Hello Friends,
I hope you all had an opportunity to watch, or at least begin to watch Esi Edugyan the six-part CBC Massey lecture series over this last week. If you haven’t, I encourage you to do so. It’s an excellent series and its message is foundational to this year’s Black History Month theme — February and Forever: Celebrating Black History today and every day.
It’s a theme that highlights how much…. and, let’s be real, how little, of this history we know. It leads us to examine the ‘why” we don’t know it and pushes us towards ‘how’ we will rectify this going forward. It’s a theme requiring examination and action!
For example, did you know that while the month-long celebration has its roots in the United States, the motion to officially recognize February as Black History Month in Canada was introduced in 1995 by the first Black woman elected to parliament, and former educator, the Honourable Jean Augustine?
I didn’t…until about three years ago.
Fittingly, what she said years later at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights also serves to underscores this year’s theme:
“I was an educator….I recognized that the classroom curriculum was saying very little about African Canadians. The same thing was done to Indigenous peoples — if there was any reference, it was either in the footnote or as a sideline. Black Canadians were not part of the script and were not shown contributing to Canadian society.” — Hon. Jean Augustine
Friends, I know that there is a lot on everyone’s plate, but I also know from speaking with most of you that you are looking to learn.
We are also in what the United Nations has declared the International Decade for People of African Descent (2015 to 2024). A decade that calls for us to collectively “promote a greater knowledge of and respect for the diverse heritage, culture and contribution of people of African descent to the development of societies.”
Last week I asked you to listen, and this week I’m asking you to learn. Sign up and check out any of the resources I have included here for more learning:
The BC Black History Awareness Society has an incredible lineup of events celebrating the achievements of historical and contemporary Black Canadians. One is happening this week (Feb 12). The BC Black History Awareness Society in general is a great resource, and has hosted Black History Month programs for the past 25 years.
RAN invites the UFV community to attend a “Literary Circle in Honour of bell hooks” on February 28 from 1pm-2pm. Folks are invited to bring with, read aloud, and reflect on their favourite and most impactful bell hooks quotes/passages. Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88247231233 Meeting ID: 882 4723 1233.
Explore this virtual museum exhibit explores the rich history of BC’s Black pioneers through images, photographs, maps, and archival documents focusing on a group of 800 invited settlers: British Columbia’s Black Pioneers: Their Industry and Character Influenced the Vision of Canada
There are a lot of online events taking place as well, you can find them here, and some of these are in-person (dependent on the regional public health protocols)
Again, if you have any suggestions or would like for me to share and amplify events or resources, or if you have questions or want to chat some more, please feel free to connect with me.
As ever,
Sundeep
For more information, contact Sundeep Hans at sundeep.hans@UFV.ca
03/01/2022