Album: Running out of Funtown
Year: 1984
Location: Baldwin between Kensington and Augusta

Listen:

The Story:

“Kensington is a landing place for newcomers and for artists.  Those two groups are central to the story of Toronto.  When you think of the city’s embrace of it’s multi-cultural identity and cultural community you think of Kensington.  The song One People is rooted in Apartheid-era 1980s, it speaks about racial intolerance – an important issue for Kensington as it has always been a place for newcomers.”

– Andrew Cash (L’Etranger)

Partial Lyrics:

“They’re fighting the war in South Africa
They’re fighting in Soweto Town
Some people say “Well that’s just the way things are”<
I say we cannot keep them down

One people in South Africa
One people everywhere
One people gotta stand together
And we gotta show, we gotta show we care

I was walking through Kensington Market
And I saw graffiti on the wall
Said “we don’t need your kind living here”
Underneath was written “Forgive us All.”

One people in Toronto
One people everywhere
One people gotta stand together
And we gotta show, we gotta show we care”