City partners with Rhythm & Blues Cambridge to celebrate Black History Month
Rhythm & Blues Cambridge is a grassroots organization run by local members of the Black community
Each February, Canadians are invited to participate in Black History Month celebrations, which honor the heritage of Black Canadians. This year, the City of Cambridge is partnering with Rhythm & Blues Cambridge (R&B), Idea Exchange, the KW Multicultural Center and Kinbridge to announce Rhythm & Blues Presents: Black History Month 2023 – a month-long series of face-to-face events for Cambridge residents of all ages.
R&B’s mission is to provide a safe, engaging space to empower, inform and inspire Cambridge’s Black community.
Now in its fourth year, this celebration of Black history and culture recognizes the many achievements and contributions of the African Canadian communities in Cambridge and across Canada. Event attendees will gain a unique insight into the daily contributions black communities in the Waterloo region are making to help shape our history through discussions on black history, art, culture and social justice.
“Thank you Rhythm and Blues for continuing to inspire and celebrate the black community in Cambridge. Black Canadians’ contributions, along with their communities, contribute to Canada’s diversity, compassion and prosperity,” Cambridge Mayor Jan Liggett said in a press release.
“As Cambridge celebrates its 50th anniversary, I am delighted to return to in-person, innovative events like Art from the Heart Processing Night, which celebrates our resilience during the pandemic while recognizing its impact on our mental health. Our spirits are starting to lift, and organizations like Rhythm and Blues are vital to our recovery.”
An event highlight this year includes Celebrate history and weave our dreamswith an exceptional art exhibition designed by black mixed media artists celebrating Cambridge’s rich textile and fiber history.
To complement the exhibition, R&B is proud to partner with the Cambridge Guild to host a weaving workshop. Residents won’t want to miss a variety of activities, including drumming workshops, the first-ever Black History Trivia Game, a chance to win some prizes and sample a taste of the Caribbean from R&B’s very own Irie Myrie.
The event will take place on Saturday 25 February from 12pm to 4pm at the Idea Exchange Queen’s Square.
Rhythm & Blues Cambridge is a grassroots organization run by local members of the Black community. The name Rhythm & Blues comes from the saying: “They want our rhythm, but not our blues”. Their goal is to create a safe, inclusive and engaging space to empower, inform and inspire the black community in Cambridge and encourage everyone to celebrate Canadian black history throughout the year.
Funding for these events was made possible by the Kitchener-Waterloo Community Foundation, the Region of Waterloo Upstream Fund, the Lyle S Hallman Foundation and the City of Cambridge.
