College highlighting diversity of Black community this month

By Alejandra Pulido-Guzman - Lethbridge Herald on February 2, 2023.

Herald photo by Alejandra Pulido-Guzman Lethbridge College school of justice studies instructor, Ibrahim Turay and Provost and vice president academic, Samantha Lenci listen to the Black History Month kickoff event, while displaying cultural attire Wednesday at the college's centre core.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDapulido@lethbridgeherald.com

The Lethbridge College has officially kicked off its Black History Month celebrations. This month many events will take place across campus, including Cultural Attire Day and Jeopardy.

The celebration is organized by a committee of employees, students and the Lethbridge College Students’ Association.

The events will highlight the diversity of the Black community at Lethbridge College and celebrate the history and achievements of Black Canadians while promoting equity, diversity and inclusion across the institution.

“Black History Month celebrates peoples of African descent, their accomplishments and contributions, but also their continued struggles to survive in settler colonial societies like Canada,” says Ibrahim Turay, School of Justice Studies instructor.

He said it is important to share Black History with others, as many believe that Black people are new to Canada, when in reality they have been here for a long time.

“Black people have been here since the 1900s, Black people have been part of Canada even before Canada became a country as it is,” said Turay.

Provost and Vice President Academic, Samantha Lenci said that even though they have had BHM celebrations since 2017, every year keeps getting better.

“It’s important because we want to have open doors, we want to bring people together through education, we want to make sure we mark the moments that matter, we mark the students that matter,” said Lenci.

She said they want to make sure they have an environment that is open and welcoming but also one that offers discussion.

“This month is about learning, dedication, and listening. If you don’t know something join an activity. Make sure you understand the discourse and discussion that happens around this month and hopefully the belonging that happens around the year, not just this month,” said Lenci.

Several activities will follow over the next four weeks, including Black History Month Jeopardy, a cultural attire day to encourage individuals to wear something that represents their heritage, and library displays and information booths.

A special episode of the Centre for Teaching, Learning and Innovation podcast, featuring students from the Black community at Lethbridge College, will be available to download mid-month. Where people can tune in to hear their experiences and get a multi-faceted look at their life on campus.

Follow @APulidoHerald on Twitter