At Family and Children’s Services of Frontenac, Lennox & Addington, the Umoja Hub is becoming a gathering place where Black and Francophone families can feel seen, welcomed, and connected. Partly funded through a grant from the Community Foundation for Kingston & Area, Michelle Harrison, Equity and Community Engagement Specialist at FACSFLA, describes it as “a very flexible, ideal space” that can shift from quiet workshops to high energy cultural celebrations. Located in the agency’s largest meeting room, the hub can be divided so that, “when we have activities that are better geared for adults, we can section off and have a kids’ room,” with access to a kitchen, projector, and seating for large groups.
The hub was first created with a focus on the Black community. As programming unfolded, staff realized that many of the people attending were also Francophone newcomers. “We were focused on the Black community, and during that time we learned that this was really a Black and Francophone focus,” Harrison explains. Many of the French‑speaking community members they met were also Black, “so we thought we could kind of put it together” and intentionally shape Umoja Hub as a space for both Black and Francophone families. Today, the hub offers an evolving mix of programming, from regular djembe workshops and movie nights to Afro‑Brazilian martial arts and other cultural and wellness activities.
This year’s Black History and Futures Month celebration showed what the hub can hold, both physically and emotionally. Harrison’s manager told her it was “the biggest Black History Month celebration we have seen so far,” with well over 200 people filling the meeting room and lobby. Harrison believes that growth is “largely because of the Black Francophone community. They really do come out. They have really been seeking community, and they are starting to find that here, where they know they will be welcome and it will be in their language as well.” The day featured Black‑owned vendors, master drummer Amadou Kienou and his group, a performance by Afro Mama Rythmees, and a bilingual keynote address by FACSFLA legal counsel Ayana Hutchinson, along with certificates recognizing community members’ contributions.
Children had their own program, learning about Black history through books with partner agency SHINE Club and decorating cookies donated by FACSFLA’s French Language Committee. Beyond the festivities, Harrison sees the hub as a bridge to other supports. Each event includes a resource table where families can learn about local services, parenting workshops, foster‑parent recruitment, and newcomer supports they may not otherwise encounter. “The more partners we have, the more we can let people know about services they may not know about,” she says.
