COVID-19 Response
Due to COVID-19, the team is currently working remotely from home. While we
are not in the office, we are still working on keeping our project going.
Firstly, we are a project that is focused on building and maintaining a Black Canadian archive in the
Ottawa – Gatineau region, we are currently seeking collections to add to our archive. Please visit this page [here] to get an acquisition form if you have any items you could share or donate.
Moreover, we are still conducting interviews with community members/leaders virtually. If you know of someone who would like to be featured on our stories page, please contact us [here]. To see the interviews, please visit our Youtube channel [here] or Our Stories page [here].
Last but not least, we are hosting a paid mentorship program for Black youth ages 15-18 in collaboration with Jaku Konbit & BIA Media. This paid mentorship program is starting this July; pre-employment courses start June 8th. Guided by Dr. Ledbetter & members of Bia Media. The mentorship curriculum will focus on African archiving, media production, and storytelling. This program will help Black youth to understand the importance of preserving history, gain access to knowledge on media/video production to create their own platforms, as well as to learn the art of storytelling.
If you are a youth between the age of 15-18 or if you know of a youth that would like to be a part of this program, please [sign up today]. For more questions contact Dr. Ledbetter at mentorship@jakukonbit.com; there are a limited amount of spots! Sign up now & spread the word!
This summer we also have a volunteer program for youth ages 13 & 14. This volunteer program aims to make our communities safe spaces for youth to create, engage, and build for positive impacts. They will learn life, employment, and social skills to be able to apply to our mentorship program within the coming years. They will work with members of The Griot In Me, BIA Media & Jaku Konbit to contribute to community spaces, help seniors, and explore their own creative ideas.
COVID-19 is affecting Black communities across Canada due to systemic practices of racism and discrimination in government, law, and healthcare sectors where our concerns are not being reviewed; Leaving a lack of resources, testing sites, data collection, etc. Our businesses/organizations have been impacted financially. If you can support, search Black businesses and organizations in your area to contribute by volunteering, donating, or purchasing items via curbside pickup/online orders.
Thank you,
#StaySafe
#StayConnected
The Griot In Me Team
