During the month of February, the 嫩芽视频 (HCDSB) is proud to honour and celebrate the many achievements and contributions of Black Canadians, both past and present, as we pay tribute to the diverse backgrounds, experiences, cultures and histories of Black individuals and communities.
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Black Canadians have played an important role in shaping our nation’s heritage and identity, however Black History has not always been celebrated or adequately acknowledged.
- In December 1995, the House of Commons unanimously adopted a motion to officially recognize February as Black History Month in Canada. The motion was moved by the Honourable Jean Augustine, the first Black Canadian woman elected to Parliament.聽
- In February 2008, Senator Donald Oliver, the first black man appointed聽to the Senate, introduced a聽. 聽The motion聽carried unanimously.聽
Black Excellence Beyond February
While the month of February offers an opportunity for intentional focus on the histories and robust contributions of Black Canadians, we know that our commitment to centering Black excellence must extend beyond February. We also know that denouncing and dismantling anti-Black racism in our classrooms and across our community is our moral and legal obligation, and essential to ensuring our schools and workplaces are free of discrimination and harassment.
At HCDSB, we are committed to聽Human Rights and Equity聽and we undertake this commitment in a variety of ways, including shared leadership, professional learning, inclusive curriculum/assessment practices, and responding to discrimination and harassment.聽Through our聽Human Rights and Equity聽office, we have implemented聽a聽protocol聽that specifically outlines how we will disrupt incidents of聽racism聽and discrimination in our HCDSB schools. The protocol is posted on our Board website:聽Racism & Discrimination: Responding with Faith, Hope & Love.
While we have made some progress, our work is not done. We must be proactive and accountable to Black students, families and staff as we continue to denounce racism and centre Black excellence to create safe, welcoming and inclusive schools.
Black History Month Resources
The Learning Resource Centre at HCDSB offers a variety of educational material, including eBooks, videos, articles, websites, as well as a . Visit the online for details!
Upcoming Events
Throughout the year, a number of virtual events and learning opportunities are planned in Halton and in our schools in partnership with HCDSB and various community partners.
Special thanks goes out to community partners , 鈥�,&苍产蝉辫; and the for their support of these school and system-wide events.
| Shadows of Racism: Voices Unheard Anti-Racism workshops series, art classes and project work in partnership with Alpha Education | Bishop Reding Catholic Secondary School St. Ignatius of Loyola Catholic Secondary School Various dates and times from February – May, 2022 |
| Britta B Spoken Word Artist | Various schools and dates across the system |
| Ekiuwa Aire Oakville Author | Various schools and dates across the system |
| Lawrence Hill A book talk with author Lawrence Hill in partnership with CCAH and the Milton Library | Various schools are participating across the system. February 10th at 10:30 a.m. All parents/guardians and community members are also invited to attend. See the flyer here. |
| Issues of Race: Disarming Racism Through a Shared Vision Three – Part Series of Workshops in partnership with CCAH | Newcomer Teen Program at the HCDSB Welcome Centre February 15th from 4:30 鈥� 6:30 p.m. |
| Clef Notes to Canvas: The Struggle & Freedom Omar “Oms” Hopkinson Local Artist: an interactive art session where creativity, music and awareness meet in partnership with CCAH. | Bishop Reding Catholic Secondary School March 22nd and 23rd, 2022 |
| Local Lens: The Black Experience in Halton Student Essay Contest in partnership with Halton Black History Awareness Society | Various students across the system participating with entries due April 15th, 2022 |
*Visit our聽HCDSB school websites聽for more events.
