University of Guelph-Humber

In recognition and celebration of Black Heritage Month, the University of Guelph-Humber (UofGH) is excited to welcome our community to share their stories and participate in virtual events throughout the month of February.

These events have been organized by UofGH staff and students and our partners at Humber College through The BASE and The Centre for Human Rights, Equity and Inclusion, and the University of Guelph’s Cultural Diversity Office and Guelph Black Students’ Association.

We encourage everyone at UofGH to use Black Heritage Month as an opportunity to reflect upon the contributions of Black people within our own lives and our greater communities.

Despite the limitations imposed by the pandemic, the UofGH community has many opportunities to acknowledge and celebrate Black Heritage Month while participating in valuable learning experiences.

Events include:

Speak BLAC (Brave Lessons At College) Workshop Series hosted by The BASE

• Tuesday, February 8, 2022 from 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
• Tuesday, February 15, 2022 from 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
• Tuesday, February 22, 2022, from 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

The BASE is inviting all Black identifying University of Guelph-Humber and Humber students to take part in its weekly (every Tuesday) Speak BLAC Workshops.

These workshops are for students to engage with the art of creative writing and performance; encouraging students to exercise their writing and communication skills while building confidence, accountability and community.

The BASE (Black Academic Success and Engagement) Program is an equity hub within the department of Student Success and Engagement at Humber College. The BASE Program seeks to provide students who identify as Black Canadian, Black African, and Black Caribbean (including Black Latinx, Black Indigenous and Black Mixed) with community, resources, and support to help them fully maximize on their campus experience. The BASE programming is open to students within Humber College and the University of Guelph-Humber.

Learn more and register here.

Confronting Anti-Black Racism (featuring Dr. Kathy Hogarth)

Tuesday, February 8, 2022, from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Dr. Kathy Hogarth is an educator and an activist and much of her work is focused on race, racism and related social policy. She is an avid advocate for change related to race equity and anti-racism and she is a sought after national and international public speaker and trainer on equity and anti-racism.

Dr. Hogarth is a professor of social work and is one of the founders of Waterloo’s Black Faculty Collective. She has served in many advisory roles including that of Special Advisor, Anti-Racism & Inclusivity to the Vice President, Research and International at the University of Waterloo and Anti-Racism Advisor to the Faculty Association at the University of Waterloo.

Learning objectives:

• Explore the historical roots of anti-Black racism and white supremacy in the Americas
• Explore Canada’s settler colonial status and the Black Atlantic
• Provide real-world strategies on how to combat white supremacy and anti-Black Racism

Learn more and register here.

Screening and Discussion of “Our Dance of Revolution”

Friday, February 11 from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.

A screening of “Our Dance of Revolution,” a documentary that tells the story of how Black queer folks in Toronto resisted the forces of marginalization and rose up to become a vibrant, fierce community. This event is held in collaboration with Guelph Pride.

Learn more and register here.

The Black Experience Workshop

Tuesday, February 15 from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Join us for an experience of radical awakening, relearning, and celebration in The Black Experience Workshop. Led by local anti-racist educator Selam Debs, this workshop will take us along a poetic and truthful journey of what the archetypes of the Black experience look and feel like here in so-called Canada and globally. She will uncover the ways in which Black resistance is deeply connected to dignity and collective excellence and help us explore and imagine what is possible for the future of Black communities.

Learn more and register here.

Addressing Anti-Black Racism in the Post-Secondary Environment: Moving from theory to practice

Friday, February 25, 2022, from 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Gary Pieters is currently serving part-time on 2 of the 3 pillars of Ontario's Human Rights System, as a Commissioner for the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC), and a Board Member of the Human Rights Legal Support Centre (HRLSC).

Gary is an educator, who began his entry into the teaching profession as a public-school teacher in Southern California. He returned to Canada in 1999, and has served in various roles as a teacher, a vice-principal, and a principal in the publicly funded education system in Ontario.

He also serves as a member of the Ontario Ministry of Education - Minister's Advisory Council on Special Education (MACSE). He has recently served on the Ontario College of Teachers’ transitional roster, supporting Discipline/Fitness to Practice from March 2021-January 2022.

Gary is also an immediate past president of the Urban Alliance on Race Relations. His extensive knowledge base and experience are leveraged through community building, youth engagement, diversity, and social inclusion.

Learn more and register here.

Additional Black Heritage Month Resources:

The University of Guelph-Humber Library has curated a collection of resources consisting of poetry, videos and databases that explore black history and culture. View the collection on pages 3-4 of the February 2022 Library eNews.

Additionally, our partners at the University of Guelph Library have shared an extensive list of Black Heritage Month resources titled “Cultivating and Celebrating Black Joy,” created in collaboration with the Guelph Black Students Association.

Our partners at Humber Libraries have featured several additional resources for Black Heritage Month that are accessible to all UofGH students. View the full collection on their website.