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Learn About The Black History In Montreal With This New City Tour
Being Black and proud takes a whole new sense!
Published
3 years agoon
The Hidden Black History In Montreal Unveiled
The black history in Montreal is a topic rarely brought up in conversations for many different reasons. If you stick to what your class of ”Histoire Du Québec” in high school, you would swear our history here only dates back to the first waves of immigration 50 years ago.
Read More: The First Reality Show About Montreal Is Here And We’re All For It
I don’t blame you for not knowing because not too long ago I was on the same boat. It always amazed me how I could be a quote on quote Montrealer outside and a Haitian in the comfort of my home.
To this day I can’t wrap my head around identifying myself as a ”Québécois” and a lot of people of colour do too.
I never felt represented either on TV and for the most part I could rarely pinpoint ANYTHING people from my community have contributed to the city.
Rito Joseph is someone who I think probably shared this sentiment but instead of creating a media platform to control his own narrative like I did, he focused on creating a movement to pass down this missing knowledge about the black history in Montreal.
A self taught speaker, tour guide and frequent panelist, the young entrepreneur has made his mission to educate tourists and locals about the incredible history that people of colour has been part of since the early foundation of Montreal.
”Tourist In My City” is the name of the experience. Pretty much self explanatory but when Rito Joseph invited me a couple weeks ago, I HAD TO see it for myself.
A tour that takes you on the road down memory lane? Count me in!
Wacth Now
https://www.instagram.com/p/CDPaj0aggfw/
It starts off with a meet and greet at the Champ de Mars station. The group gets together first (respecting social distancing of course) and once the count is done, we hit the road.
As a good ice breaker our guide takes us to places we walk on every single day and tries his best to paint the picture of what was once taking place there.
The shocking part of it all is that we were at known places like Place Jacques Cartier with multiple statues, cathedrals and the old port aesthetic but no mention for places that actually still had slave names and the ramifications behind their story.
The experience is very interactive. You don’t fact checked to death, Rito lets you come up with what you think you’re supposed to see at a given site and then proceeds with a deep dive.
I was blown away about a lot of the symbols that I took for granted not knowing they had racists connotations.
In the tour you get to hear names and put a face to the pioneers of the black history in Montreal.
You might automatically associate it with slavery but through the tour you get to hear about powerful black people who actually leverage economically or politically.
For those wondering, it’s a good hour and a half of walking, stopping from time to time to do get explanations about the site and live Q&As at every stops.
I’m not the walker type, it was raining as hell through times but I’ll be honest, that hour and half passed so fast.
I would like to say it’s my natural curiosity that made me enjoy it but for the most part it was Rito’s work.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CClRn5ogrNr/
I loved the fact that the group was very diverse. From kids to older people, parents, people from underprivileged backgrounds and professionals.
It made me realized that beyond all those superficial stuffs, we are all alike when it comes to this search for our history and empowerment.
If you really want to learn more about black history in Montreal and pretty across Canada, I highly suggest this tour. You won’t regret it!
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Jefferson is the guy you hate to love and love to hate, marginal and uncommon but he brings the right comment at the right time

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Myraï Lavoie Is Taking The Fashion World By Storm With The Glitch Fashion Show
Published
8 months agoon
Jan 25, 2023
Myraï Lavoie Is Creating Her Own Universe And You’re Invited
What I appreciate the most about my work is the fact that I get to meet great minds & humans with a powerful story and this time around, I got to cross path with the talented Myraï Lavoie.
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The city has been quiet fashion wise over the years and as platform that mostly talked about fashion in its inception, we’ve felt it the most over here.
There would be sparks of hope here and there but besides Festival De Mode & Design, not a lot of things really stood out.
When I heard about ”The Glitch” it’s like I knew what it was about without nothing what it was about.
I mean good branding is good branding but it was more so who’s behind the good branding this time around. I had the chance to work with Myraï Lavoie in the past and one thing I can is : there’s a method to her madness.

Every artist has an eye and that eye is shaped by our views of the world and life experiences. Myraï had an interesting life.
One where being different is actually the move. One where if you don’t fit somewhere, you don’t try to get in the mold, you bend it.
For all the lack of support or misunderstand she got in Montreal, she found a place to be creative working or being in room with the likes of Paris Hilton & P. Diddy to name a few.
What she’s learned from coming out of her shell and experiencing the world she’s about the share it with us with her own fashion called ”The Glitch” tonight.
”The Glitch” is exactly what I thought it was going to be. A standout experience and experience and something you’ve never seen before just like its creator.
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The 50th Anniversary Of Les Grands Explorateurs Presents A Touching Documentary Exploring Africa And Its Wonders
An Amazing Story by Amazing Creators!
Published
11 months agoon
Oct 20, 2022
Les Grands Explorateurs Is Celebrating Africa In A Real Way!
Curiosity has to be the most incredible human quality there is and Les Grands Explorateurs has been putting it on the forefront for the past 50 years!
Read More: Isabelle Mugwaneza Desmarais: An Unlikely Journey For An Unlikely Unique Success Story
We are now entering an era where we want to know more about what is going on on the other side of the world.
How people are living, their culture and what is their reality compared to ours.
Sometimes the depiction of such reality is either unfair or made to look down at somebody. Other times, filmmakers have the challenge to depict a reality in a way to uplift what other cultures are bringing to the table.
Milan Bihlmann and Muammer Yilmaz are two filmmakers who know where they stand when it comes to that.
”Rêves D’Afrique” is the epidemy of that. The two filmmakers decided to go to 7 countries in Africa to not only paint the picture for the world but to give the good people out there something we forget to give one another : ”a piece of yourself’.
Armed with a backpack, film gear and true altruism, the duo spread love and good deeds wherever they could throughout their trip.
Watch The Trailer
Les Grands Explorateurs being this platform to uncover the world made the right choice by adding this beautiful piece to their program.
Up until November 1st, you still have the chance to see the beautiful piece in theater and then online starting November 2nd.
What's up
Isabelle Mugwaneza Desmarais: An Unlikely Journey For An Unlikely Unique Success Story
Published
1 year agoon
Jul 27, 2022
A Change Is Coming…Finally?
I grew up in the 90’s and although we can only realize it now but seeing people like Isabelle Mugwaneza Desmarais striving in a space where not a lot of us do is what was missing this whole time.
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The thing about representation is that you won’t know you need it until you need it. As most of us were just looking at society, we didn’t see ourselves but also normalized it.
I think Isabelle saw something that we couldn’t see in ourselves. The truth is not at the extreme it’s right in the middle. The intersection between being different but also a part of the ecosystem was what she saw.
Representation is not about doing what’s right because it’s right but more so because it needs to be done.
Starting her career in the public sector wasn’t a thrill anymore. Then she did some soul searching and probably came to the conclusion we all come to at some point in our existence:
Life Is A Joke
For her it was literal though. She figured out that humor and the business around it was her calling so what was the first step? Becoming a comedian herself and teach a thing or two to Dave Chappelle?
What about producing your own show with up and coming artists? Well, for Isabelle Mugwaneza Desmarais the start of this new chapter was simple as getting a non-paid internship.
Just For Laughs became her new home and with that started her mission to be at the forefront of what the landscape in comedy was to become.
Through thick and thin, work and dedication, intuition and know-how, she pulled through and the big way too!
Isabelle Mugwaneza Desmarais became the director of ZooFest. With her pulse on the scene, she fought and pushed for upcoming talents that are more than just tanned.
We’re seeing more BIPOCs getting a chance on stage and I would like to believe that this is just the beginning.
Speaking of ZooFest, if you want to see for yourself how this festival has grown in diversity and get a good kick out of it. You still have the opportunity to do so tomorrow as the last day of the celebration
With french performers like Lenny M’Bunga, AZ, Marine Ella, Meryem Benoua, Ayoub Marceau & Hugo.
Live podcasting will also be a part of the last run of the show. In the corner of Jeanne-Mance & Maisonneuve, you can can get a good view, a good potential date, you get to see greatness in all shapes, size or color AND of course a good laugh!
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