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Celebrating Black History Month

February is here! Numerous Black History Month events are planned to educate and entertain.
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Check out the following events for Black History Month…

• Dr. Handel Kashope Wright

February 7 - 2 to 3 pm - Zoom livestream

Online presentation by Dr. Handel Kashope Wright, Full Professor and Director ofthe Centre for Culture, Identity and Education at UBC, The presentation is 45 minutes and followed by a moderated 15-minute Q&A session.

• Symposium on Black Migration and British Columbia

February 17 - 2:30 to 4:15 pm - Zoom Livestream

In 1858, an estimated 800 men, women and children of African descent came to British Columbia. Questions covered include why they came, what was their impact, why many left, where they travelled and many others. This symposium presents continuing research that reveals informative insights on this period of Black history and includes speakers: Dr. Adam Arenson, professor of history at Manhattan College, whose recent work considers African North Americans crossing the US-Canada border during and after the American Civil War; Sherry Edmunds-Flett, doctoral candidate in history, Simon Fraser University, whose thesis is on the history of African Canadian women in BC from 1858-1938; and Dr. Stacey Smith, associate professor of history at Oregon State University, who specializes in the history of the North American West, with an emphasis on the Civil War and Reconstruction eras.

The moderator is Dr. Dana Weiner, associate professor of history at Wilfred Laurier University. Dr. Weiner studies and teaches about grassroots politics, social reform and debates over rights in early US history, including the intersection of politics with women’s and gender history, activism, the Civil War era and the changes experienced as the US unified, expanded and divided in its early centuries of existence.

• The Fifth Element

February 20 - 1 to 3 pm

This is the 5 Elements of Hip Hop program where participants will dive in and explore each of the five elements: knowledge, djing/lyricism, breakdancing/African dance and graffiti.

The goal is to use hip hop pedagogy to embed themes of identity, power, resistance and creativity to re-engage Black and Indigenous youth in this society.

The first element will be knowledge, which will uncover black Victoria and Indigenous land awareness. It will be followed by guest speaker Ernie Paniccioli, a legendary hip hop photographer, who was inducted into the Hip Hop Hall of Fame in 2014.

• Ross Bay Cemetery Tour

February 21 - 2 to 3:30 pm

*The decision on in-person or online is pending.

A guided tour of the graves of Black pioneers dating back to 1858 and others who were influential in the migration of Blacks to the British Colony (this will comply with physical distancing rules).

For in-person: assemble at Oreganos in the Fairfield Village at 1:45 pm

For 2 pm start. $5/person.

• Tribute to Oscar Peterson with Afro-Cuban Pianist Pablo Cárdenas

February 26 - 7 to 8 pm

To celebrate Black History Month, Pablo Cárdenas plays the works of the acclaimed Black Canadian musician and composer Oscar Peterson.