Every February1, people across Canada participate in Black History Month events and festivities that honor the legacy of Black people in Canada and their communities. The role of Black people and their communities in Canada has indeed largely been ignored as a key part of Canada’s history. There is little mention that some of the Loyalists who came here after the American Revolution and settled in the Maritimes were people of African descent, nor the fact that many soldiers of African descent made many sacrifices in wartime as far back as the War of 1812.
Black History Month is a time to also revive these conversations that should matter to all Canadians, to learn more about these Canadian stories and the many other important contributions that Black Canadians and their communities have made to the history and continued growth of this country.
This Conversations that Matter panel is designed around the 2023 theme for Black History Month: “Ours to tell”. It “represents both an opportunity to engage in open dialogue and a commitment to learning more about the stories Black communities in Canada have to tell about their histories, successes, sacrifices and triumphs”2.
The EDI Conversations that Matter attempt to create a welcoming space where people should feel empowered to exchange and speak courageously with their minds and heart.
According to Maya Angelou, “courage is the most important of all virtues because, without courage, we can’t practice any other virtue consistently.”
Thursday, February 16 | 1 – 2:30 P.M. (in-person)
Register: mru.ca/conversationsmatter
1: https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/black-history-month/about.html
2 : https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/black-history-month.html