February is Black History-Black Futures month, an important occasion to celebrate past accomplishments, along with present and future endeavours, says Marium Tolson-Murtty, UWindsor director of anti-racism organizational change.

“People of the African diaspora are integral to the fabric of our society not only in Canada but worldwide,” she says. “Black people have been significant contributors to every field of study, and it’s necessary to highlight those achievements as we continue to educate ourselves. For many individuals, there was a lack of exposure to Black history growing up in the K-12 system and beyond, which essentially is the erasure of significant elements to the Canadian curriculum.”

Tolson-Murtty established a Black History–Black Futures Planning Committee in 2021 to ensure that the stories and voices are heard and amplified not only for one month but all year round. The University will embark on a month-long celebration with many great initiatives and collaborations, including with the Leddy Library, UWSA Afrofest, the alumni office, the Black Studies Institute, the CUBE Indigenous and Black Talent Incubator, the Essex County Black Historical Research Society, the Black Council of Windsor Essex, and UWindsor Public Affairs and Communications.

The campus community is invited to the 2024 Windsor-Essex Black History Month kick-off hosted by the Essex-County Black Historical Research Society, the Amherstburg Freedom Museum, and the Windsor West-Indian Association, at 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 26. More information can be found at https://amherstburgfreedom.org/event/.

The second annual ceremonial raising of the Pan-African flag will take place Thursday, Feb. 1, at noon in front of Chrysler Hall Tower. More information and a calendar of campus and community events to follow.

If your faculty, program, service area, or department has plans to celebrate Black History–Black Futures month that you would like to share on the calendar of events, email aroc@uwindsor.ca.