Black History Month at Fanshawe College

CREDIT: FANSHAWE CENTRE FOR EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
Fanshawe is honouring Black History Month with a series of events.

It is with much elation that the Centre for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (CEDI) welcomes Black History Month 2025. We recognize this month is a dedication to Black history, Black culture, and accomplishments of Canada’s multi-faceted Black population including Black Canadian citizens, Afro-Indigenous peoples, international students, Caribbean and African refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants.

In mid-January, the government of Canada announced the official theme for Black History Month 2025 is Black Legacy and Leadership: Celebrating Canadian History and Uplifting Future Generations. Historically, most Black History Month events tend to focus on the post-Colonial Black experience only, recognizing a period of time steeped in struggle, oppression, and power dynamics that continue to present barriers to this day.

While we feel it is important to recognize and remember Black history, we are reminded that it is equally, if not more important, to look towards the future, and in doing so, celebrate the contributions of Black Canadians who live and work and contribute to the many platforms of current Canadian life: its economy, education, arts, politics, sports, food, music and social structure.

The Fanshawe College Student Success and Here For You logos are shown. A young person is shown standing. Young adults are shown sitting in a room. Text states: We believe we can break down barriers and build a college where we all belong.

 

For this reason, Fanshawe College is proud to distribute the first Fanshawe t-shirt honouring our future generations as Black History Makers. A limited number of these special t-shirts are available for free to students on a first-in-line basis from the Centre for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in room A 1037 starting on Feb. 4.

Also on Feb. 4, the Fanshawe College and the greater London community is invited to Forwell Hall as we open the month with Still I Rise. Two inspiring keynote speakers will share their stories, one a personal account and the other, an historical account.

On Feb. 11, we will return to Forwell Hall for a casual fireside conversation with a panel of Fanshawe students who will share their experiences of being Black at Fanshawe. All are welcome to attend Empowering Voices.

CEDI has invited back Shelland House of Films to show a free screening of their documentary, W’at Abowt Us on Feb. 26 at 12 p.m. Award-winning filmmaker Shelley Jarrett’s documentary, examines the subjugation and oppression of Indigenous, Black, People of Colour (IBPOC) women throughout recent history and may contain conversations and accounts that are triggering for some. Please use your discretion if you choose to join us in the Alumni Lounge (SC 2013) for this very important and informative viewing. This will be followed by an open mic Question and Answer panel with the filmmakers.

One event that we are quite excited to offer this year is a Black Art show entitled Express Yo’self. We are currently inviting all student artists, sculptors, painters, photographers, and mixed media magicians to submit pieces of your work for our one-week open art show in the Siskinds Gallery in Building H. Express Yo’self will run from Feb. 24 until Feb. 28. On the closing day, there will be a reception at 2 p.m. where we will announce our selection for the top three art submissions. If you, or someone you know is a Black student with creative talent and you wish to submit a piece to the art show, please contact EDIevents@fanshawec.ca.

In addition to on-campus events, students and staff are encouraged to learn about local Black history, not just in February, but every month. The Meeting Tree is a 700-year old white oak tree in London’s Westminster Ponds, which became a beacon of hope and a stop on the Underground Railroad. The nearby town of Lucan, Ont., was once the former colony of Wilberforce, a community of freed slaves migrating north from the northern USA, named for abolitionist, William Wilberforce. More locally, the Fugitive Slave chapel is situated in Fanshawe Pioneer village where it has been fully restored and granted designation as an historic site.

In closing, let’s take a moment to consider that Black history is Canadian history. It has been almost 400 years since the first Black resident arrived in Canada but unfortunately Black Canadian history remains an almost unknown topic. The contributions of many influential Black Canadians like Lincoln Alexander, Daniel Hill, Josiah Henson, Jean Augustine, Anne Cools, John Ware, and Viola Desmond have helped shape this country’s history and subsequently, its future, but their names remain mostly unknown to the general populace. Last year, the government of Ontario announced that Black history will be mandatory in grades seven, eight, and 10 history classes beginning in Sept. 2025, which is a huge step towards aligning with this year’s theme to uplift future generations.

If I were to choose one, single call to action for this month, it would be to actively engage in anti-racism strategies. Inform, share posts, call people out, speak up and engage in difficult conversations. In a time when people’s safety and very existence are being challenged by racist ideals and attitudes, we can step out of our comfort zones to actively engage in anti-racism allyship in our collective journey towards uplifting future generations. As always, students experiencing racism or discrimination in any form are encouraged to reach out to the Centre for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at EDI@fanshawec.ca.

Events details

  • Still, I Rise, Opening CelebrationFeb. 4, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.Forwell Hall
  • Empowering Voices, Student Panel Feb. 11, 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.Forwell Hall
  • W’at Abowt Us, Film Screening Feb. 26, 12 p.m.Alumni Lounge (SC2013)
  • Express Yo’self Feb. 24 to Feb. 28, Siskinds Gallery (H Building)Contact EDIevents@fanshawec.ca to submit your artwork!