The month of April is proudly recognized as Latin–America History Month at the Toronto District School Board. This year the focus and theme of 2024 is: "Weaving Our Legacies: Return to Our Collective Path | Enlazar Nuestres Legados: Volver a Nuestre Camino Colectivo."
The “e” in Nuestres was purposefully chosen to disrupt the dominant and default patriarchal binary gender grammar system of the colonial language of Spanish. The intentional use of the letter “e” as gender inclusive was created by LGBTQIA+, gender non-binary, and feminist communities in what is recognized today as Latin-America.
Sources: https://callmelatine.wordpress.com/
Since the creation of the Latin-America History Month Volunteer Planning Committee in 2016, the membership, which is comprised of educators, community organizers, parents/caregivers and TDSB staff and alumni, continues to ensure that we are reflective of all intersectional differences within our communities of Latin-America / Abya Yala / Pachamama and its diaspora, including those right here at the TDSB.
In alignment with this year’s theme, we are centering weaving individual and collective legacies of resistance, struggles, joy, love, and healing as peoples of the Latin-America / Abya Yala / Pachamama and its diaspora. While also focusing on the communal purpose of raising consciousness and moving towards reclaiming our whole authentic selves and a (re)commitment to reciprocal relations, solidarity, and action towards a just world.
During the month of April, several activities are being planned for students, staff, and community members. We invite everyone to join us to kick off Latin-America History Month with a virtual launch, on Friday, April 5, 2024, from 9:30-10:30 a.m.
Should you miss this event a video will be posted afterwards for all to enjoy!
Students from all grade levels across the TDSB were invited to participate in a Poster Showcase to capture images that display this year’s theme. The posters that most embodied this year’s theme will be shared soon!
All students will be provided with the opportunity to (un)learn about the connections across what’s called the continent of the Americas through the Condor and Eagle Prophecy. Students will have the chance to learn through the storytelling of collective resistances, struggles and joy through the uplifting of Afro-Indigenous roots; what it means to “volver” to our legacies and ourselves as a healing process; and the current realities through Afro-Indigenous Colombian music.
This powerful interactive virtual workshop with Ruben Beny Esguerra, a Canadian musical artist and poet based in Toronto. Esguerra has been nominated for two JUNO Awards― (World Music Album of the Year(2018) and the Global Music Album of the Year (2022).
We’re also extremely excited to have award-winning author Leonarda Carranza read her recent picture book, Abuelita and Me in English and Spanish, to elementary school students and lead us through a discussion in alignment with this year’s theme!
As of the academic school year 2024/2025, Latin-America History Month at the Toronto District School Board will be recognized during the month of October, and Hispanic Heritage Month has been removed.
A motion was carried at the January 31, 2024 Board of Trustees meeting to make this change in order to align with the Government of Canada’s designation, which declared the month of October of each year to celebrate this heritage across Canada.
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