One Love in Action event at The Don on Danforth honours Bob Marley’s 79th ‘Earthday’
By AMARACHI AMADIKE, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Humanity Ova Vanity (HOV) is set to host One Love In Action in honour of reggae legend Bob Marley’s 79th “Earthday” on Tuesday, Feb. 6.
The event at The Don on Danforth (15 Chisholm Ave.) starts with a reception at 6:30 p.m. followed by a conversation with three-time Grammy winner Sharon Marley.
HOV Director Donisha Prendergast said the originally scheduled interviewer, Melanie Fiona, will not be at tonight’s event and instead taking her place will be Canadian TV and radio personality, Master T.
Prendergast said that community members who attend can expect an intimate conversation with Sharon Marley about her father and the unique nature of growing up within the Marley household.
“I just thought it was really important to create a space to understand the legacy and the human beyond the celebrity,” said Prendergast, the eldest of the next generation of Marleys. “We will also be giving people a little more insight into the Rastafari culture.”
Humanity Ova Vanity was founded in 2023 by Prendergast and other partners who have been heavily involved in community initiatives and activism for the past 15 years. With a nuanced upbringing that came with the many cultural experiences which accompany growing up in the Marley family, Prendergast said she has been given an “insight into humanity” which she is eager to share.
“This is my attempt to instill some of the values, morals and experiences that I have (gathered) into the work that we’re doing here in Toronto,” she said.
With the event falling during Black History Month, Prendergast said it will also serve as an extension of her activism against anti-Black racism as it aims to expand the public’s understanding of the word ‘Black.’
“Coming from a Rastafarian experience, we didn’t identify as Black, we just identified as Jamaican because racism wasn’t a huge thing,” said Prendergast.
With a feeling that the word Black “flattens” the dynamic experiences of “all of our different cultures,” Humanity Ova Vanity hopes to curate immersive experiences that gives people more of an insight into the nuances of being Black.
Following the Feb. 6 event, the organization will host Simmer Down Sundaze to close out the week-long celebration of One Love In Action.
Tickets for tonight’s event are available at www.eventbrite.ca/e/celebrating-bob-marleys-79th-earthday-win-conversation-with-sharon-marley-registration-790713303777?aff=oddtdtcreator
– Amarachi Amadike is a Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for Beach Metro Community News. His reporting is funded by the Government of Canada through its Local Journalism Initiative.
