future.

The stories of immigration, settlement, overcoming racism and ignorance and learning from these experiences about identity, who we are, who we have been and who we can be are invaluable.

At this pivotal moment in our history, we believe that Scarborough can and should continue to lead the way in showing how communities in the GTA can draw from their past, bringing silenced voices, marginalized stories, combined with unique cultural heritages and forgotten lessons back to life to exemplify how to create the communities of our future.

Scarborough, its residents, and its youth have a unique role to play. In reconnecting generations from the 1930s to the 2030s to learn the recipes our families brought here and developed, we learn recipes of food, music, laughter, humility, culture, hard work, resiliency and community building, keep our history alive and take lessons learned with us into the future.

Each Diaspora Dinner will celebrate a different pillar of our multicultural community, but every dinner will be open to all who wish to attend.

Our first Dinner will feature Jamaican-Canadian leaders. Growing up as Jamaican-Canadians in Scarborough/Toronto, descendants of grandparents and parents who immigrated here from Jamaica, many of us are fortunate to have witnessed and be connected to the inspirational members of this diaspora who helped build our communities and our city.

Jamaican Canadian leaders like Bromley Armstrong, Ron King, Donovan Bailey, Kardinal Offishal, Denham Jolly, Delores Lawrence, Judge Pamela Appelt, Sandra Whiting, the Black Business Professionals Association, the Jamaican Canadian Association and many more.

They all brought their heritage and culture from Jamaica to Canada through building community, music, family, recipes, gatherings, leadership, hard work, and political engagement helping to create the Scarborough we all know and love.

We hope to engage in questions like:

How did we get here? What was it like coming and landing here? What did Toronto/Scarborough look like at the time? How did they manage? How did they build power? What challenges did they face, and how did they overcome them? Who were the visible and invisible leaders who made this transition possible? What lessons from Jamaica did they bring with them? What proverbs, stories and values did they bring with them? What was the political environment in Jamaica and Canada at the time?

And how can sharing these stories help prepare the next generations of work together?

As we embark on our first Intergenerational Dinner gathering, we recognize that the opportunities and challenges we face today have evolved from the ones our ancestors and family members faced when they arrived. And working together hopefully we can also evolve how we face them together.

Who in our community made an impact in the past, and who will make these impacts going forward? Do they know each other and each other’s stories? Can we bring these groups together to learn from one another?

Visibility and accessibility to these stories and inspirational leaders should be a cornerstone of our communities.

Come join us as we share stories, share a meal, share photos, videos, anecdotes, past times and time together to remember the thanks we owe to those who came before us, and the hope the future offers.

Music:

Big tunes from Jamaica to Scarborough, past and present.

Food:

Drawing from local, cultural and ingredients from the Malvern Urban Farm, the chosen local caterers will be providing snacks, appetizers and dinner representing and telling the stories of Jamaican-Canadian history.

Ways to Contribute/Participate:

This event is “Pay What You Can” or “Bring What You Can”. Malvern Family Resource Centre has both a Community Fridge and Community Pantry. As this is a community event we encourage attendees to contribute in whatever way feels right for them and their families. Non perishable items will be added to the pantry, and perishable items that are provided in a sealed container will be added to the fridge. And of course tickets/donations are always welcome, as proceeds go to growing this work together!

"Every mikkle mek a mukkle."

Attendees are also encouraged to bring/share photos, videos, posters, stories, books, newspapers or any other nostalgia that help demonstrate the history of Jamaican culture in Scarborough/Toronto. If you or your organization are interested in speaking and sharing your stories please contact us on social media or at the email address [email protected].

Bring family, friends, grandmas, grandpas, aunties, cousins, kids etc.

You need not be Jamaican-Canadian to attend, but appreciation for Jamaican-Canadian heritage, cuisine and culture is a must :)

Likkle more,

Canadian Climate Challenge

& Malvern Family Resource Centre

Canadian Community Challenge

Building creative community visions with the residents & leaders who bring them to life.

Past. Present. Future.

Canadian Community Challenge (CCC) aims to creatively empower communities to control their narratives – past, present, and future. On July 23, 2024, they partnered with Malvern Family Resource Centre (MFRC) to show the ways that had been working with the Malvern community over 2023-2024 to answer questions about what role art can play in shaping community change, including whether it can foster connection, inclusion, equity, healing, inspiration, local business development, and more. This event included dinner, musical performances, speeches, and a reveal of a mural inside of MFRC that was informed by what they learned through this project, visually representing community narratives of Malvern and its strengths.

Malvern Family Resource Centre

Malvern Family Resource Centre (MFRC) is an essential and trusted Community Hub that connects, engages, and takes collaborative action in supporting our communities to thrive. We use our public spaces, and our deep and authentic connections, to bring people together with a focus on those that need us the most. In 2024 MFRC provided impactful, holistic, and highly accessible programs and services to 19,000 children, youth, families, women, newcomers, and seniors.

https://mfrc.org/

https://www.instagram.com/malvernfrc/

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Malvern Family Resource Centre, 90 Littles Road, Toronto, Canada