JUNETEENTH : A celebration of emancipation and freedom !

Spike Lee in Montreal for the 2014 Montreal International Black Film Festival Photo  © Lena Ghio 2014   Add caption

FRANÇAIS app de traduction à gauche

Today I want to celebrate JUNETEENTH by honoring the black people I have encountered whose talent and excellence shines. From Vu d'Afrique to Black History Month to the Jazz Festival we have delighted in the production of movies, music, art and more.

Montreal is a city that celebrates diversity. Since 2001 I have explored both the rich talents and particular challenges of black cultural actors. One remarkable actor is Fabienne Colas who has worked diligently for years to promote all aspects of Black and Haitian culture. Most prominently with the Montreal International Black Film Festival where I have seen the most meaningful and relevant films. That is where I met a few of the CENTRAL PARK 5 and saw the movie that retraces how 5 black children were jailed for a crime they did not commit. They were literally tortured by the state, in particular, the now president of the United States, Donald Trump, bought a 1 page add to promote the death penalty for these boys. And this chilling movie, Slavery By Another Name. Fabienne is currently working on Haïti en Folie a festival that will happen from July 24 to July 26 in Montreal and New York.

 

The injustice of slavery is a monumental loss to the heritage of humanity as we can attest by the multiple artists writers public personalities that are loved around the world by millions. We can only imagine the wealth we lost because greedy white people chained up an entire people so they could make a few bucks! 

Fabienne Colas  

Lucky for us black people are smart, resilient and creative. Montreal has enjoyed so much music theater dance cinema art and just the enduring Spirit of black people.

I celebrate the continuing growth of black people and I support Black Lives Matter because deeply love many many black people and I want them to have happy hopeful lives!

I applaud The Montreal Museum Of Fine Arts and it's director Nathalie Bondil who have been supporting black artists in countless ways.

https://www.mbam.qc.ca/en/

Kerry James Marshall, Philippe Pirotte & Luc Tuymans  Photos © Lena Ghio, 2016 

Yinka Shonibare MBE in the center ( photo Lena Ghio © 2015) with his Self Portrait ( after Warhol ) 1 & 2, 2013 on either side.

Pras Michel Photo © Lena Ghio 2015

I am proud Montreal has been doing more and more to integrate black culture but there is still a ways to go. I know it will be worth it when we finally reach the just society many have been dreaming of forever.

Lena Ghio