new black cultural society director outlines priorities as p.e.i. marks emancipation day
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members of umu ada, which translates to “daughters of the land,” perform an igbo cultural dance during the emancipation day celebration at rochford square in charlottetown on aug. 1. the group said the performance was meant to showcase igbo culture and the diversity of africa.
vivian ulinwa
/
the guardian
the black cultural society of p.e.i. used this year’s emancipation day celebration in charlottetown to reflect on the province’s history, celebrate black islanders and look ahead under new leadership.
the event also marked the black cultural society’s 10th anniversary.
ujunwa aja-onu, who has been the society’s executive director for seven weeks, said one of her first priorities has been listening to the community and understanding where the organization needs to grow.
“i’ve spent time talking to community members and our leaders to understand where we’re at, the opportunities, the challenges and how we can take this organization to the next level,” she said.
ujunwa aja-onu is the new executive director of the black cultural society of p.e.i. aja-onu has led the organization for the past seven weeks.
vivian ulinwa
/
the guardian
aja-onu said rebuilding trust within the community is one of the organization’s top priorities.
she said the society wants its programs to reflect the needs of the diverse black community in p.e.i. and be guided by community feedback and data.
vanessa wachuku shares a hug with tamara steele, former executive director of the black cultural society of p.e.i., during the emancipation day celebration at rochford square in charlottetown on aug. 1.
vivian ulinwa
/
the guardian
sense of connectionanother priority is building a stronger sense of connection within the growing black community.
“we’re going to be creating spaces for belonging, for people’s voices to be heard and for people to feel seen,” she said.
she also said securing sustainable funding will be important so the organization can continue expanding its programs and services.
aja-onu moved to p.e.i. from nigeria on dec. 31, 2021, to study island studies. she completed her master’s degree in 2023 and decided to make p.e.i. home.
vanessa wachuku, left shares a hug with marva sweeney during the emancipation day celebration on aug. 1.
vivian ulinwa
/
the guardian
before moving to canada, she worked in community development across several sectors in nigeria, including education and economic empowerment.
she later worked with the early childhood development association in p.e.i.
“it’s such an honour to be serving in this role,” she said.
cairo duhaney gets spider-man face paint during the emancipation day celebration at rochford square in charlottetown on aug. 1.
vivian ulinwa
/
the guardian
children play in a bouncy castle during the emancipation day celebration at rochford square.
vivian ulinwa
/
the guardian
celebrating the day
saturday’s event celebrated emancipation day, which marks the abolition of slavery across the british colonies in 1834.
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she said the day is an opportunity to honour those who came before while celebrating the contributions black islanders continue to make today.
emancipation day has been officially observed in p.e.i. since 2023.
the black cultural society of p.e.i.’s celebrated its10th anniversary and emancipation day at rochford square in charlottetown on aug. 1.
vivian ulinwa
/
the guardian
people stand and sing canada’s national anthem during the emancipation day celebration at rochford square in charlottetown on aug. 1.
vivian ulinwa
/
the guardian
the celebration also featured a cultural performance from a group who call themselves the umu ada, which translates to “daughters of the land.”
dancers ezinne nwachukwu and juliet nnadi said the performance was the group’s first in p.e.i. and in canada.
oyin funsho, owner of oyin wears, arranges clothing at her pop-up vendor booth during the emancipation day celebration.
vivian ulinwa
/
the guardian
they said the goal was to introduce the audience to igbo culture and highlight the diversity that exists across africa. igbo is an ethnic group from eastern nigeria.
“we want people to know that africa is not just a country. it’s a continent, and we have a lot of countries in africa, including nigeria. even within nigeria, we have different cultures, and igbo is one of them,” nwachukwu said.
juliet nnadi, left and ezinne nwachukwu, members of umu ada, which translates to “daughters of the land,” pose for a photo after performing an igbo cultural dance during the emancipation day celebration in charlottetown on aug. 1. the dancers said the performance celebrated igbo culture and highlighted the diversity of africa.
vivian ulinwa
/
the guardian
nnadi said performing in front of a diverse audience made the experience meaningful.
“it was so beautiful. i saw a lot of faces that did not look nigerian. it felt so surreal. i never thought i’d be here in p.e.i. performing an igbo dance,” she said.
nwachukwu said the group had only been rehearsing for about three weeks while balancing full-time jobs.
“seeing all our hard work pay off today is really beautiful,” she said.
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vivian ulinwa is a reporter for the guardian in prince edward island. she can be reached at vulinwa@postmedia.com and followed on x @vivian_ulinwa.
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