GUELPH – At least in Guelph and area, February’s Black History Month will be known as Black Heritage Month.
It’s a notion the Guelph Black Heritage Society (GBHS) is advancing, in collaboration with the University of Guelph’s Cultural Diversity Office and the Guelph Black Student’s Association.
Black History Month has been recognized in Canada for 25 years. But while commemorating the past is fine, it’s time to celebrate what’s going on now, and more importantly, to look to the future, organizers say.
“While we will continue to acknowledge the resilience and bravery of those who came before us, we must recognize that Black history and experiences are much more than the narrative of slavery,” states the release.
2020 saw a widespread Black Lives Matter social justice movement that has put racism and systemic racism on the front burner again.
During Black Heritage Month in February 2021, the GBHS will feature its #ChangeStartsNow initiative, providing virtual educational programming on Black heritage and culture as well as relevant resources on diversity, discrimination, and anti-racism.
