The month of February marks the start of Black History Month.
Born in 1976, Black History Month is an annual event recognizing the pioneers who fought for black liberation and celebrates the immense contributions they have made to the United States of America, Canada, and the world.
Mr. Carter G. Woodson, author, writer, and historian, who is also known today as the “Father of Black History”, was a firm believer that racial equality could only be achieved by the recognition and comprehension of a race’s past, and he devoted his life to the study of African American history.
It is said that Woodson chose the month of February to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass.
Woodson also hoped that one day, Black History Month would no longer be necessary. Unfortunately, there is still a long way to go.
Although February has been designated as the month of recognition of the history of the African Diaspora, its rich history should be recognized and celebrated every day.
You might be wondering how Black History Month relates to the workplace.
Well, it is up to employers as well as committees such as this one to set the standard for eradicating discrimination, conscious and unconscious bias and to encourage the inclusion of all employees.
Employee engagement may be increased by recognizing and celebrating employees’ cultural, racial, and ethnic backgrounds and with initiatives such as the Black History Month Flight set to take off on February 11, 2022, we believe that Air Canada is on its way to attaining that goal.
Your Component Diversity Committee will continue to engage with the employer in a collaborative manner to ensure that initiatives like these are put forth to maintain a diverse and inclusive workplace.
In order to give you an opportunity to celebrate the significant contributions and achievements of black people throughout our history, we have compiled a list of links to Black History Month events happening across our four bases.
YYZ:
https://www.thessu.ca/ssu-events/black-history-month-cooking-class-feb-2022
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/black-history-month-with-afiwi-groove-tickets-229099983217
https://www.ajaxlibrary.ca/node/573
https://www.thessu.ca/ssu-events/black-history-month-paint-night
https://www.gowherewhen.com/event/toronto-black-film-festival
https://www.moishistoiredesnoirs.com/programmation/nfb-black-history-month-panel-discussion
https://www.moishistoiredesnoirs.com/
YYC:
https://allevents.in/calgary/black-history-month
YVR:
https://events.ubc.ca/black-history-month/
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Q9E9jUIsQnmkfDD0CEwjcQ
CANADA:
https://www.eventbrite.ca/d/canada/black-history-month/?page=1
https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/black-history-month.html
We must all raise our voices now, more than ever, and insist that society continue to recognize and honour Black History!
In Solidarity,
Your Component Diversity Committee