UPEI celebrates Black History Month
Dr. Greg Keefe, interim president and vice-chancellor of UPEI, and Tamara Steele, executive director of the Black Cultural Society of Prince Edward Island, raised the Pan-African flag on the campus on Wednesday, February 1, to mark Black History Month. About 25 people attended the flag-raising.
Black History Month was created to provide an opportunity to share, learn, and honour the legacy of Black Canadians and their communities, but also to recognize that work remains to be done to fully integrate Black culture, history, and achievements into the Canadian fabric.
The Black Cultural Society of Prince Edward Island’s theme for Black History Month 2023 (BHM 2023) is “Sanfoka: Honouring our Past, Igniting our Future.” “Sankofa” is a word in the Twi of Ghana meaning “to retrieve.” Sankofa centers around the following: to know history and your heritage is to know your current self, the world around you, and how to better both. The term highlights the importance of education and understanding our histories. The society has a spectacular lineup of events to celebrate BHM 2023.
UPEI faculty and staff are invited to “Let's Talk About Race,” on February 10, from 1:00–3:00 pm, in Dalton Hall 515, a collaboration between the Mawi’omi Indigenous Student Centre and the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Office.
In line with the education theme for BHM 2023, the UPEI Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Office has prepared cultural awareness and anti-racism resources and many other educational resources, which are available on the EDI myUPEI page.
