“SHOUT! In the House”—Redeemer Celebrates Black History Month

Every February since 1926, North America celebrates Black History Month, a commemoration of important figures and events that have shaped the history and culture of African Americans. It is a celebration of what has been accomplished with the abolition of slavery in the Western world, and is most often commemorated by a variety of cultural events that take place throughout the course of the month.

Black History Month began in the United States by Carter G. Woodson, a historian with the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History. Although it began as a mere week of celebrations, by 1976 the American government officially recognized the switch to a month-long event. The BHM officially came to Canada through the Canadian Negro Woman’s Association in the 1950’s, and was recognized by the Canadian government in 1978.

Today, the month long celebration continues to thrive across Canada, where it reminds Canadians of all races that the history of our country has been pioneered and shaped by a variety of people groups. As a nation that prides itself on its diversity, Black History Month is a chance for Canadians to acknowledge and celebrate that as well. It’s also a chance to recognize the past and present contributions of the African Canadian community in art, music, politics, human rights, and more. And what better way to do that than through their rich traditions and contributions to the arts—from music to dance to spoken word.

This year is the first year that Redeemer is putting on an event as part of these celebrations. “SHOUT! In the House” is a gospel music celebration that will include five musical artists—Victory International Worship, Sheldon Neil & The Way, Christopher Samuels, Dionne Wilson, and Samantha Whitney—as well as a number of monologues focused on Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King quotes. Victory International Worship, a praise team from Hamilton, will also be leading a time of worship at one point in the evening.

The event is not only meant to bring awareness to the Black community in Hamilton, but is also a chance for the school to give back to them. Proceeds from the event—ticket sales and a portion of every CD sale—will go towards a new scholarship being established at Redeemer. The “SHOUT! In the House Bursary” of $1000 will be awarded to a high school student of African or Caribbean descent with strong academic and leadership skills. Doriel Moulton, Associate Vice President of Marketing and Recruitment and part of the team putting on the event, explains that this is an exciting way of integrating the many churches in Hamilton that have a large Black community with Redeemer’s community. This will be the first foray into making connections with a church community apart from the Reformed tradition, which is an exciting step for Redeemer. In this way, “SHOUT! In the House” is not only an event celebrating Black History Month in Hamilton, but it is also a chance to strengthen the school’s connection with faith communities throughout the city.

The event will be held in the Redeemer Auditorium on Friday, February 8th. Regular admission is $10 with a special price of $5 for Redeemer students.Tickets can be purchased at the Box Office.

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