Chatham-Kent's rich history will be at the forefront of discussions at the World Conference of Mayors this week.
The platform provides the opportunity for Mayor Darrin Canniff, the first Canadian mayor to join the organization, to share the vibrant and impactful legacy of the black community in Chatham-Kent with leaders from across the globe.
He will be doing a presentation on the municipality during the annual conference in Orlando, Flordia on Friday.
"I'm going to be talking about Chatham-Kent and the black history in our community," said Canniff. "It's an exciting opportunity to promote the community."
According to Canniff, he became connected with the World Conference of Mayors last year, when founder and secretary-general Johnny Ford, brought a busload of people to visit the Buxton National Historic Site and Museum in the summer.
"There's going to be hundreds of people at this conference," said Canniff. "I'm pretty excited about it. I'm just there for two days but I get to promote Chatham-Kent to people across the world."
According to the WCM website, Ford, who was the first Black mayor of Tuskegee, Alabama, formed the organization in 1984.
Ford convened mayors from across the United States, Asia, the African continent, and the Caribbean Islands, for a conference in April 1984 and formed the organization.
"I want to do as much networking as possible and meet other mayors," said Canniff. "I want to learn about what they're doing. I was truly honoured when I was asked to become one of the speakers at the conference."
