• Filling registration forms.

• Information about the BSSE (Black Student Support and Engagement).

• Providing merchandise to registrants.

• Providing tickets for food.

The BSSE (Black Student Support and Engagement) Program seeks to provide students who identify as Black, African, and Caribbean with community, resources and support to help them fully maximize on their campus experience. Our programming is open to students within Humber College and the University of Guelph-Humber.

-Bsse. (n.d.). BSSE - Humber Polytechnic. https://humber.ca/bsse/

The event itself was amazing! There were Black-owned businesses showcasing their products, from handmade crafts to delicious food. The energy was vibrant, and everyone was so engaged!

I truly enjoyed being part of this event, and if I had more free time, I would definitely love to do more volunteering. It’s a great way to connect with people, learn new things, and support meaningful causes. 💛✨

Recently, we all participated in Black Heritage Month, which was a great opportunity as it led us to volunteer for the Black Heritage Month for Melanin Market, celebrating culture and unity together!

This video showcases the power of community and economic empowerment through Black-owned businesses. It highlights how the Melanin Market in LA that creates opportunities for Black entrepreneurs in celebrating culture, heritage, and resilience.

References:

OurCrenshawTV. (2020, February 13). Melanin Market LA: Black History Month Edition [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqPtrKIgWfM

References:

Celebrating the Contributions of Black Volunteer in our History. (n.d.). Volunteer Toronto. https://www.volunteertoronto.ca/blogpost/1302191/365845/Celebrating-the-Contributions-of-Black-Volunteers-in-our-History

References:

Freedom Is Mine Official. (2024, February 5). The Story of Black History Month in Canada (In 60 seconds!) [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReKqO7VtiaI

Inside the market there was also one stand from Ignite offering free haircut to students and one from Humber students providing free patties to the assistants.

This event attracted multiple students and professors to enter the event and enjoy getting their favorite products and trying free samples!

My thoughts about the relation with tourism

When tourists are visiting different places they are interacting with new cultures, there is the importance to know when you are promoting and supporting other cultures possitively always avoiding entering into cultural appropriation! as discussed in class this can be harmful for communities, saddly this can happen due to travel activities, our duty as professionals is to educate our clients, colleagues, friends and family about the importance of this matter, spreading the information as much as possible.

My Highlights are the importance of cultural awareness, support to communities and local culture preservation.

My reflection lies on the power of travel professionals to to create cultural awareness, the importance of preserving traditions from locals that are exposed to tourism and the economic support that can be driven by tourists choosing small local businesses into their destinations.

My takeaway from this experience is never think you need to be part of a culture to be able to support and promote it, because you will always be encouraged to embrace it and celebrate respectfully! 🎉

Instagram. (n.d.). https://www.instagram.com/p/DHJ21f2xL0e/?img_index=1

More than that, it was really a great opportunity for me, who come from a different background, to get to know more about the community. Also, it was a really amazing experience for me to do the volunteering as it was my first time doing so, and I felt like I should do it more often because I really liked the experience of talking to new people and providing information regarding Black Heritage Month. It was a very educational opportunity with a broader cultural perspective outside from my own.

The inspiration behind this mural is Love, family and education. This work takes a traditional approach to what I believe are the pillars to success: strong loving family support and the value of a good education to fulfill Passions, dreams and desires.

This mural was inspired by moments in the timeline of success. There are in total seven vignettes or small murals, the murals are meant to be viewed from right to left. The first wall features family structures rooted in unity and love that foster healthy foundations and the second larger wall highlights the fruits of a strong foundation and the value of education. On this wall is seen the student body of Humber in various fields of interest ranging from science to sports. The entire mural is aimed at fostering a sense of joy and reflection, the colour palette consists of soft pastels contrasting against saturated tones to inspire and excite positive moods in the viewer. (Phillip Saunders)