UPEI marks Black History Month 2025
The following message has been sent to UPEI faculty, staff, and students.
Every year in February, we celebrate Black History Month. Throughout the month, we have the opportunity to reflect on the contributions, resilience, triumphs, and the legacy of Black Canadians that have shaped our society. It is also a time to recognize that much more needs to be done to dismantle the systemic barriers that adversely impact Black communities.
The Black Cultural Society of Prince Edward Island’s theme for Black History Month 2025 is “Redefining Success: Empowering Black Artists, Students, and Entrepreneurs,” which resonates with UPEI’s core values of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.
UPEI will celebrate Black History Month in several ways.
On Saturday, February 1, UPEI Athletics and Recreation will mark Black History Month during the UPEI women’s and men’s basketball games against St. Francis Xavier University at 6:00 and 8:00 pm respectively at the Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre. As part of the celebration, players will warm up in t-shirts designed by local designer Niki Adeogun. Tamara Steele, executive director of the Black Cultural Society of PEI, will sing the Black National Anthem for both games.
On Monday, February 3, members of the campus community are invited to join the UPEI Student Union, the Black Cultural Society, and the African Student Association at the raising of the Pan-African flag at the flag plaza near Kelley Memorial Building at 11:30 am. All are welcome!
On Tuesday, February 4, the UPEI Student Union will host a Black History Month kick-off in McMillan Hall, starting at 11:00 am, and on Thursday, February 6, an AfroFusion pub (19+) at the Fox & Crow from 10:00 pm to 2:00 am. Both locations are in the W.A. Murphy Student Centre.
The UPEI Department of Equity, Inclusion, Diversity, and Human Rights is recognizing Black History Month with an educational display titled “Not Peripheral” that will be on display outside McMillan Hall, W.A. Murphy Student Centre, from February 4 to 20. The display paints a picture of Black history by highlighting Black speculative art and Black people who fall at intersecting marginalized identities. Identities that are not often highlighted or celebrated by non-Black folks, for example, Black-Indigenous people, Black Latinx people, Black Muslims, Black Palestinians, Black queers, Black folks from the Global South, and Black folks with disabilities.
The Robertson Library will also mark Black History Month with a display celebrating Black Canadians in its lobby, and it invites the campus community to check out a book on Black Canadians in history, education, or literature, or find e-books and other online resources in OneSearch.
All members of the campus community are encouraged to explore the learning resources available through UPEI’s partnership with the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion (CCDI), such as “Racism and anti-Black racism” and “Navigating race in Canadian workplaces.”
The Black Cultural Society has developed an excellent lineup of events for the month. You are encouraged and welcome to take part in these events.
Happy Black History Month!
