My name is Elijah Mateo Aedo-Castillo. I am nineteen years old, and I was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Shortly, I will begin the second (U1) year of my undergraduate degree in Honours History and Indigenous studies. Currently, my academic interests concern the nuanced history of the “Age of Exploration,” the Columbian exchange, and colonial empire building.
Following the end of my first (U0) year at McGill, I was presented with the opportunity to apply for an internship with Audace au Féminin to participate in the organization of the fifth annual Salon international de la Femme Noire. I wanted to intern with Audace au Féminin mainly because I believed in their mission statement. Secondary motivations included networking prospects, immersing myself in a French-speaking environment and observing the professional teamwork dynamics of Audace to empower my roles with the McGill Black Students’ Network and McGill Community Outreach Program. My principal learning objective was to discover the phases leading to the realization of a large-scale event such as Salon international de la Femme Noire, which aligns with my responsibilities to organize events within my roles mentioned above.
Audace au FĂ©minin is a non-profit organization, founded in 2018, whose mission involves contributing to the socio-economic empowerment of Afro-descendent women through facilitating workshops, discussions, and cross-community interactions. Furthermore, the organization seeks to raise awareness regarding the interests of diverse backgrounds of women throughout Canada.
As an intern, my primary responsibility was organizing a panel discussion for the Salon international de la Femme Noire. The topic of this discussion concerned gun and knife violence in relation to African Canadian youth, families, and communities. I was responsible for corresponding with potential panellists, and ultimately five individuals (including myself) participated in the panel. We spoke about the circumstances that often provoke violence in Black communities. We also propagated various proactive measures centred upon showering children and adolescents with love, compassion, understanding, enrichment, motivation, and security. I was also responsible for messaging individuals involved in other panels and workshops the night before to provide them with a point of contact and direction.
The highlight of the internship was undoubtedly the weekend of the Salon international de la Femme Noire. The zoom meetings leading up to the event were engaging due to the frequency of funny/playful jokes and exchanges of ideas. The team also made a considerable effort to ensure I was adequately following along with the French. However, on the Saturday and Sunday of the event, I got to meet the Audace team and eventgoers in person, listen to captivating panels, and speak as a panellist myself. Listening to the various discussions was inspiring because all the panellists emphasized perseverance, and self-awareness while encouraging the audience to develop their capabilities and pursue their inclinations with confidence and rigour. In my panel, it was also especially meaningful to engage with the crowd's questions regarding their young, loved ones and offer heartfelt responses.
One challenge that I encountered during the internship was the language barrier. At times it was difficult to understand some key concepts or to communicate effectively in French. To overcome this obstacle, I would often politely ask whoever was speaking in French to speak a little slower. Conversely, when I had trouble explaining something or couldn’t translate a specific term into French, I would find other ways of expressing myself by using different words or sentence structures.
I will not be receiving an academic credit for this internship.
This internship experience has had a profound impact on my university experience because it connected me with likeminded African Montreal community members, some who happen to be current McGill graduate students and alumni, who I can now collaborate with and engage with on and off campus. I feel that these relationships will enable me to bring many of my (Black Student Network and McGill Community Outreach related) plans to fruition because now I have improved access to a vast community who can disseminate information widely, invite me to participate in their initiatives and help me connect with Montreal youth. Hearing accomplished individuals speak about their hardships and triumphs also motivated me to excel in my course work because they represented the promising/inevitable outcomes of hard work and tenacity. I plan to similarly prioritize my education, trailblaze and inspire youth through my deeds, accomplishments, and voice.
I want to thank all those who generously contributed to the Faculty of Arts Action Plan to Address Anti-Black Racism Fund as this funding helped cover my living expenses during the summer.
Ěý
