Finding ways to be thankful even in the face of adversity

Published: Thu, 10/07/21

Canadians celebrate thanksgiving in October, Americans in November. As Black communities all over the world face adversity and we fight to have our stories be told as part of history, should we really be celebrating Thanksgiving?

We need to find ways to celebrate while acknowledging the troubling, racist foundations Thanksgiving was built on. When it comes down to it, the Black community, in spite of adversity, has a lot to be thankful for. Here are a few things to focus on as you celebrate with family and friends:

Celebrating community: There has been so much loss, not just in the past couple of years, but throughout history. Continuous attacks on Black communities simply because of race, the erasure from history books. Let Thanksgiving be a time for you to reconnect with your community to find support from those that are like-minded.
Coming together over a meal: Our communities are marked with a rich palette of delicious cultural foods – some that are perfected by family members with recipes passed down through generations. Gather together and celebrate your culture through the food you eat.
Find ways to give back: While it is important to give thanks, we also need to remember to include those that don’t have the opportunity to gather over a meal, or those who feel like they are not connected to their community. There are several Black-serving organizations who need help – both financially and through volunteering your time. The SBC directory is a great place to find an organization to serve locally.

How will you spend Thanksgiving this year? Share your stories with us either by responding to this email or tagging us on social media! (Instagram: @supportblackcharities | Twitter: @supblkcharities)

Featured Organization

The Good Guides

After facing rising senseless murders, including personal friends, and committed to making a change, The Good Guides was started among friends so they could help break the negative cycle. This grassroots, non-profit organization believes that a community’s youth should be on the front lines of repairing the community. Youth face challenges every day, so they are the best people to drive lasting change. The Good Guides works to provide opportunity and resources to develop new, vibrant, and relevant resources for their communities.

Serving Scarborough, Ontario, The Good Guides works with at-risk communities by connecting with youth and their families through engaging social activities and mentorship. Recently, they organized a community cleanup event in collaboration with other local organizations. On October 9^th, they have a family-friendly football event. They are also running a program where students can get free access to laptops to help them complete school work.

The Good Guides’ newest program is a co-op placement program where secondary and post-secondary students are recruited to become community coordinators.

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On The Blog:

6 ways to give thanks on Canadian Thanksgiving

This year on Monday, October 11, 2021, Canadians will be celebrating the Thanksgiving Holiday.

Outside of Canada it is sometimes called Canadian Thanksgiving, held on the second Monday in October, to distinguish it from Thanksgiving in the United States. It is a time of the year to acknowledge gratitude and show appreciation not only for our own personal blessings but also for others which leads to compassion, our new favorite word!

On the blog, we’ve shared 6 ways to express gratitude, show appreciation, or give thanks this year.

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