Laurier invites community to share in engaging and educational Black History Month events

Jan. 28, 2022

Each February, Black History Month recognizes and honours the legacy of Black experiences and celebrates the achievements of Black people. Wilfrid Laurier University invites students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members to participate in a series of educational and engaging Black History Month events. All events will be held virtually and are open to the public.

Visit wlu.ca/bhm throughout February to read stories celebrating the achievements of Laurier’s Black community members.

Race and Policing in Canada: Two Years after George Floyd

Public panel discussion: Feb. 3, 1 to 2:30 p.m., Zoom.

Featuring Bryan Larkin, chief of police, Waterloo Regional Police Service; Eric Boynton, staff sergeant, equity, diversity and inclusion unit, Waterloo Regional Police Service; Kanika Samuels-Wortley, associate professor, Institute of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Carleton University.

Join in a panel discussion about current movements within policing to create equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) units and engage in race-based data collection – two movements growing in Canadian policing and other sectors in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd in May 2020. Centre for Research on Security Practices

The event is co-sponsored by Laurier’s Office of the Associate Vice-President, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, and Department of Criminology and the Centre for Research on Security Practices.

Can't Put a Condom on Racism: Anti-Blackness, STDs and Safer Sex

Laurier student event: Feb. 9, 8 p.m., Zoom.

Featuring Lydia Collins, educator, author and creator.

Join Lydia Collins, learning and development specialist with the African and Caribbean Council on HIV/AIDs in Ontario, for an educational talk about sex and consent.

The event is hosted by the Association of Black Students at Laurier's Waterloo campus.

Beyond Personal: My Story of EDI Leadership in 'This Moment'

Public event: Feb. 9, 2 to 3:30 p.m., Zoom.

Featuring Clinton Beckford, vice-president: equity, diversity, inclusion, and professor, Faculty of Education, University of Windsor.

Join Professor Clinton Beckford as he shares his story as an immigrant galvanized by personal and vicarious experiences with racism and discrimination to create institutional change in the role of vice-president of equity, diversity and inclusion at a Canadian university.

The event is part of the Lamine Diallo Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Speaker Series hosted by Laurier’s Office of the Associate Vice-President, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in collaboration with the Tshepo Institute for the Study of Contemporary Africa and Black Faculty and Staff Caucus.

African Canadian Girls and Activism in Ontario

Public lecture: Feb. 9, 7 to 8 p.m., Zoom.

Featuring Esther Hayford, PhD candidate, Faculty of Social Work, Laurier.

There are extensive studies focusing on Black student resistance in Ontario’s high schools, but how oppositional behaviour can provide opportunities for change remains understudied. To expand scholarship on Black student resistance, PhD candidate Esther Hayford explores the advocacy and organization-related experiences of 20 African high school girls in Ontario through semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions. Hayford’s research also explores issues of race with a specific focus on anti-Black racism.

The event is part of the Milton Public Lecture Series hosted by the Milton Public Library and Laurier.

Leveraging the Brilliance and Energy of African Women in Engineering and Math 

Public panel discussion: Feb. 11, 4 p.m., Zoom.

Listen in as a distinguished panel of engineers and mathematicians discuss African women in engineering and math to mark International Day for Women and Girls in Science and Black History Month.  

Panelists include: 

• Elsie Effah Kaufmann, professor, Department of Orthotics and Prosthetics, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ghana; associate professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Ghana 
• Theresa Nyabeze, senior specialist: mine engineering, Mineral Resource Mineral Reserve Governance; co-chair: diversity and inclusion committee, Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum 
• Iretomiwa Olukiyesi, engineer; founding director: Black Engineers of Canada 
• Bai Bintou Kaira, chemical engineer; team leader, Engineers-in-Training Program, Professional Engineers Ontario; MBA candidate ’23, USC Marshall School of Business; co-founder: GAP Health Technologies 
• Comfort Mintah, lecturer, Department of Mathematics, University of Waterloo 

The event is hosted by Laurier’s Tshepo Institute for the Study of Contemporary Africa, Laurier's Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Office, and the MS2Discovery Institute.

Gentrification and Cultural Erasure: Stories of Resilience from Waterloo Region to Toronto

Public event: Feb. 15, 2 p.m., Zoom.

Featuring Aaron T. Francis, PhD student, artist and curator.

Join artist and curator Aaron T. Francis as he shares stories of Black resilience in his lecture “Gentrification and Cultural Erasure: Stories of Resilience from Waterloo Region to Toronto.” Francis is the founder and curator of Vintage Black Canada, a project documenting the modern history of the African Diaspora in Canada.

Reclaiming Histories: Untold Stories About the Black Experience in Canada

Laurier staff only: Feb. 16, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Zoom.

Featuring Elaine Brown Spencer, PhD, equity consultant, executive producer, author-playwright, educator.

During this session, Elaine Brown Spencer will focus on the forgotten histories of Black communities and how their histories have been shaped through colonialism, systemic racism and white supremacy. Participants will develop tools to help create meaningful action plans and ways to support others in their professional and personal lives.

Inspiring Conversations: Empowering Racialized Communities as Research Collaborators and Agents of Change

Public event: Feb. 24, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Zoom.

Featuring Ciann L. Wilson, associate professor, Faculty of Science, Laurier; and Magnus Mfoafo M’Carthy, associate professor, Faculty of Social Work, Laurier.

Join in a discussion about engaging in research with racialized communities. Associate Professor Ciann L. Wilson will explore the importance and ethics of harnessing the talents, knowledge and skills of Black, Indigenous and racialized individuals to empower them as research collaborators and agents of change, while Associate Professor Magnus Mfoafo M'Carthy will discuss the challenges associated with studying oppression, mental illness and disability in the Global South. The conversation will be moderated by Janelle Campbell (MSW ’17), owner and operator of Self Wellness Counselling and Mental Health Services.

The event is part of the Inspiring Conversations series hosted by Laurier’s Advancement office.

My Health Matters

Laurier students only: Feb. 28, 7 p.m., Zoom.

Featuring Shevaughn Thomas, registered social worker, Laurier Student Wellness Centre, and Lauren Burrows (MA '20), education and inclusion coordinator, Laurier Centre Student Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

Join the Centre for Student Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and the Student Wellness Centre at this one-hour workshop on common barriers to health and well-being for Black students and practical strategies to respond in educational spaces.

Health, Wellness, Spirituality, Healing and Black Communities in Canada

Public panel discussion: March 7, 7 to 8:30 p.m., Zoom.

Featuring Carol Duncan, professor, Department of Religion and Culture, Laurier; Kathy Hogarth, dean, Faculty of Social Work, Laurier; Imam Michael Abdur Rashid Taylor, Canadian Council of Imams; and Rev. Paulette Brown, minister, St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Etobicoke.

Listen in as an interdisciplinary panel of speakers explores themes of health, wellness, spirituality and healing in Black communities in Canada from a variety of perspectives and experiences. A question-and-answer period will follow the panel.

The event is co-hosted by Laurier’s Office of the Associate Vice-President, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, and Department of Religion and Culture.