A new event is coming to Abbotsford to celebrate Black culture.
Black Connections is a volunteer program that aims to support and provide opportunities for Black youth. And they are holding their first ever community event on Tuesday, Jan. 17, Harrison Mooney 4 Black Connections.
The event will feature all Black- and Indigenous-owned companies, businesses and people, including Mooney, an Abbotsford-raised author and award-winning journalist. His new coming-of-age memoir Invisible Boy details his life growing up as a Black child in a white, evangelical family. His experiences involve racism, abuse, discovery of his Black consciousness, and finally a reuniting with his biological mother after 25 years.
He is currently the writer in residence for the Vancouver Public Library.
Abbotsford teacher Shayla Bird, who is also the teacher representative of Black Connections, will host the event and hold a discussion with Mooney about his memoir and more.
There will be music by Dj Fly, a Haitian adoptee who focuses on bringing Black liberation through traditional Haitian beats. And snacks will be supplied by Cool Runnings Bistro, a family-run Caribbean restaurant with over 20 years of experience.
The event runs 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Yale Secondary School on Jan. 17. Tickets are listed as $7.
READ MORE: Abbotsford superintendent shares thoughts, hopes during Canadian Black History Month
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