It may come as a surprise to many, but there is no universal way of Blackness nor a universal way to celebrate Blackness or Black History Month. What we collectively agree upon as Black people is that we all seek to be recognized, heard, validated, appreciated for who we are individually and collectively: every day. Not just in February. And not in the heat of uprising movements.
Some would ask, “Does that mean Black History Month should be abolished?” No, absolutely not. Celebrating Canada Day does not mean people are less patriotic/proud about Canada at other times. Celebrating Valentine’s Day does not mean you cease to love after 14th February! You make a special recognition on such a day to commemorate your journey and shape your next steps. Similarly, Black History Month should be a time to appreciate our Black history, celebrate our present, and shape our future.
Given my evolving relationship with these observances, I have often asked Black people what Black History Month means to them. Hearing about it at a childcare centre (as a recent immigrant from Africa) and about curriculum plans for February, got me confused. I had to educate myself about some of the people recognized, and I wondered how this was meaningful to the preschoolers – even the Black children. As I observed the month in several centres (I was a supply), I waited for the AHA moment when it would turn to what matters now (in my opinion) to the children, families, colleagues in these spaces and how they exist/live or thrive in shared spaces. Sadly, it took more deaths and an uprising BLM2020 to get close to that point and then slowly, too fast from our perspective, the conversation and action are fading away.
At Seneca Early Childhood Black Students’ Association (SEEBSA) this February, we are celebrating Faces of Excellence – SEEBSA members. A group of resilient leaders have taken their past challenges and successes in academia, career, and life to inspire, mentor, and advocate for current and future Black students at Seneca College. In addition, SEEBSA has furthered its collaborations with community partners.
In November 2020, as part of the Family Support Institute of Ontario’s (FSIO) 2020 response to Black Lives Matter, FSIO hosted a panel of Black E.C.Es from SEEBSA and Family Support programs to share their lived experience. FSIO committed to continually working on Anti Black Racism (ABR) initiatives to enhance Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Family Support programs across Ontario.
This year FSIO, SEEBSA and Afro Women and Youth Foundation (AWYF) will continue dialogue on ABR and enrich Family Support through enhanced understanding of the lived experiences of Black Families, Black Children, and Black Educators. In addition, the three organizations are currently building accessible resources on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion and Anti-Black Racism that will be available to members, families, and community partners via the FSIO website. Finally, please look out for upcoming events and regular contributions in the FSIO newsletter.
Josephine Muhaya-Umuhoza is a Professor at Seneca College and proudly affiliated with FSIO, SEEBSA, and AWYF.
Youth Friendly APATHY IS BORING organization spoke with young people from Afro Women and Youth Foundation about what Bla
I started Afro Women and Youth Foundation because of my daughter’s experience in an Ontario school between 2016 – 20
