By Carmen Law, Director, Belonging, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
Emancipation Weekend Celebrations in Kingston were a great success, with representation from SLC at the forefront! There were many Black owned businesses and artists who shared their integral and creative products, services and art with the Kingston community, many of which with an SLC connection.
I'm honoured to be invited to be part of the community wide Planning Committee, lead by incredible Black community leaders in Kingston. I’m so proud of how our volunteers showed up, even in the pouring rain. Our student volunteers represented SLC with pride, integrity, inclusion and belonging. They truly contributed to a community event dedicated to celebrating diversity and inclusion.
Here’s how our volunteers contributed:
- We had over 60 students expressed interest to help volunteer for the event.
- The overwhelming interest amazed The Planning Committee and didn’t have enough tasks for all the volunteers. As a result there was a smaller group that was assigned various tasks during the Black Businesses Block Party.
- 12 students active student volunteers throughout the day
- Volunteers helped direct traffic, welcome vendors, help vendors unload their items and setup, setup tents and tables, welcomed participants, and a variety of other tasks under the rain.
All vendors and Planning Committee members were very impressed by the dedication, commitment and support the volunteers exhibited throughout the day. They were so grateful for their immediate response and willingness to take on any task. I also want to send my sincerest gratitude to our students who made a significant impact on the day.
I'd also like to thank various SLC community members who showed up to participate throughout the day. Attending the event whether from Cornwall, Brockville or Kingston showed support and accessing community.
Global News was there; here’s their story if you missed it. Listen to the CBC Radio story for a shout-out to SLC!