Bringing an afternoon of good food, good company, and lots of learning, the Afrocentric Awareness Network of Peterborough (AANP) is hosting its third annual summer potluck on Sunday, July 14th.
The potluck picnic will take place at Ashburnham Memorial Park, under the pavilion at the top of Armour Hill, from 1 to 4 p.m. Inclusive and welcoming to all, the event is being sponsored by United Way Peterborough & District.
“We’re inviting everyone to bring the kids, hang out, network, get to know each other, eat, drink, and be merry,” says Cheryl Edwards, co-founder of AANP alongside Charmaine Magumbe.
Originally founded as the Afrocentric Awareness Network of the Kawarthas in 2007, AANP describes itself as a non-profit resource that raises awareness of the positive aspects of Black heritage and culture. The original group had a brief hiatus before relaunching three years ago with a renewed focus on Peterborough.
“We felt that people of colour and people of African descent in Peterborough were rather isolated, so we wanted to gather families together so that they would connect,” Edwards says of the network’s original purpose.
“Now it’s become more about not just gathering those people, but also educating everyone else about who we are as a people in positive ways. That’s what our focus is now — the positive aspects of Black culture and history.”
Edwards notes that it’s imperative to AANP’s mission that eliminating anti-Black racism comes from studying positive histories.
“For example, the transatlantic slave trade is a part of our history, but instead of focusing on how we suffered, our focus would be on what we achieved during that time period,” she explains.
As a resource that’s free and available to everyone, AANP provides accessible educational opportunities that require members of the public to actively seek them out for self-education.
“We feel that if you’re educating yourself on the positive aspects of Black culture and Black history, you’re becoming more aware of who we are as a people, as opposed to believing in stereotypes and negative information that is fed to the public,” says Edwards. “Instead of having to pay for a university degree to learn about us, you just educate yourself. It’s free to do and it’s enhancing to one’s level of understanding of who we are as a people.”
At the potluck picnic, AANP will be holding giveaways of Afrocentric books and jewellery and hoping to schedule some inspirational and educational speakers. There will also be free Jamaican chicken for everybody in attendance, and guests are welcome and encouraged to bring a dish of their own to share.
“Cooking and food is a great way to immerse yourself in the culture,” says Edwards. “We will be putting out some recipes for people who want to bring something that’s Afrocentric, but it’s absolutely not mandatory to do that.”
In addition to hosting events like the potluck, AANP offers the use of Edward’s Afrocentric children’s books so “people can easily educate themselves.”
AANP is also establishing Afrocentric Storytimes at the Peterborough Public Library, to be held on the last weekend of every month beginning in September.
“The stories themselves will be geared towards children four to seven years of age, but hopefully they’ll also appeal to children who are older and to adults who have children wanting to participate,” says Edwards. “It’s going to be a lot of fun and educational at the same time, and hopefully there will be a networking game for families so they can connect with each other directly.”
Looking ahead, AANP is well on the way to planning its next events, including Kwanzaa celebrations at the end of the year, which will include traditional African dance lessons, and celebrations for Black History Month next February.
While there is much to look forward to with each of the events, Edwards assures they will all be free of cost and inviting to all.
“We know that some people face food insecurity, so when we provide food or prizes at our events, it’s always free,” she says.
That commitment to accessibility also applies to AANP’s all-important goal of self-education.
“It’s no-pressure learning through fun and through personal connection,” she says. “We want adults and children to arm themselves with truth. When they hear a fallacy about Blacks, they can say ‘That’s not true’ to themselves instead of believing it.”
For more information on the Afrocentric Awareness Network of Peterborough, visit aanp.ca.
