Halton Black History Awareness Society launches an essay contest to celebrate the Black presence in Halton

BY PAUL JUNOR

For over 20 years, the Halton Black History Awareness Society (HBHAS) has been at the forefront of educating the wider Canadian society about the rich history of the contributions, stories, and experiences of African Canadians in Halton.

According to their website:www.hbhas.org, it is “Dedicated toward implementing cultural education into the public and institutional mind-set; towards appreciating the values of inclusivity, equality, and self-development while depleting bullying, prejudice, and inequality on any and all levels. We are a community globally focused on mitigating negative reactions towards all marginalized communities and individuals.”

The mission of HBHAS is, “Learning, uncovering, and promoting Canadian Black history towards a progressive inclusive future through annual events including: The Halton Freedom Celebration: Jazz & Blues Festival, the Emancipation Art Exhibition, an HBHAS Gospel presentation, and HHBAS Presents.”

HBHAS reminds Canadians that it was in the Burlington, Brantford/Hamilton area that parliamentarians, who heard the screams of a runaway slave Joseph Brant, who was fleeing from his bounty hunter and mentioned this incident to the Canadian Parliament.

This subsequently triggered a chain of events that led to the passage of the 1793 Act against slavery, which culminated in the August 1st, 1834 abolition of slavery in the British Commonwealth.

For Black History Month, 2022, HBHAS launched an essay contest that will integrate research and narrative writing focusing on the unique history of Blacks in Halton. The essay contest will be an “Opportunity to learn diverse cultures, customs, heritage, history, and identity.” There is an expectation that essays will focus on important Black individuals who play important roles in Halton, or contributed significantly to its developments.

The first place winner will be awarded a trophy and $500 cheque, second prize-winner receives a $500 cheque and the third prize-winner receives a $250 cheque. In addition, the best essays will be published in the annual Halton Cultural or possibly a Black History Journal. Essays will be judged according to the following criteria: maximum 3 pages of about 2000 words, no plagiarism, proper footnotes, and/or bibliography, the thesis must align with the theme of HBHAS, proper syntax, and a one-page student reflection.

Five areas to be assessed are:

1. Research (the writer should cite their sources of information)
2. Comprehensiveness for quality of writing (clear, comprehensive, and coherent ideas)
3. Relevance of information provided in the essay (Halton Black History)
4. Presentation (what impression/impact does the essay leave with the reader?)
5. Originality – uniqueness, novelty, and authenticity of ideas.