February marks the month of recognition for Black history. It is a month known to encourage self-confidence, determination, perseverance, hard work, hope, and victory. It is important to reflect back on what black North Americans have achieved throughout history and to take the time to recognize their achievements not just during February, but always. Although the United States has been celebrating Black History Month since the 1920’s, it was not fully recognized in Canada until the House of Commons granted it recognition in 1995.
Laurier is home to the club called the Association of Black Students (ABS). Here are what two Laurier students who are members of ABS have to say about the significance of Black History Month and what it means to them.
Janaya Thomas – Third year Communication Studies major and Religion and Culture minor
What is the Association of Black Students at Laurier (ABS)?
ABS at Laurier is a student run service and resource centre. Our goal is to provide a supportive and inclusive environment for students to connect and learn about Black issues that take place on campus and throughout history. Our mission is to share the values of solidarity, empowerment and progress. Through education we empower, through communion we will create solidarity, and by actively learning and re-learning, together we can become agents of change and create progress. All of these work to develop a better well rounded and stronger individual, community and society.
What does Black History Month mean to you?
Black History Month to me is liberating. It’s a time of self-reflection and I often think about that fact that not too long ago, black women and men very similar to me, with the same dreams and aspirations, did not have basic rights or opportunities, but what they did have is hope, tenacity, strength and they envisioned a world better than their current circumstances. I am so privileged to be a predecessor of that strength and resilience and I recognize the role I play in being a change maker in this generation. My great grandmother lived to see civil rights movement unfold and then witness the inauguration of our first Black President. I often think about what I’ll witness in my lifetime, and the role I’ll play in history. It takes people who are passionate about human rights who will fight for equality, equity, opportunity, access, peace, and love.
Why is it significant/important for Laurier students to know about?
It is important for everyone to know about regardless of your race/background because it is an opportunity for us to come together in solidarity, to celebrate how far we’ve come but yet still recognize how far we need to go. As Audre Lorde said, “it is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.” This is a time for everyone to celebrate the positive contributions that black people have made worldwide. More specifically, highlight the works of Black Canadians such as Lincoln Alexander, Lawrence Hill, Michaëlle Jean and Viola Desmond to name a few. I truly believe that when you take the time to learn about other cultures, you learn more about yourself as an individual.
Thandiwe Gregg – Third year Communication Studies major
What does Black History Month mean to you?
Recognizing the diversity, the achievements, and the perseverance of black people as a whole is what Black History Month means to me. It helps me understand my history, culture, and it helps me guide my way into the future. To understand what is happening in the present, you need to know your history. And it is only from there that we can all create a change and move forward. Black people have achieved such greatness and it must be recognized. For all too long, and it still continues, products of their labour, culture, and their very being have been taken away from them. Whether in historical terms, someone taking an invention created by a Black person and claiming it for their own, or a more recent conversation with the appropriation of Black culture.
Why is it significant/important for Laurier students to know about?
It is important for people to know that black history should not be celebrated solely in one month. It is something that should be constant and the learning should never end. It is that very conversation that The Association of Black Students at Laurier strives to foster with the various events that we put on throughout the year.
Be sure to check out Laurier’s ABS Annual Black History Month Culture Show on Friday, February 27th at 6:00pm in The Turret. It will be an evening filled with performances, entertainment, a fashion show, and food! For more information on the event or how to get involved with Black History Month on campus, talk to a member of the ABS club at Laurier or visit their Facebook page here. You can also check out www.blackhistorysociety.ca or www.blackhistorycanada.ca for more information about Black History Month in Canada.