Nearly 50 people helped kick off Black History Month in the County of Brant with the second annual flag-raising and inaugural community celebration in Paris on Sunday, February 1, 2026.
Held in partnership between the County and The Equity & Advocacy Social Justice Foundation, the event started off with a prayer from Pastor Jennifer Nelson of Gospel Life Community Worship Centre, and was followed by a land acknowledgement and Nadia Good’s singing of the national anthem.
After a few words about the importance of recognizing and celebrating Black history from Mayor David Bailey, Chantelle Campbell, event organizer and Chair of The Equity and Advocacy Social Justice Foundation, addressed those in the room.
“Throughtout the organizing of all of this, I heard people say to me, ‘I’m going to come out and support your event,’ and I had to keep saying, ‘It’s not my event. This is not about me. This is not about what I’m trying to do. This is about us,’” she said. “This is our event, this is our month, and this is our time. …I invested and put time into this because I believe in what we’re doing. I believe that our county believes in what we’re doing, and the fact that everybody showed up means that you believe in what we’re doing.”
Campbell then went on to lead attendees in a call and response, asking them to repeat, “we honour the legacy” after each of her declarations.
“We gather in the County of Brant to recognize that Black history is not looking at the past, it is a living legacy that continues to shape the place we live in and this country,” she said. “We acknowledge the generations of Black people whose labour, leadership, faith and resistance helps build communities, institutions and opportunities, often without recognition – but never without impact. We affirm that remembering alone is not enough, but that Black history calls us to responsibility, stewardship and leadership today. In this moment on this land, we commit to carry that legacy forward, strengthening communities and shaping a just future.”
After a brief moment of silence, Good returned to the front of the room to sing “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”
Campbell then went on to talk about the importance of Black History Month, saying it was created to honour those who overcame profound injustice and to celebrate their legacies.
“This year carries particular significance because in 2026 we mark the 50th anniversary of Black History Month in the United States, and the 30th within Canada. This milestone reminds us that while Black history is long standing, its recognition has required persistence, advocacy and a collective effort,” she said. “Black History Month exists to not only talk about the pain, but to acknowledge the resistance and the contributions of many Black persons in its proper context. It highlights the legacy of the descendants of Africans who endured over 400 years of the transatlantic slave trade, during which, millions were forcibly taken to the Americas. While this history includes profound injustice, Black History Month was never meant to centre around suffering alone. Its purpose is to recognize those who rose despite it; people who refused to allow hardship to define them and limit their humanity, and went on to shape sectors such as education, sciences, medicine, agriculture, law, the arts, government, and, of course, civil society.”
“This history is not just confined to major cities like Toronto, but lives here as well in the County of Brant. Black history lives on this land through its labour and its legacy, and this matters, especially in uncertain times,” continued Campbell. “We live in a moment of social, economic and of course, global uncertainty. In times like these, remembering is not just a passive act. It is an act of responsibility. The 2026 Black History focus, as articulated by the Honourable Dr. Jean Augustine, challenges us not only to remember legacy, but to understand how that legacy calls us to leadership and action today. Standing here today matters. It affirms that Black history belongs everywhere, including in rural communities, and that our shaped future is strengthened when we acknowledge the full story of how we arrived here.”
Following the Mayor’s reading of the proclamation and flag raising, Campbell told the Brant Beacon about how her 2019 move from the GTA to the County of Brant, sparked what would become the County’s first Black History Month proclamation and flag raising last year.
“In 2019, I moved to Brant County from the GTA, and I experienced culture shock. I couldn’t help but think, ‘Where am I? I don’t see myself here,” which is not always a bad thing. My personality is, if you don’t see what you want, you create it. Last year, I ended up stumbling into [the] Brant County [office] to ask for the Black History Month program calendar, and I was shocked to hear that there was none – there’d never been any,” she said. “In the middle of January, I decided I wanted to do something; the County mentioned they had never proclaimed Black History Month so I went and put the paperwork in on behalf of the community, and on February 25, 2025 they proclaimed it for the first time. We had a flag-raising ceremony outside and there were just four of us here to support; myself, my pastor, our praise and worship leader, and my mom.”
Noting the significant growth in attendance, Campbell said the turnout speaks to what can be accomplished when people are willing to create the change they want to see.
“It just goes to show that sometimes, when you’re in spaces and you don’t see certain things, it’s an opportunity to do something with your civic engagement and not complain,” she said. “I’m so happy, and the County has been very helpful in making this happen, and we’re praying that next year is going to be even bigger and even better.”
When asked how it felt to see everybody celebrating the occasion, the organizer couldn’t help but smile.
“I am just beyond myself because this is something that we prayed for. We asked the community to come out and they’ve definitely shown up,” she said. “It’s fantastic and I think it just goes to show that people really want change, and they’re here to make it happen. Thank you to everybody that was a part of this.”
As the flag-raising ceremony wrapped up, those in attendance made their way to the River’s Edge Arlington venue for the rest of the festivities.
There, guests had the opportunity to mingle with several vendors, indulged in light refreshments from Moore-ish Caribbean Cookhouse, explored Black history displays provided by the Brant Historical Society, and took in a full slate of programming including steel pan and cello performances, a poetry reading, speeches, a keynote address from Garnett Manning, a panel discussion and video message from Jean Augustine.
Kimberly De Jong’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative.The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at kimberly.dejong@brantbeacon.ca.
