TDSB Latin-America History Month

Our committee is busy planning for Latin-America History Month 2025! In the meantime, watch this video recapping #LAHM 2024. #tdsb #onted youtube.com/watch?v=L8AH7J…

Latin-America History Month 2025 is done, but diverse history should be taught year-long! Watch @tdsb's summary video of our launch below. #LAHM #onted youtube.com/watch?v=rJY1jd…

"The world must begin sharing again. We need more kindness.” -Takua Kawirembeyju, a Guarani Shaman from Paraguay #lahm #onted

"We can all be brave and stand up for our friends and our Abuelitas whenever we see unfairness. We can make a big difference.” -Leonarda Carranza, an award-winning Canadian author born in El Salvador. Abuelita & Me won the 2022 International Latino Book Award. #onted #LAHM

“Widen the path of opportunities & continue to leave a powerful + positive legacy in this world.” -Luis Fonsi, Puerto Rican singer known for his 2017 song “Despacito”. Despacito won 4 Latin Grammy Awards, 7 Billboard Latin Music Awards, & 5 Billboard Music Awards. #onted #lahm

“It's not true that ppl stop pursuing dreams bc they grow old, they grow old bc they stop pursuing dreams.” -Gabriel Garcia Márquez, a Colombian writer considered one of 1900s most influential authors. He combines the fantastic & realistic to reflect life & conflict #tdsb #lahm

"Nothing would be possible if people did not desire the impossible.” -Silvia Rivera Cusicanqui, who is a feminist, sociologist, and historian who supports Indigenous movements from Bolivia. She is the former director of the Workshop on Andean Oral History. #onted #lahm

“I would like to be remembered as a woman who cares for fellow humans. We must use our lives to make the world a better place...not just to acquire things. That is what we are put on the earth for" -Dolores Huerta, a Chicana labour leader and civil rights activist #onted #lahm

“There is a tendency to portray Latino culture as a monolithic entity...there is as much diversity & uniqueness within the Latino culture as...in any other kind of American culture.” -Benjamin Bratt, an award winning actor of Quechuan descent from Peru. #onted #lahm

"We have dared to be free. Let us dare to be so by ourselves and for ourselves.” -Jean-Jacques Dessalines, leader of the Haitian revolution, the 1st & only successful uprising by enslaved ppl to form a country. It's pronounced “Ayiti” after the indigenous Taíno. #onted #LAHM

“The world has always gone forward when people have dared to have crazy ideas.” -Gioconda Belli, an award winning author and poet from Nicaragua. She joined struggles against dictatorships and was forced into exile in Mexico. #onted #tdsb

“Nothing is more exhilarating… than saving yourself by the simple act of waking.” -Junot Diaz, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. He is an award winning Afro-Latino professor living in the USA. He writes about the Latino immigrant experience. #onted #tdsb

“The world is not going to change, unless we change ourselves.” -Rigoberta Menchú, an Indigenous K'iche' Nobel Peace Prize Winner who dedicated her life to publicizing the rights of Guatemala’s Indigenous peoples during & after the Guatemalan Civil War. #onted #lahm

“To speak a true word is to transform the world.” This was written by Paulo Freire in his book, Pedagogy of the Oppressed. He is a Brazilian educator, philosopher, and community organizer best known for this book, which today is read by teachers around the world. #onted #TDSB

October is Islamic Heritage Month! This year's theme is expressed in an image of the olive tree, grown in many Muslim lands. The image of the dove carrying an olive branch symbolizes hope & a shared aspiration for peace. Check out IHM workshop offerings via tdsbNOW! #tdsbIHM2025

This year, our theme is Iskaashato ma kufto, If people support each other, they do not fall. This proverb emphasizes the importance of unity & support, reflecting our dedication to building strong communities where care, & shared responsibility are centred in our collective work.

October is Somali Heritage Month in the TDSB, a time to celebrate the rich culture, traditions, and wisdom of the Somali community. The proverb, “If people support each other, they do not fall,” reminds us of the importance of unity, care, and trust.

“To see the ball, to run after it, makes me the happiest man in the world.” -Diego Maradona, an Argentinian soccer player, one of the greatest of all time. His vision, passing, ball control, & dribbling, combined with his small height, gave him an advantage. #LAHM #onted

We are proud to recognize Islamic Heritage Month this October. This year’s theme, Rooted in Īmān (faith), Rising in Amāl (hope), invites students, staff, and community members to reflect on the strength of faith and the power of purposeful action. Learn more: bit.ly/48HVKPC

We are proud to recognize Somali Heritage Month this October. This year’s theme, Iskaashato ma kufto, is a Somali proverb that emphasizes the importance of unity and mutual support. Learn more: bit.ly/4gTMMRx

“Nothing happens in the ‘real’ world unless it first happens in the images in our heads.” -Gloria E. Anzaldúa, a Queer Chicana professor from the USA whose essays are essential to Latinx philosophy. This quote is from Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza. #LAHM #onted