February is Black History Month in Canada. While the achievements of Black Canadians should be celebrated throughout the year, February is a time to spotlight the contributions of Canada’s Black community.

As with many public institutions, Black History Month is a time for ECU to reflect on its history and the ways Black people and communities have been excluded and marginalized throughout its history.

But these injustices are not limited to the past. Institutions across the country, including ECU, are still grappling with their own legacies of colonialism and white supremacy. In many ways, the work to dismantle systemic racism and discrimination in public institutions has only recently begun. ECU launched its first equity, diversity and inclusion action plan in 2021 and a capacity-building project is currently underway to advance this crucial work.

Recognizing the historical and ongoing contributions of Black community members is also part of the work of confronting these injustices and building an equitable future for students, staff and faculty.

In the spirit of learning, reflecting and honouring, we’ve gathered a list of resources and events to support your participation in Black History Month.

Watch.

• The National Film Board has assembled a playlist of more than 30 films exploring the multi-layered lives of Canada’s diverse Black communities.
• Cinema Thinks The World will present a free screening of Rewind and Play on Feb. 26 followed by a discussion led by experts and scholars. Rewind & Play reworks a 1969 French television interview with jazz icon Thelonius Monk, exposing the casual racism at work in French television production at the time. In the process, the film also exposes the limitations of the very medium of television, as well as the anti-Blackness that continues to be felt in our media-saturated society today.
• The Chan Centre and The Cinematheque present a screening of the film Neptune Frost on Feb. 23. The anti-capitalist, anti-colonial, bracingly queer work is the latest installment of American hip-hop poet Williams’s ​“MartyrLoserKing” multimedia project. The screening accompanies the Black Futures: Saul Williams / Moor Mother / Irreversible Entanglements concert on Feb. 25.
• The Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) has curated a month of programming from Black filmmakers. Events this year includes two series: Icons and Dispatches. Icons spotlights the accomplishments of American movie stars like Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, Samuel L Jackson, Angela Bassett, Chadwick Boseman and others. Dispatches focuses on documentaries, ideas, and social justice, including work by and about James Baldwin, Camille Billops and Canadian films Dear Jackie and Our Dance of Revolution.



Learn.

• The ECU Library maintains a year-round collection honouring the stories, work and histories of Black writers, artists, theorists, educators and librarians. New material is added regularly so check back often.
• The BC Black History Awareness Society is a non-profit celebrating the historical and contemporary achievements of Black people in BC. This year, they will host a series of public events throughout February to recognize and celebrate the achievements and contributions of historical and contemporary people of African descent.
• Surrey Archives will host guest speaker Yasin Kiraga Misago, President of the African Descent Society of BC, on Feb. 9. During the free, virtual, one-hour session, he will highlight BC.’s early history of African descent, dating back to 1858. Misago will then discuss Surrey’s African diaspora story. Advanced registration is required.
• On Feb. 15, Vancouver Public Library hosts a discussion on how BC’s Black community uses social media to organize, connect and celebrate online. The conversation at the Central Branch features Dr. Handel Kashope Wright, the director of UBC’s Centre for Culture; Balqees Jama, an SFU student in Communications and International Studies and one of Canada’s Top 100 Black Women to Watch; and Debbie Forbes, a community organizer, SFU film graduate, public speaker and moderator. Advanced registration is required.

Engage.

• The National Film Board has curated a range of in-person and online activities for celebrating and learning more about Canada’s diverse Black communities.
• Meet bestselling Canadian novelist Esi Edugyan, noted for writing “richly imagined and impeccably researched stories that illuminate complicated truths about race and belonging.” The award-winning author will speak on her collection Out of the Sun: On Black History and Storytelling on Feb. 16.
• Coquitlam Heritage hosts its fourth annual Black History Month Family Day on Feb. 18. The free, all-ages event will feature face painting, balloon animals, live music from a variety of African musical traditions and styles, booths from community partners, and opportunities to try African-inspired treats.
• As We Rise: Photography from the Black Atlantic shows at the Polygon Gallery beginning Feb. 24. Curated by Elliott Ramsey, the exhibition showcases more than 100 photographs from the Wedge Collection, Canada’s largest privately owned collection committed to championing Black artists.
• VMF Winter Arts and Vancouver Winter Pride Festival host a free Black Queer Poetry Slam on Feb. 23 at the Winter Arts Hub at šxwƛ ̓ənəq Xwtl’e7énḵ Square on the north side of the Vancouver Art Gallery. Ten poets will be chosen on the day, with monetary prizes for the top three competitors. The event will also feature Poet and special guest Stacyann Chin.

Support.

Learn more about the many Black-owned and operated cultural and historical organizations in BC including:

BLAC (Black Arts Centre)
Black Screen Office

Advance Music Canada
CultureBrew.Art

Vancouver Black Film Festival

BC Black History Awareness Society

Hogan’s Alley Society
Black Arts Vancouver

Give.

Give Back to Black BC is a fundraising and educational initiative to raise funds for the Black community in BC. Their Instagram feed highlights and celebrates Black lives; those who enjoy the posts are encouraged to donate to the fund.