York Region’s first Black-led community centre opens its doors

Wellandtribute.ca
December 17, 2021

You can’t serve a community without a home base, but now York Region’s first Black-led community centre has a place to call home.

On Sunday, the Newmarket African Caribbean Canadian Association (NACCA) formally opened the doors to its new permanent home.

Located at 449 Eagle Street in Newmarket, the NACCA, which was founded in 2018, has designed the hub to be a place where the community can learn and grow.

“Having an actual community space is critical to preserve the community,” says NACCA Chair Jerisha Grant-Hall. “When you have a space that you’re operating out of, it provides an opportunity for the community to come together. We’re in a situation right now where we’re all isolated. It’s an opportunity to connect and this goes beyond COVID-19 -- way beyond.

“It’s an opportunity for people in our community to gather, connect, to share, to create their own vision. It’s all about connecting and building our community up. I think it is critical to have a space to call our own, whatever form it takes. You can’t really serve a community from nowhere. I think having a permanent space is one step towards decolonizing, for us as a Black community. It’s one step towards decolonizing our environment.”

It provides an opportunity, she says, for “thought and innovation” that wouldn’t be possible in other kinds of spaces, including the virtual realm.

They are operating as a Black community “from a historical lens, from a lens of anti-oppression and resisting anti-Black racism.”

Once the NACCA’s community centre is running at full steam, they plan to offer services ranging from mental health to financial literacy and education, food security, and scholarship opportunities. There is already a library in the building, so reading, tutoring, and youth mentorship programs are also on the horizon.

The Eagle Street location is in a historic home, originally built on Yonge Street, by Quaker settlers. It’s a fitting new chapter in its life, says Ms. Grant-Hall, as by and large Quakers were abolitionists.

“It has that historical connection to what we’re trying to do,” she says, adding that its proximity to Newmarket’s downtown core is also an asset. “We know Newmarket is kind of, in a sense, separated from itself. Oftentimes when activities are going on downtown there are not a lot of people from racialized communities I see participating. We’re trying to interrupt the separation we see. We’re trying to make our community more connected, more inclusive, and, for me, the location is pretty important in bridging that gap we see.”

Although the NACCA was, as the name suggests, founded in Newmarket, it is important to note that this community hub is intended to be a welcoming space for all York Region residents, she adds.

“We’re a welcoming organization. We’re a group of like-minded people. If you’re of like mind and you’re keen on building inclusive spaces and keen on equity, especially racial equity, then we want you to visit, we want you to participate, because the space is really there for all of our communities to engage. We would love for our partners, our stakeholders, and folks in Aurora to use the space and come visit. Everyone is welcome.

“We’re about equity, we’re about inclusion, so if you’re keen on those things, then you’re welcome.”

For more information on the Newmarket African Caribbean Community Association, visit www.naccacommunity.ca.