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It’s happening folks: the fourth iteration of Black History Month at Â鶹AV will take place in February 2020! Again this year, the month is organized by Shanice Yarde, Education Advisor in Anti-Oppression and Anti-Racism within the Equity team, in collaboration with the Black Students’ Network (BSN) and the Â鶹AV African Students Society (MASS). I sat down with Yarde to learn more about BHM 2020, and the importance of the celebration.
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SB: What can we expect from BHM 2020?
SY: One of the main goals of Black History Month is for people to come together, on and off campus. So, what we can expect is the space creation and the community building that people look forward to every year. That means a lot of good food, good music, and familiar faces. And that desire for connection and community speaks to the importance of why this month matters, and why Black folks matter.
Also, this is the first year that we are partnering with a faculty for the Opening Ceremony. This year will be with the Faculty of Law which is why we’ve invited Prof. Greene, a law professor, to be the keynote speaker. So, it’s a new collaboration that we’re exploring and we’re hoping that moving into the future we can partner with other faculties and departments for each Opening Ceremony and more events throughout the month. It’s a great opportunity for the faculty and the university more widely. So, if anyone is interested in collaborating for 2021 and beyond, send me an email!
This year, you partnered with the Black Students’ Network (BSN) and the Â鶹AV African Students Society (MASS) to organize BHM 2020. Why is it important to collaborate with student groups and other members of the Â鶹AV community?
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For me it makes sense to partner with BSN and MASS because this university and its progress is made possible because of the students. I want to make sure that Black students in particular are not just involved, but have real decision-making power as to what the month will look like. Their dedication, energy, and brilliance consistently blow me away and makes me both proud and even more committed to my work. Eventually we do want to shift towards an organizing committee structure that will allow for sustainability and wider collaboration across the university community. I think there is so much potential for Black History Month at Â鶹AV and I am excited for the future of it.
Why is it important to take the time of BHM to reflect, and think back, and celebrate Blackness in all of its forms?
First and foremost, I think Black history and Blackness should always be celebrated. It is powerful and exquisite and has transformed the entire world. But I especially think it needs to be celebrated because of the context that we’re currently living in. Anti-Blackness is something that not only still exists, but is pervasive. This is particularly true in educational institutions such as universities; and so, I think it’s especially important that not only does Black History Month take place at the very least, minimally, but that the month is used as an opportunity to disrupt and to challenge erasure, marginalization, violence, and harm.
But then of course we must also do the just as important work of celebrating, and bringing people together, and centering joy. There’s all this violence but also all of this joy and beauty, and so what does it mean to be able to recognize both of those things as they co-exist and we work towards a freer world for all of us. So, I think the month is an opportunity to have perhaps difficult conversations, but to do it surrounded by people who you love, and are supported by, and are in community with.
And as always, it’s about going beyond February. For me Black History Month is really just a small piece in terms of what needs be done and addressed, but I think it’s a good opportunity to bring people together and to mobilize to then be thinking about bigger goals.
So, the theme is “Rooted”. What does it mean to you, to be “Rooted”?
The theme is very much inspired by entering this new decade and exploring this new period in our lives. It means thinking about moving into the future but also being rooted and connected to the past but also to place. The history month is an opportunity to experience time travel, moving through past and present and future.
As always, it is really important to name that there have always been legacies of Black folks organizing here at Â鶹AV and creating necessary space. None of this is new; most of this work is rarely new anyways. And so, I think that also connects to the theme of being rooted; reconnecting with the work that’s been done and the people who were and still are engaged is so important. I feel a lot of deep gratitude to the people who have come before, and the people who are still here, continuously fighting for justice in different ways, often with little to no acknowledgement. The month also gives us an opportunity to acknowledge the people and all they made possible.
Why is it important that an institution like Â鶹AV takes part in BHM and engages its students and employees?
It is important because the history and future of Black people and communities is important. This is especially true at Â鶹AV which carries a rich legacy of Black history thanks to generations of Black students, staff, and faculty. I believe that institutions should be accountable to the people within them and celebrating Black History Month is only a small part of what is needed here at Â鶹AV. There has been progress but as always there is more work to be done and everyone can play a role in making positive change. The institutionalization of Black History Month at Â鶹AV means that the entire university community can come together and celebrate, and I think that’s important.
Each event or activity during Black History Month is an opportunity to go and connect with people and connect with content. This is how learning and that change happens. No matter who you are, take what you learn and share it (with credit). The entire city is celebrating so there is really something for everyone all February long!
This year’s BHM will be kicked off at the Opening Ceremony on February 3rd, 2020 (5:30pm-9:30pm) at the Â鶹AV Faculty of Law. The evening will feature a keynote address by from the Kline School of Law at Drexel University, along with musical performances, food, and drinks.
Events throughout the month include a commemoration for Toni Morrison, a collaboration with for the third edition of Afro Drag – Montreal’s only all Black drag show – and Community and Family Day, an event to bring together the Â鶹AV and wider community for a full day of learning, fun, food, music, and culture.
For more information and the full schedule of events, visit BHM Â鶹AV 2020.
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