The Newmarket African Caribbean Canadian Association (NACCA) has opened a new community centre to engage and educate the community.
“We want to see the space being used to further our mandate to educate. NACCA’s purposes and focus in our activities are all focused on education, so we want to engage our community,” said Jerisha Grant-Hall, chair of NACCA.
She said they started pursuing a community centre in fall 2020, however that was pushed back due to the pandemic.
Now, with the official opening on Sunday, Dec. 12, they have opened the first Black-led community centre in York Region.
“It is long overdue. We’re in 2021 and we’re talking about the first Black-led (community centre). We’re still talking about firsts, why is this the first? Long overdue because it shouldn’t be a first in 2021 and what’s even more long overdue is equity, racial equity, which is what this is about,” Grant-Hall said.
NACCA currently reaches the wider community outside of Newmarket and she said she anticipates that this community centre will serve the whole region.
The programs they run will be dictated in part by what is feasible in the pandemic, but they will include NACCA’s current programs, including financial literacy education, mental health education and support, and the food security program.
“We have a brand new library in the space which will provide Black-affirming books for young people and also adults,” Grant-Hall said.
The community centre will also be a place to gather.
“You can’t serve community from nowhere. You need a space because that’s how we’re going to connect and build on ideas and be innovators, is to have a place where we can connect,” she said.
She said this space will give the Black community a sense of belonging and help maintain their culture.
“A big part of it is to bring us together, bring our community together,” she said.
They will be closing on Dec. 15 for the holidays to give their team and volunteers a break, but Grant-Hall said they will reopen in the new year and expect more traction then.
The new community centre is located at 449 Eagle St. in Newmarket, in the Hollingshead House, which is designated as a heritage building.
