Sharing Our Cultures was established in 1999 by Dr. Lloydetta Quaicoe as a result of an exploratory study on the “Psychosocial Needs of Immigrant and Refugee School Children.” During a workshop at the release of the findings, study participants recommended opportunities to share and learn from each other’s cultures. The organization has since expanded to include rural schools as well as Aboriginal and Francophone communities.

We had a chance to sit and talk to Dr. Quaicoe about Sharing Our Cultures initiatives and mission.  Listen in to get the full story.

Mark your calendars! IDEAS 2022 (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Anti-Racism, Summit) is happening on November 17, 2022. Immigrants, business leaders and employees, educators and students, community leaders, advocates and any interested public in NL will gather either in person at the Emera Innovation Exchange or via Livestream on the ANC YouTube channel to discuss Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Anti-Racism. The theme of this year is Inspiring Creativity in a Diverse Workplace.  Our host Renata Lang chatted with Debbie Brown, Coordinator of Diversity and Public Education at the ANC, to dive more into this summit and what you can expect!

To learn more about IDEAS 2022, please click https://www.ancnl.ca/diversity-summit...  The IDEA Awards page: https://www.ancnl.ca/2022-idea-awards/  The nominations information page: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeeddRAdthH1Zp4RiXbBDRXOcyph9kTKP37sM4-Ufe4LvoyRg/viewform

Born and raised in Jamaica, Xaiver has considered Newfoundland and Labrador home for over a decade. These islands are quite different, but Xaiver feels that living in Jamaica prepared him for life on the Rock. Minus the snow, sleet and lack of sun – the people are equally warm and friendly.

His fiction has been published in The Malahat Review, Riddle Fence, and the anthologies Us, Now and Hard Ticket (Fall 2022) by Breakwater Books; Release Any Words Stuck Inside You III by Applebeard E. His second play, “One Name,” is currently being workshopped for production by Halifax Theatre for Young People. Xaiver’s non-fiction work concerns the lives of enslaved and freed Black people in early Newfoundland settlements, which can be found in the CBC podcast series “Unearthed,” which he also narrates. His first children’s picture book, “A Single Dreadlock,” is scheduled for release in Fall 2024 by Groundwood Books.

We're celebrating Latin American Heritage Month in Canada!

The latest edition of ANC's Global Frequencies Podcast features Santiago Guzmán. He is an award-winning playwright, dramaturge, performer, & director originally from Metepec, Mexico, now based in St. John's, NL. He is the Artistic Director of TODOS Productions & the Artistic Associate for Playwrights Atlantic Resource Centre.

Santiago's work aims to put local, under-represented narratives and characters on the frontlines whilst inviting audiences to appreciate the vibrancy of Newfoundland and Labrador from a diverse perspective.

Santiago's work is very gay, very brown, and very real. Santiago believes that representation matters.

If you'd like to be part of our podcast, please contact [email protected].

Yaw Antwi-Adjei is the proud co-owner of the 1949 Barbershop, with two locations serving a diverse community known as the United Nations Barbershop because they have barbers from all around the world.  Listen in and hear how he got to where he is and a personal look at the challenges that lead to success.

Hailing from the coastal city of Dar-es-salaam, Tanzania, Baraka steadily widened his musical prowess while on a journey that brought him to St. John’s, Newfoundland, in pursuit of his Bachelor of Commerce degree from Memorial University. Since his graduation in 2020, Baraka has slowly and steadily burst onto the live music scene with a soulful singer/songwriter sound and spirit that is sure to tug at every heartstring in any room.

An expansive repertoire of highly loved Pop & RnB covers, paired with his relatable and catchy original music, Baraka’s uncanny ability to tell stories behind his songs, and the inspiration he drew from his idols in his early years make for a well-balanced live performance experience that many would relish, whether sat down listening attentively or on the dance floor singing along.

Baraka continues to work on his debut 5-Track EP set for release in Fall 2022 while earning repeat performances at jewel live music venues such as The Black Sheep, The Salt House, Greensleeves Pub, TJ’s Patio, and The Rec Room.

To stay tuned for more updates, follow Baraka Music on Facebook, Instagram & TikTok (@brk.wav). 

Known to his family, friends and new found fans as JJ, Khamadi Ojiambo.  JJ was born and raised in a family of 4 in Nairobi, Kenya. From a young age, he fell in love with music. His parents sang and played guitar and piano at home and church, encouraging him to learn from an early age. JJ brings talent to a whole new level as a singer, songwriter and musician who is fluent in guitar, bass guitar, drums and piano.  Listen in as JJ tells us about his journey and future musical plans.

If you are a black person in NL and want to be part of the Black Excellence Podcast series on Global Frequencies, please contact Barb Walsh at [email protected]

In this episode, we welcome Christiana Emmanuel, she is the owner of  Afro Kitchen NL. Christiana shared with us a variety of African meals, from our special tasty Jollof rice to our signature chilled Zobo drink. All the dishes are flavourful and spiced to satisfy our customers’ diverse preferences ranging from mild to super hot and spicy.

At Afro Kitchen NL, she used locally sourced ingredients to create our menu. However, our menu is designed to reflect the rich and diverse cultural and social themes of the great continent of Africa.

To know more about Afro Kitchen NL, please visit: afrokitchennl.ca

Nigerian-born artists Imoudu grew up listening to musical giants like Fela Kuti, Micheal Jackson and Kanye West, these artists helped shape Imoudu's idea of what it means to make music. Imoudu focuses on multiple musical genres from hip-hop to pop to afro-beats and occasionally rock.

Links:

linktr.ee/imoudu

We wrap up our Global Music Series with this final podcast featuring interviews with MusicNL CEO Rhonda Tulk-Lane and musician Cristina Hernández. Rhonda Tulk-Lane shares her vision for future Music NL projects and discusses support systems available for both newcomer musicians and organizations wishing to promote diverse music.