Black Ottawa Scene celebrates a decade of serving the community
Saturday 23 September 2023
By Olivia Barrett, Editorial Associate
Over the past 10 years, Black Ottawa Scene has been reporting and serving the Ottawa-Gatineau community. The monthly magazine has covered everything from the independence day celebrations of Caribbean and African nations, to events that shaped the Black community in the city, province and country at large. The magazine’s reach even goes beyond the nation’s capital, highlighting how other provinces and territories celebrate Black History Month.
There are many events, both within the city and beyond, that shaped the Black community in Ottawa.
Last year, Ottawa hosted its first Black Business Expo in April. Organized by It’s Time Event Management, the business expo highlighted black excellence from across the city, including businesses like békane.
One notable event was the election of Rawlson King in April 2019. King became the first Black city councillor in Ottawa for the Rideau-Rockcliffe ward. In addition to being a city councillor, King serves as a council liaison for Ottawa’s Anti-Racism and Ethnocultural Relations Initiatives and is on serval boards including Ottawa Public Health and the Ottawa Public Library.
Also in 2019, Ottawa appointed its first Black police chief, Peter Sloly. His historic appointment came to an end in 2022 after facing backlash during the so-called Freedom Convoy’s occupation of downtown Ottawa.
Apart from reporting on exciting milestones like these, Black Ottawa Scene also covers how the Black community in the city and in Canada mourns.
On July 24, 2016, Abdirahman Abdi was killed by Ottawa police.
On May 25, 2020, George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police.
These cases changed the Ottawa community. These violent arrests evoked large responses from the community, resulting in marches and calls for accountability and change across the nation’s capital. With the acquittal of the officer in Abdi’s case, disappointment rippled through the Ottawa community and resulted in harder pushes for police reform, which were reignited in 2020 after a wave of police killings.
Black Ottawa Scene does more than just report on the community; it celebrates with it.
Every year, the magazine opens submissions for Mothers” day and Fathers” Day profiles as well as graduation announcements. The magazine also commemorates the various awards and honours given out to exceptional members of the community.
The magazine’s reach goes beyond just the Black community in Ottawa, as it aims to report on and celebrate the various cultures and communities in the city. From community concerts to book and movie reviews to politics, Black Ottawa Scene covers all parts of the city.
Black Ottawa Scene has been a pillar in Ottawa’s Black community for the past 10 years as it has celebrated and mourned with the people it serves.