The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

OPINION Black history is our national history Toronto was the rst municipality in Canada to proclaim February as Black History Month; a month dedicated to commemorating the contributions of AfricanCanadians to our culture and community. at was 38 years ago. It was because of the diligent pressure and persistence of the Ontario Black History Society which succeeded in having the city formally recognize the month -- and now it's proclaimed right across the country. Black History Month is, frankly, Canadian History Month and it's important we know the compelling facts of our heritage. African-Canadians have struggled for equal opportunity and freedom from discrimination for far too many years. It began with the anti-slavery movement and evolved into the ght for basic civil and human rights. African-Canadian leaders of that time led with courage and determination. ey include people like Viola Davis Desmond, a Halifax-born business woman. It was 1946 when she went to the movies in New Glasgow, N.S. while her vehicle was being repaired. She bought a ticket and sat on the main oor -- not realizing this theatre had segregated seating. She refused to leave when sta demanded she go to the balcony. She was dragged out by police and spent the night in jail. She was ned $20 and charged and eventually convicted with defrauding the government of one cent -- the tax di erence between the balcony and main oor seat. Her challenge of the tax evasion charge brought national and international attention and raised awareness of racial segregation in Canada. Desmond was posthumously pardoned in 2010 and next year, she will be the rst African-Canadian and rst woman, aside from the Queen, to appear on a Canadian bank note. Others led with their entrepreneurial spirit. Carrie Best was the rst African-Canadian to own and publish a newspaper. Elijah McCoy invented and patented a type of lubricating cup that dripped oil onto moving parts of trains while in motion. He also invented and patented the rst portable ironing board at his wife's request. African-Canadians have roots which date back to the 1600s. Let's educate ourselves about the contributions African-Canadians have made to our society -- for the better. The Independent & Free Press is published Thursday and is one of several Metroland Media Group Ltd. community newspapers. Editorial and advertising content of The Independent & Free Press is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. The Independent & Free Press is a member of the Ontario Press Council, which is an independent ethical organization established to deal with editorial concerns. For additional information or to file a complaint, contact info@ontpress.com or call 416-340-1981. 905-873-0301 Publisher: Neil Oliver General manager: Steve Foreman (sforeman@theifp.ca, 905-234-1011) Retail advertising manager: Cindi Campbell (ccampbell@theifp.ca, 905-234-1012) Managing editor: Chris Vernon (cvernon@metroland.com, 905-234-1020) Distribution: Shelley Papineau (spapineau@metroland.com, 1-866-838-8960) Classifieds/Real Estate Kristie Pells (realestate@theifp.ca, 905-234-1016) Advertising Sales Jenny Hawkins (jhawkins@theifp.ca, 905-234-1014) Jennifer Spencer (jspencer@theifp.ca, 905-234-1013) Rachael Scutt (rscutt@theifp.ca, 905-234-1015) Kelli Kosonic (kkosonic@theifp.ca, 905-234-1018) Classified Call Centre 1-800-263-6480, Fax 1-866-299-1499 classifieds@metroland.com Accounting: 1-866-773-6575 Editorial Eamonn Maher: Sta writer/photographer (emaher@theifp.ca, 905-234-1023) Kathryn Boyle: Sta writer/photographer (kboyle@theifp.ca, 905-234 -1022) Graeme Frisque: Sta writer/photographer (gfrisque@meteroland.com, 905-234 -1022) Production Shelli Harrison (sharrison@theifp.ca 905-234-1017) e Independent & Free Press Re: Halton Hills o ering free activities in revamp of youth services program, Feb. 7, by Graeme Frisque. I am a parent who has been very grateful to have the services of Links2Care in recent years for my teenage child. I have been blessed that the Links2Care youth team is dedicated, caring, and empathetic to the youth who need them and the parents who often aren't sure where to turn. e youth in the northern part of Halton are falling through the cracks; there are few programs for them that can meet the often one-on-one needs of kids with a variety of di erentiations and struggles. My child has a unique set of challenges. Meeting within a wide-arc group setting is not going to address her needs. We have tried multiple approaches in the last ve years and the one that t her needs the best was the one-on-one "talking" relationship that she was able to establish with Links2Care. What they have o ered is customized Community will miss Links2Care Letters to the editor "help" to meet the need of the individual, and the ability to help the kids network with other like-minded youth. What my teen needed was just someone she could talk to who would not judge and who could o er another avenue outside of home, family and friends. And of judgement. She has needed validation. She has received that from Amanda. How disheartening to read that Links2Care is no longer o ering services. How di cult to hear that our daughter's friend and con dant will no longer be available. It is great to hear that there will be new services o ered. But as one mother pointed out -- the ages are too varied, kids won't be able to "get" to these spaces, the programs are not appropriate for all. My teen may want to go swimming now and then, so thank you for that. But she will not be able to sit and "talk" to someone who "gets her" and help her navigate these horrible teen years. ere are not enough programs for teen-aged kids with learning disabilities in this growing community. ey are the highest risk group. Please don't cut this invaluable service out. Sign up for our weekly electronic newsletter. Go to www.theifp.ca and click on `Newsletter sign-up' at the bottom of the homepage. We need Amanda and Josh, and the kids need them. RIP Links2Care Youth Services. Parents and teens who rely on them are in mourning. In response to the letter: What about Christian beliefs?, my son in JK spent the month of December doing all things Christmas: readings, songs, crafts and a concert. In December, we also celebrated the birthday of Prophet Muhammad. To be able to celebrate the birthdays of two incredible prophets of God in our home was not only exciting but truly special and blessed. Remember Easter and other Christmas holidays are also celebrated in schools. To ful l the accommodation of a few Muslims for a few minutes each week does not take away from the religious or Canadian values any of us hold. It only makes us united, strong and respectful. Zaib Abbas Diversity makes us stronger Karen Gasbarino-Knutt Page 6 - Thursday, February 16, 2017 - The IFP - Halton Hills - www.theifp.ca