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Is History Repeating Itself? Organizing for Community Benefits
Resident leaders discuss redevelopment through community benefits.
In the webinar finale, residents discuss organizing for community benefits.
Special Guest: Randell Adjei, entrepreneur, speaker, and spoken word practitioner
Panel Moderator: Kumsa Baker, Director of Campaigns at the Toronto Community Benefits Network
Panelists: Baliqis Hashiru, Lawrence Heights resident, youth leader, and community advocate; Beryl-Ann Mark, Social Service Worker; Ibrahim Afrah, Resident, Regent Park; Stephen Mensah, For Youth Initiative; Trudy-Ann Powell, Community Leader.
Date: November 29, 2021
About the Series
The 5 – part webinar series comes out of the Our Strong Neighbourhoods projects of Lawrence Heights and Weston Mount Dennis.
As these inner-suburb communities undergo significant re-developments, who are the people living in these communities, and what becomes of them during these periods of significant change?
Examined through the lens of anti-Black racism, Is History Repeating Itself? travels across Canada visiting four historically Black communities to feature stories of their collective fates due to urban redevelopment. The exploration continues to diverse Toronto and visiting local communities currently undergoing urban re-development. What do these communities and the people who live there have to tell us?
Joined by local residents, educators, community development experts, academics, and artists, we will experience the untold narratives, and reflections characterizing the realities of the Black community in Canada and redevelopment. Together we will answer the questions what is gentrification? why is community heritage preservation important? How do we mobilize communities through these types of long-term projects? How can we make decision-makers listen?