This Little Light of Mine:

Addena’s July/August Substack Newsletter

July/ August Newsletter

Thank you for joining me once more and thank you for waiting for this newsletter. I have combined a July and August Newsletter news and events together. I hope you don’t mind the wait. I hope you find this issue stimulating, titillating and find it conjures up smiles. Hope you feel it was worth the wait.

Let me start with August.

August

After 200 years of legalized slavery in Canada, … on August 01,1834, the British Empire’s “Slavery Abolition Act”, written into law and slavery was abolished and slaves were Emancipated. Since 1834, Black Canadians celebrated Emancipation Day with food, music, parades, Storytelling, and dancing. After Black Canadians were emancipated they lobbied for Black Rights and Equalities in Canada and they lobbied for the abolition of American slavery

.On March 24, 2021, the House of Commons officially designated August 1 as Emancipation Day. Since 2021 Emancipation Day, is officially proclaimed and celebrated in many cities (across Canada) on August 01.

That day/week, (and across the whole month) gives all of us the opportunity to be able to intentionally learn about and celebrate Black Canadians and their history and contributions to Canada and our Canadian life.

Full Joy! is what I feel that August 01 has been proclaimed as Emancipation Day in Canada. The holiday presents an opportunity to be joyful together with Community and Allies.

We are thankful to be able to come together respecting each other and supporting each other as we share and learn more about Canada’s long Black Canadian history and their stories of their Canadian life experiences.

Our Emancipation And History and Poetry Presentationsi for QAF

Let me start by thanking Mark McGregor: President of the Queer Arts Festival Board and The SUM Gallery, and Valerie D. Walker: President of The Pride in Arts Society for inviting us to be a part of honouring and celebrating Canada’s Emancipation Day.

Our African Ancestors Spirts are smiling… and Full of Joy! …and can now Rest in Peace, knowing we honour their memory and acknowledge the horrendous journey to Canada they experienced from the moment they were captured and enslaved and trafficked… until, on August 01, 1834, by the British Empire’s 1833 “Slavery Abolition Act”, slavery was finally abolished in Canada, and slaves were were Emancipated.”

Family History

Photos of my Canadian family history, (are displayed on the walls in the SUM Gallery). I originally shared these with “Vancouver’s Queer Arts Festival and SUM Gallery’s: “Generosity of Abundance Revelations and Contemplations” event . In order to honour Canadian Black History, Family History, and Queer History, I offered photos, that were then framed, to go along with some of the accounts for the “Black Every Day of the Year” discussions.

Whenever I introduce myself at an event or a workshop, I always say my name, and then say “I am a Seventh Generation Canadian,” my daughter April is an Eighth Generation Canadian. And then I add that my Mom, my Grandma, my Grandma’s Mom, and her Mom’s Great Grandparents were all born in Canada. That information prevents the never ending questions about my heritage and my origins. Questions like: Like, …“Where are you from? ….. No, .. I mean where are you really, really, from?”

The framed family history photos (of our family) are from our family Bible (of which I am now the keeper) In 1882 the documenting of our family history was started by my grandparents: James Paris, my Grandfather, and my maternal Grandmother Henrietta Paris. The Bible documents their history from their marriage in 1882, in Truro, Nova Scotia, and the recording of their eighteen children (they had over the next 26 years). My Mother, Kathleen Mentis-Sumter was their last child born in 1908. There is also a framed photo that I love (of my Mom as a child) and her parents, my grandparents, James and Henrietta in front of their house in Truro Nova Scotia in 1915 displayed there on the wall.

Queer History

You would think that there were no Queer, Bi, Gender Non-binary or Questioning people in our family, or in our family history, (or in Black community in general for that matter), because when I grew up, no one in our family or community ever admitted there were any of those things, and only a few people were ever “Outed”. It was too physically dangerous in most Black communities to declare your sexuality, and there was so much shame attached to being: Queer.

It wasn’t quite as dangerous if people found out you were a Lesbian. (I think that was because of the erotic fantasies most Straight men had about two women being together sexually.) Consequently, everyone in my family who was LGBTQ, conformed to society's pressure and found a partner of the opposite sex and played the role of being Straight. Many of them had kids, and maintained that role… unless, or until, they could secretly have a clandestine affair or relationship.

As a kid, the only couple in my extended family that I knew were (and other people in my community gossiped about them being a Lesbian couple) was Ma Jones and Hilda. These two women lived together and never went out together in public except if it was to church, or to a community/church meeting. Otherwise, if people saw them, it was at their house that they shared together.

I figured out they were a couple by being around them at their house (when they invited us kids for tea and cookies after Sunday School) andwatching the loving way they looked at each other. I felt the sexual energy between them and observed the way they clandestinely touched hands as they served us tea. Ma Jones and Hilda were never condemned or ‘called out’ because of their high status in the church and their community leadership and mentorship roles.

The only Openly Gay male I knew in my family was accepted by everyone because he strategically took on the role as a: “Queen”. He purposely dramatically swished around when he walked andexaggeratedly drawled his words that he voiced in a high-pitched-voice. Because his Homosexuality was so purposely open and overt no one bothered to condemn him .. or made a big deal out of it. It kept him safe.

As a Bisexual kid, and as a young woman, I too conformed. I never felt safe to declare my sexual preferences or my questioning of my status. It wasn’t safe!

Luckily, times changed .. and I ended up being an Adult in an era of Sexual Revolution. Yea! In this new Era, you never had to declare your Sexual Orientation and you were free (and mostly safe and not judged) to be who you were sexually: Bi, Straight, Lesbian, Gay, Non-binary, Trans, ..and Questioning, and you were free to live your life that way in relationships of your choice.

I have Queer and Gender Nom-binary Family Members. I would love to say that they feel free and safe and accepted by everyone in our family and in our Black community. I most certainly can’t, now.

Hopefully, ..some day, .. I will be able to say that is the way it is.

Canadian History

Yes , we had Slavery in Canada. Slavery was legal and practiced in the Colonies (that became Canada). From the early 17th century (around 1629) in New France (a French Colonial Territory), slavery was still legal and practiced after their territories were captured by the British and became The British Empire and later in 1791 it was called Upper Canada and Lower Canada.

After their experience of crossing the Atlantic and the Middle Passage, enslaved Africans were often subjected to a process called “ Seasoning”. "Seasoning" in camps was forced on these captured Africas for a period of time after arriving in ‘the Americas’ but before being sold to slave owners.

The Seasoning process involved brutal physical and psychological torture, forced labor, and violence that was carefully designed to break their Spirits and make them compliant and marketable for the slave trade. These camps served to further dehumanize enslaved people, and transform them into commodities by stripping them of their identities, make them become totally obedient, and forced them to adjust to new work and conditions.

Between the Middle Passage crossings and the Seasoning Camps, millions of captured and enslaved African men, women and children died.

If you think about every account of slavery you have ever read, documentaries and movies you have seen, …slavery in Canada was no different or less cruel and brutal than slavery practices in the USA. We had Slave Auctions in the Maritime Colonies, particularly in Halifax … and Halifax had the infamous “Hanging Tree” where they carried out the public hangings of Slaves.

Since 2021 , in Emancipation Day events, we make it a priority to acknowledge our Black Canadian history. Emancipation Day /weeks events are not meant to be about blaming or shaming Canada for its part in the slave trade and blaming them for the deep wounds slavery caused, but it is about identifying and acknowledging that remnants of the Anti-Black Racism, (that was there during and right after slavery) is still prevalent today. Anti-Black Racism is one of the painful scars that slavery left us with, and these events surrounding Emacipation Days are about our communities (together) committing to doing work to helps heal those scars.

I believe I finally realized the true depths of the traumas and scars the forced Transatlantic voyages of millions of African people (who were captured, enslaved, and then bought to the Americas to sell) that came through the route called “The Middle Passage” caused them and the generations to follow, when I saw Tom Feeling’s Art depicting the Slaves journeys across the Atlantic, in his book: The Middle Passage: White Ships Black Cargo”. That book rocked my whole world!.... forever!

Tom Feelings’ Art presented Sixty-four (stunningly-brilliant) Fine-Art illustrations that seared themselves into my Soul.

His illustrations described Slavery, and the Trans-Atlantic journey of Slaves, in vivid Storytelling detail. His Art illustrations were more Soul Wrenching and more impactful than reading any books or accountings of Slavery that I have ever read.

I am still frequently haunted by his images of the Ocean sharks that followed the Atlantic slave ships because of the food they could devour from the Slave bodies that jumped or were thrown overboard.

Art by Tom Feelings.

After their experience of crossing the Atlantic and the middle passage, enslaved Africans were often subjected to a process called “ Seasoning”. "Seasoning" in camps was forced on these captured Africas for a period of time after arriving in the Americas but before being sold to slave owners. The Seasoning process involving brutal physical and psychological torture, forced labor, and violence designed to break their spirits and make them compliant and marketable for the slave trade. These camps served to further dehumanize enslaved people, and transform them into commodities by stripping them of their names, their identities and forcing them to adjust to gruelling work and harsh conditions. Between The Middle Passage crossings and the Seasoning Camps , kmillions of captured and enslaved African men, women ,and children died.

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One day I was on the plane flying from Vancouver to Ottawa and I began thinking about Tom Feelings images of the Atlantic Slave Ship voyages and I began wondering and imagining what Slaves would have thought, and how they would have reacted,when they were brought directly to Atlantic Canada, (as some slaves were), and the ships they were in.. landed in October or November, and they experienced, (for the first time) seeing snow.

A poem started to come to me .…or should I say flow through me .. like Lava flowing from A Volcano Inside

I frantically rummaged through my purse and I found a pen,…but no paper! So, I took the air sickness bag out of the pocket of the seat in front of me.. I wrote all over the front, the back, the sides,…When I had written on every space on that bag I reached over and snagged the bag tucked behind the seat next to me and I wrote, and wrote, and wrote. As I was writing, I began breathingb rapidly… And tears were flowing down my face. It was like a Spirit had entered me, and was recalling a voyage, reliving their experiences.

This Spirit of my Ancestors “Gifted me” this poem to share her story… so I could offer it to the world. I am honoured. And I am grateful that I was chosen.

I titled the poem: New Lands.

New Lands

I left the lodge
as the drummers played
Kali Sher-[ehe: the Sun Ritual
and Mamma d-a-n-c-e-d
and the elders sang: Yo!

Jua Kali Yo!
Yo Kar-i-buni

And the children waited to join in the chorus.

I picked up my baby N’ajma and I ran outside
into the sun with her.[CMR1]
“Sister Sun!”

“I l-o-v-e you, Sister Sun,” I sang as I ran.

Naa Kupunda!

And the rays from her Fireball
warmed my back
and licked my thighs.

I laid N’ajma gently in the tall Gamba Grass
and they folded over her, snugly,
to give her shade.

And I ran down to the water

And I threw my hands to the air.
tried to dance
tried to whirl
in the waters.

But they pulled me down
playfully
and I laughed
as I fell in
and let them caress me
in every fold
and every crack
between my fingers
and my toes.

And all the while
My Sista

Shone down.. and warmed me
thru
and thru.

Suddenly
more darkness than closed lids
came upon me!

And the air
filled
with
a scent …
a scent of madness
and death
and
neverto-be-the-sameness.

And through my ears came the sounds of hate
and greed
so foreign ..
yet instinctive.

I sounded first
in catch-of-breath
then
in … a cry
that came from Ancestors
from Predecessors’ graves

Oh! Hatari! .. Danger! Hatari!

My eyes opened
to see a group of Human men
with strange
unhuman eyes …
the colour of the sea.

With lips
that curled
and sneered like Hyena

They yelled some Tribal Gibber
somehow
I knew involved
Death and Pain
to last four hundred years.

They covered me with woven ropes
threw them over me
like Boar!

Would I be eaten?
Stuck through with stick?
Roasted in an open fire
and ripped apart
by their yellow-brown teeth
and lipless mouths?
That would have been kinder

Hush, baby! I prayed

Stay asleep in the shaded gamba grass.
Don’t crave this milk that drips from my breasts.
Sleep! Don’t cry!
Usi Li-a Mwangu Angu

Mama Ana Kupenda Sana

Mama loves you.

Hard carved sticks
cracked my head
like coconut.

Blood

ran into my eyes
and stung
and burned
and blurred the shapes of the monsters all around.

Then
blackness
took me …

clubs
and kicks
and salty water
thrown across my torso
woke me
lying on a … strange giant wooden boat
that rocked a crazy motion
and threw my fluids up
from my stomach.

The woven cage
was off me now
replaced by a hard choking band
round my neck.

The same bonds claimed my ankles
close together
and … connected me by chains
to another Black
not from my family!
Not from my village!

Those sea-eyed creatures

dragged us

and threw us down…

down.

Down
into a dark
dark
hole.

Piled like wood we lay
bound

screaming

and crying
and moaning
and

dying.

Tears.
Blood.
Sweat.
And shit
from those piled above
dripped down
over us
and bathed us
in the shame
and regret
that would be
our legacy.

It may have been
a year
a day
a month
or two.

I woke
I dreamed
I cried
I screamed
Usi Li-a Mwangu Angu

Don’t cry, my baby

And all the while … this
Rocking!
Cramping!
Heaving!
Churning!
Stomach.

I longed for
stillness

And … air!

I long to wake
from this dream
and hold my baby

Mama ana ku penda sana Mama ana kupenda sana

Those humans came for us once more!

They dragged
and pulled us … up

Frightened.
Defeated.
Defiant.
Resigned.
Up … up
into a wider
w -i-d-e open space

on this giant boat.

A different air
pushed through my nose…
coldness touched my face
in strange puffs of wind.

My whole body shook
and my teeth beat together
and sounded .. like Woodpecker

My eyes saw land

beyond the water
but it could not be Earth!
It was …White.

Through the cold
I felt a strange

… heat …

that came from a bright round light
in the sky.

It was almost familiar

Almost …

Somehow.

But I knew
this Ball-of-Fire in the sky
was no Relative of mine!

And I was more afraid
than I had been
since those creatures
darkened my light.

I knew
I would never be taken home again.

And tears came down
They ran down cold

freezing my cheeks.

And the tears that ran
from my eyes ran because
they knew

I would never be taken home again…

And the tears that ran from my eyes

ran because

They knew…

I might live a while.

© Addena Sumter-Freitag

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This next poem I wrote is about both historical attitudes and modern day attitudes. The poem is about my observations, comparisons, and realizations about those attitudes .

I Am Like The Raven

“They all look alike”

(They say)

Black

Savage birds

Different …

Out of place

“They say:

“ they’re as ancient as the Dinosaurs “

And that is true

Black

Different

Out of place

Visible

Yet unfamiliar.

They say

they're feral

Crafty

Savage birds

Not regal like the Peacock

Or delicate like the Dove

And I believed them

Until I saw a one in flight

Look there!

Is that an Eagle?

Look at its enormous Wingspan!

Look how it flies …FREE

See how it swings and soars upward

With Urgency

With purpose

And pride

(”say it loud!”)

Its Lacy wing tips

Delicate and shiny

I shake my head from side to side in wonder

In awe

At how it soars with such fierceness and Fab-u-losity!

What a bird! …

When I look at her with honesty

With respect

I realize

It is a privilege

To be allowed.. to become.. a little familiar.

© Addena Sumter-Freitag

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I don’t know if I mentioned earlier that Mark McGregor and Valerie D. Walker, in their goal of honouring and celebrating Canada’s Emancipation Day, planned several events. The weeks events went on from August 1 to August 8. .

The week began with an Art Exhibition (at the SUM Gallery) of phenomenal new works by multidisciplinary artist, VALERIE D. WALKER, whose practice, reimagined, black freedom, queerness, and futurosity. Our poetry evening was on August 3, but to open the Emancipation Day/ week celebrations on August 1, (the actual designated holiday for emancipation day,) there was an evening of Drag Performances that were DJ’d by DJ Grooveheart. It was: off the chain exciting!

As well as going to Vancouver to join with Community, and get to perform in Emancipation Day /Week-celebrations , in August I got to do some fun things around my new city here, ..Kelowna.

I got to discover some new neighbourhood restaurants, and I got taken by my friend, Lorna, to a local Winery for some Wine Tasting and delicious Tapas. The winery’s restaurant was on the top floor overlooking the most beautiful vineyards and mountains in the background.

July Happenings

July, like August, was a summer holiday month that was packed with choices for activities and celebrations . The month just flew by!!

We had Civic Holidays, and we had National Holidays. We had Canada Day celebrations, at the Italian Canadian Club hosted by Jamaican Canadians (who cooked delicious Jamaican dishes) a d we had a great D.J. Who played Reggae music , and, we played Dominos and had a blowout Canada Day. We went to Toronto and .. we had BlueJays games, and Pride Marches and lots of summer celebration events,

and, …. I saved the best for last. While we were in Toronto we attended the best wedding celebration ever! The Dress Code was Camp- Glamourous!

The outfits were everything!! And the wedding venue was decorated with swank, and glitz, and class! The table tall centrepieces with fresh roses and candles incased in glass. IIt was beyond perfect!

It was the wedding ceremony and reception of our Nephew Shaun, and his Parter, Kai. People came from all across the country, and from all across the world for that matter. Kai’s parents, and his best friend (since childhood) came from Hong Kong to attend.

The Suits, and Tuxes were amazing…. but The Gown… was “to die for gorgeous“! ♥️♥️

N(Shaun and Kai said they might have another wedding and ceremony in Hong Kong when they travel there).

A few hours after dinner, (which was a Chinese buffet, with absolutely everything you can imagine on it, including a table with peeking ducks and a station where someone was making duck pancakes) they served a Dim Sum. Now I’ve lived in Vancouver so I’m a Dim Sum Snob … but let me tell you , honestly, that was some of the best Dim Sum I’ve ever had in my life! We were still so full from dinner, when it was served, so the owner/manager of the restaurant, graciously offered to make us takeout Dim Sum boxes to take back to our hotel. Oh ya!

Just before dim sum started, they had drummers and Chinese Lion Dancers. In case you’ve never seen Lion Dancers: performers inside a lion costumes mimic lions movements and perform a dance. The dance is performed with the purpose to bring good luck, chase away evil spirits, and symbolize, courage and stability. The wedding’s Lion Dancers performers put on a spectacular display. Their performance was energetic, powerful, and full of Spirit!

more of July

July was also a spectacular month of what I call “Renewals”.

In July, we were reconnected and renewed and reinforced some wonderful Friendships of mine (and ours). These are friends from 30 and 40 years ago. We haven’t seen each other in person since then, although we do see each other by Zoom or on other media platforms . It was fabulous to see them … Plus, I got to meet their husbands and their partners, and catch up on what they’ve been doing and what they’ve done in the years since we’ve seen each other.

The time we spent together was absolutely wonderful. 🎉🎉💖💖🎶🎶🎶🍾🍾🥂🥂. It was like no time had passed.

We hugged, we kissed, we reminisced, we caught each other up on Whaa Gwan with all of us now, and we laughed.. a lot! Two of those friends, just by coincidence, live here in Kelowna, and we didn’t know that each of us lived here. Having these reconnections reminded me that some people come in your life for a reason and then they’re gone, but , by the same token, some people re-enter your life for a reason, or as they say, “for a season”… I’m not sure why that is, but I am certainly glad that I was blessed to reconnect with some amazing people who I am lucky enough to call my Friends.

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A Note : FYI , If you haven’t seen Tom Feelings Art from his book: “The Middle Passage: White Ships Black Cargo”, that I shared in the February Black History Month Newsletter, here is one link to Tom feelings Art. There are a few more if you’d like to research if you like but I will share this one.

https://virtualexhibits.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/tom-feelings.pdf

Take care everyone, enjoy the rest of August. There’s still lots of events going on everywhere… so, look them up and check them out.

Just now , my neighbour came over to get help from Irv with her taxes, and she noticed I was listening to jazz as I was writing. She said: Oh do you like jazz? Every Thursday their is a free Jazz event at the Rotary Centre for the Arts downtown here in Kelowna. They have some great Jazz Artists, and some new up-and-coming artists that get up and Jam with them. And last week, I went to a free weekly Rock Music venue. You should check it out too. Kelowna is so full of talented artists and musicians.

Well.. now I’m stoked. I guess I got lots to check out my city’s happenings for the rest of August and September! If you’re not away on holidays, I hope you check out yours too. Wherever you live check out, what’s around you. Try to stay positive. Don’t let the news confuse you , and try to not let it overwhelm you..

Keep positive people around you. ♥️ Peace .