Preston Township honouring graduates of all ages with special parade

This time last year, residents in North Preston, East Preston and Cherry Brook stood outside their homes to cheer the Preston Township graduation parade.

This year, organizers say they're honouring even more graduates than before.

This year's event begins at 10 a.m. today at the East Preston recreation centre.

"The last year we had about 30 lanyards and this year there's 52 lanyards, and we had to cut it off because our budget only allowed for us to buy 50," said Miranda Cain, founder of North Preston's Future Community Organization, a community-based group which aims to challenge misconceptions about Preston's Black community.

Graduates receive lanyards with their name and picture on it. The organization will also put up a sign at the home of each graduate to acknowledge the achievement.

Cain said the parade is meant to remind young people in Preston Township that the community is rooting for them.

"We want to give them a sense of belonging, so this is an easy win, [a way] to have people feel like they belong to our community."

North Preston's Future Community Organization held a parade for the first time in 2020.

Cain said it wanted to honour graduates all the way from primary school to university who weren't able to celebrate their milestones during the pandemic.

Cain said there were 70 cars that took part in the first parade, driving and honking all the way from East Preston to North Preston. She said around 1,000 people stood outside on their steps to welcome the parade.

"We don't only celebrate Grade 12 or university… we're celebrating each step, so we want to be with them as they proceed to the next level," Cain said.

Ka'Myreha Smith, 18, recently graduated from Cole Harbour District High. She's one of the graduates being honoured.

She said it is a good feeling to finish high school and she is excited to have her community celebrate the accomplishment.

"I feel like it's important because like, nowadays, it's hard for Black people to get things done," said Smith.

"It was hard for me to graduate high school because when I was in the class, the teachers were really worried about the other people instead of being worried about the Black people ... so it's like a good thing that the community is doing this."

The parade travels through East Preston, Cherry Brook and Lake Loon before ending at the North Preston recreation centre.

Cain said organizers are trying to add something different each year the event takes place.

"We just added a barbecue.… We're going to take pictures of the graduates [because] we didn't have time to take pictures last year."

Ryan Willis, who recently graduated from Saint Mary's University, said he hopes this event will show young people in the community that they can do it, too.

"It's just an honour in itself, especially when you bring the community into it, it makes it more special," said Willis.

"I think it's just important overall, just for a lot of the youth to see themselves and the importance in school and the value in it."

Willis said it's important for people to realize that many members of the Black community are first-time graduates in their families due to their ancestors not having educational opportunities. He said post-secondary education was never presented as an option for many.

Cain said organizers hope to make the parade an annual event and continue to add to it.

"Maybe we'll have a scholarship … next year," she said. "[We] just want to keep adding to and building upon this and then maybe we can actually have a graduation award ceremony for these kids."

For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.

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