Re: GBC Reacts to Black History Month, Feb. 8

We must remember that African Liberation Month (Black History Month) is but one out of 12 months in which we are formally encouraged to discuss Black people’s histories in the diaspora. To me, this is a form of subjugation that seeks to silo Black stories, experiences, and realities when they should be celebrated and discussed everyday, in tandem with the European history we receive in our elementary and secondary schooling in Canada. We need Black Student Associations to discuss the issues of shadeism and inter-community divide, which is our legacy left by our colonizers – we need a space to come together and foster a sense of solidarity and unity, so that we may feel empowered to tell our stories, so they are not continually distorted by others who do not understand the nuances of our experiences. We have a month, but we need daily promotion of our histories.

Cassandra Thompson,
Post-Graduate Certificate in Human Resources Management