Myreille Matsika-Lang; Information and Referral Specialist Newcomer Information Centre
Every February, Canadians are invited to participate in Black History Month festivities and events that honour the legacy of Black Canadians.
The commemoration of Black History Month dates back to 1926, when Harvard-educated African American historian Carter G. Woodson proposed setting aside time devoted to honour the accomplishments of African Americans and to heighten awareness of Black history in the United States. This led to the establishment of Negro History Week in 1926. Celebrations of Black history began in Canada also shortly thereafter, and in December 1995, the House of Commons officially recognized February as Black History Month in Canada following a motion introduced by the first Black Canadian woman elected to Parliament, the Honourable Jean Augustine. In February 2008, Senator Donald Oliver, the first Black man appointed to the Senate, introduced the Motion to Recognize Contributions of Black Canadians and February as Black History Month. The adoption of this motion in March 4, 2008 completed Canada’s parliamentary position on Black History Month.
It is a wonderful way to acknowledge the legacy of Black people in North America, which often goes unnoticed due to their socio-economic condition and history. But it is there, undeniable and far reaching from the economics of slavery to the arts, space and computer science, including incredible inventions past and present that still impact our lives, such as the three-position traffic signal, the blood bank, and open heart surgery, to name but a few.
Every year, the Newcomer Information Centre of the YMCA, celebrates Black History Month around a different theme such as Black youth, or Black women’s achievements (past events). This year we will be focusing on Black Entrepreneurship in a virtual event that will take place on February 11th 2021, from 6pm to 7:30pm, featuring local entrepreneurs and opening remarks by Mr. Greg Fergus, MP. We hope you will join us for this exciting event and the chance to win a gift-basket! Click here to learn more and register!
In this moment in time, where there seems to be a renewed awareness of the Black experience, a will to amend and transform, what better way to start than education, which is the key to all lasting change?
The information contained in the following links is sure to surprise you. Enjoy, learn and share, this after all is what Black History Month is all about!
https://www.thoughtco.com/philip-emeagwali-4689182
https://cw33.com/watercooler/30-inventions-you-can-thank-a-black-person-for/
https://invention.si.edu/tags/african-american-inventorshttps://thinkgrowth.org/14-black-inventors-you-probably-didnt-know-about-3c0702cc63d2
https://www.oprahmag.com/life/work-money/g30877473/african-american-inventors/?slide=14
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/video/forgotten-genius/
https://www.cbc.ca/news2/interactives/black-history-month/
Part of the information in this blog is sourced from:
https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/black-history-month/about.html