Black History Month
Black History Month: Celebrating Our Diversity
By: Aiman Altaf
Photo: Cindy Cui
February is Black History Month in Canada and the United States. The month is dedicated to honouring historical individuals and events in African history and heritage. Like most schools in Toronto, MGCI has hosted a number of events to celebrate the impact of notable Black-Canadians. Specifically, Marc Garneau’s Social Justice and Equity Committee (SJEC) and Mr. Alexander’s English Learning Development classes have organized initiatives to raise awareness of Black-Canadian heritage
At the start of second semester, Mr. Alexander’s English Learning Development class created posters that were displayed on the second and third floor walls. Each poster had information about a different African country for MGCI students to read if interested. With the help of Mr. Alexander, Ms. Miller, and Ms. Mexis, the English Learning Development class shared each country’s unique culture and traditions. Mr. Alexander said that he hopes students “will gain a greater understanding of these groups of people, whose members are a part of our community.”
To increase awareness for Black History Month, SJEC organized a Black History banner in the galleria, a social media campaign, and announcements commemorating Black historical figures. Featuring a timeline of important Black-Canadian figures and events, the banner demonstrates Canada’s social progress.
SJEC also held two interactive events to teach students the roles and challenges faced by Black individuals. The first event happened on 22 February, during Period 4 in Room 339. Three speakers from the University of Toronto were invited to talk about the importance of Black History and its correlation with leadership. The three talked about their personal hurdles in obtaining leadership roles as a minority, as well as their roles in Black student engagement at the university due to underrepresentation.
Photo: Cindy Cui
To engage students in the discussion, the speakers conducted a question and answer session about their leadership experiences and how the experiences could be different for minorities. Some of the main issues that surfaced were a lack of knowledge about opportunities, social networks, financial support, and self-motivation. There was a lot of discussion on social change and how the state of marginalized communities can be improved. About twenty-five students attended, including two leadership groups who felt the knowledge they gained through the seminar was valuable.
The second interactive activity occurred on 27 February during lunch in the galleria. SJEC set up a table in front of their timeline banner and prompted students to answer trivia questions related to Black History for a treat. Meanwhile, runners went around the school to encourage people to sign white paper doves, which were later added to the timeline banner.
When Hira Durvesh, a member of SJEC, was asked about the importance of Black History Month, she said, “Black History Month is about celebrating different cultures. Every month we do different things, but this month we focus on countries where Black culture is well represented.”
Lisa Wang, the president of SJEC, added, “It is about recognizing the significance of the contributions of different ethnic groups, particularly in Canada and countries in Africa.”
When asked about what could be done to improve the campaign next time, Lisa responded, “I think we should have more presence in the galleria. This time, we limited it to just one event because we thought it would maximize the impact.”
Overall, SJEC worked tirelessly to raise awareness and honour Black History Month in Marc Garneau through their various events and campaigns. They ultimately succeeded in showing the importance of celebrating and recognizing diversity.
