February is Black History Month (BHM, Ontario) and African Heritage Month (Nova Scotia). The Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Anti-Black Racism working group committee invites you to join in this year’s Black History Month events. Black History Month is a time to celebrate, acknowledge, and recognize the contributions of Black Canadians.  This includes and is not limited to excellence in science, education, public policy, music, arts, culture, and sports. The occasion offers us the opportunity to celebrate Black excellence,  resilience,  joy, and raise awareness of the resistance, struggles, and injustices experienced by Black people throughout history. The University’s commitment to the Scarborough Charter is an important highlight of Black History Month as we continue the work of undoing anti-Black racism and creating a conducive environment for Black inclusion to thrive on our campuses.  During the final year of the International Decade of People of African Descent (2015-2024) declared by the United Nations, let us reflect on lessons learned on what the future holds for Black people around the globe. 

Our 2024 theme for Black History Month is Black Futures & Afro-Futurism. This theme highlights the past and present allowing us to reimagine together the future and create a new empowering narrative of our history. It is an opportunity to dream, meditate, and celebrate who we are now and will be for generations to come.  Here, we can reimagine new forms of optimism for Black communities to thrive. We encourage you to commit to learning and engaging more with diverse Black histories and communities. 

Date: Thursday, February 15, 2024

Time: 11:30 am-1:00 pm

Zoom Link: Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_f9jim-aFQ06HawSqwjyv6g#/registration

Barrington Walker, Ph.D. holds a doctoral degree in Canadian History from the University of Toronto (Canada) and is Vice Provost of Equity and Inclusion and Professor of History at McMaster University. Before arriving at McMaster University Dr. Walker was the inaugural Associate Vice President of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and Professor of History at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo Ontario. His research and teaching interests are in the histories of Black Canada, race, immigration, and the law. From 2001-2019, he was a member of the History Department at Queen’s University Kingston. During those years he taught both at the undergraduate and graduate levels and supervised and mentored over 40 graduate students in topics related to his research specialties. He is also often consulted for national television, print and radio media.

Dr. Walker has published three books. Race On Trial: Black Defendants in Ontario’s Criminal Courts, 1858-1958 (University of Toronto Press and the Osgoode Society for Canadian Legal History, 2010); The African Canadian Legal Odyssey: Historical Essays (University of Toronto Press and the Osgoode Society for Canadian Legal History, 2012) and The History of Immigration and Racism in Canada: Essential Readings (Canadian Scholars Press, 2008). Currently, Dr. Walker is working on two book projects: Colonizing Nation: Blackness and Citizenship in Canada and Dark Threats: Blacks and Violence in Canada’s Urban Landscapes (Wilfrid Laurier University Press). In 2012 Race on Trial was shortlisted for the Ontario Speaker’s Book Prize. Dr. Walker is also currently a member of the Board of the Federation for the Social Sciences and Humanities and Chair of its standing committee on Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Decolonization. He is also a member of the Inter-Institutional Advisory Committee for the Scarborough Charter on Anti-Black Racism and Black Inclusion.