Your voice matters, and so do you.
Know there is beauty in your culture, and let your inner beauty show.
Embrace our rich history.
Those were just a few of the powerful messages shared on February 1, 2022 as members of the StFX and Antigonish communities gathered virtually to launch African Heritage Month through an online event, held in partnership with the Town of Antigonish, on StFX’s Facebook page.
February is African Heritage Month—a time to celebrate the contributions, culture, history and resilience of people of African descent in the Province of Nova Scotia. This year’s theme is Through Our Eyes: The Voices of African Nova Scotians.
Tara Reddick, Black Student Advisor StFX, who served as emcee, introduced a short video that featured a number of community voices, community members, educators and StFX students, including Lorraine Reddick, Morgan Gero, Dondre Reddick, Sabrina Skinner, Heavyn Beals, and Jasonique Moss, who shared their thoughts and messages.
TIME TO LEARN, GROW
This is a time for everyone to open your eyes and your hearts, StFX President Dr. Andy Hakin said.
“Use this month as a time to learn, to grow and commit to creating a more inclusive campus and a community where we can be proud to live, a place where everyone can thrive,” Dr. Hakin said in remarks delivered outdoors before joining with StFX education professor Dr. Wendy Mackey to raise the Pan African flag at Flag Plaza on the StFX campus.
The Town of Antigonish raised the flag in Chisholm Park the day before. During the Feb. 1sth online ceremony, Antigonish Deputy Mayor William Cormier read the proclamation to officially launch African Heritage Month in Antigonish.
“We all have a role to play in building a more diverse, inclusive community and not just during African Heritage Month, but throughout the year,” Mr. Cormier said.
Use this time to start or continue the journey to educate yourself, to share your knowledge, advocate, and importantly, to listen to members of the Black community so that together we can have an equal opportunity to thrive, he said.
Antigonish County Warden Owen McCarron said the past few years recognizes the incredible need for learning from our past and ensuring our actions moving forward are different and help support institutional and community change.
Dr. Mackey said it is our wish that during this month, all faculty and staff can see students through their eyes and their perspectives and see the greatness of our history. "It's important that this African Heritage Month, we understand the history and the perspectives of our Black students," she said.
“This month is a celebration.”
Dr. Hakin said this year’s theme, Through Our Eyes: The Voices of African Nova Scotians, is a message of hope, a message that encourages us to recognize the longstanding history of people of African descent and the development of Canada.
He said the theme explores the effects of anti-Black racism and the voices of African Nova Scotians who blazed the trail for change. “It is time to listen and to honour those voices.”
It is a time to reconfirm to support people of African descent on our campus and in our community, he said. By listening to the perspective of those around us, we gain a more meaningful understanding of how to be more inclusive.
“We can start to make a different by simply listening. We need to recognize past injustices and be willing to change as we look forward to building a strong future together.”
The celebration also include music and the beat of local African drummers.
