Black History Month at SFU

February is Black History Month in Canada and around the world. It is a time not only to honour and celebrate the many achievements and contributions of Black Canadians and their communities, but also to reflect on the historical and ongoing systemic marginalization of Black voices, culture and experiences within Canada and beyond.

This month, colleagues throughout FASS are hosting virtual events that span the disciplines, highlighting Black voices and experiences in the areas of history, art and culture, contemporary politics and events.

We hope you will join us as we learn more about the history and legacy of Black Canadians and acknowledge the anti-racist work that still needs to be done to support racial equity, diversity and inclusion in our communities and our country.

Here are just a few of the events organized by our units for Black History Month this year at SFU:

Black Lives Matter in Italy and the Legacy of Colonialism | Feb. 1

Organized by SFU’s Institute for the Humanities and co-sponsored by SFU’s Vancity Office for Community Engagement, this event features filmmaker activist-producer-educator Fred Kudjo Kuwornu who will be speaking about institutional systemic racism in Italy.

An un/settling event: Readings & Reflections on Black Art, Identity & Place | Feb. 17

In an event organized by the SFU Library, Chantal Gibson and Otoniya J. Okot Bitek will be in conversation with Ebony Magnus, discussing un/settled, their art piece that has been featured on the streetfront windows of the Belzberg Library at SFU’s Vancouver campus.

A Conversation with Afua Cooper | Feb. 25

SFU Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies is hosting a conversation with Dr. Afua Cooper, a leading figure in African Canadian studies as the first installment in the SFU President's Dream Colloquium for Spring 2021, From Conversations to Action: Creating from Social Justice Research.

Black Italians and Digital Culture in Contemporary Italy | Feb. 26

Fred Kudjo Kuwornu returns for another talk courtesy of SFU’s Institute for the Humanities and Vancity Office for Community Engagement, where his multi-media lecture will explore the ways in which Afro-Italians have embedded themselves into Italian culture.