Black
History
Month

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Black History Month at Laurier

A message to the Laurier community from Deborah MacLatchy, President and Vice-Chancellor.

Laurier Celebrates Black History Month

Wilfrid Laurier University celebrates Black History Month and the thriving Black community across our campuses.

Laurier is committed to creating an inclusive, equitable and diverse community and supporting the growth of the thriving Black community across our campuses and locations. As a signatory of the Scarborough Charter on Anti-Black Racism and Black Inclusion, Laurier is redressing anti-Black racism and fostering Black inclusion through principles of Black flourishing, inclusive excellence, mutuality and accountability.

Laurier will co-host the 2024 Scarborough Charter Inter-Institutional Forum on May 9 and 10 in partnership with the University of Waterloo. This is a national symposium that brings together senior administration, faculty, staff, students and members of the Black community. The forum's theme, Bridging Black: Building Connections for Black Flourishing, aims to bridge the gaps in both learning and action and build stronger connections between the different stakeholders in higher education. For more information about the forum, email scarboroughcharter@wlu.ca.  

Throughout Black History Month and the rest of the year, we invite you to learn about our inspiring Black student leaders, exceptional faculty, staff members and our impactful alumni who are working to make the world a more just and equitable place through the stories, events and learning opportunities featured here.

Student Community

Laurier students are known for getting involved, building community, achieving academic excellence and taking on leadership roles to make the world a more equitable and just place. 

From clubs to courses, extracurriculars and student services, Laurier students are making a golden impact in our local and global communities. Stories celebrating Black students at Laurier will be shared here throughout Black History Month. Connect with us to share your story

Reina Stewart and Elizabeth Clarke
Thriving at Laurier

Staff members Reina Stewart and Elizabeth Clarke are leading a new initiative to help Black and racialized students at Laurier thrive.

Student-Led Services

The Black Student Association and Black Student Collective are student-led services at Laurier that aim to inform and empower the Black community at our Waterloo and Brantford campuses and Kitchener location.

Follow the Black Student Association and the Black Student Collective on Instagram to learn more about their leadership teams and upcoming events.

Support Equity-Deserving Students at Laurier

Together with our donors, Laurier provides student financial support, educational initiatives and events through the campus Centres for Student Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, and the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Highest Priority Needs fund.

You can support Laurier’s thriving Black community with a donation to the Centres for Student Equity, Diversity and Inclusion or the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Highest Priority Needs Fund at give.wlu.ca/edi.

Alumni Community

Always proud to be a Golden Hawk, alumni from across our programs and campuses are using their Laurier experiences to make an impact in our local and global communities.

If you want to be involved in future Black History Month programming or communications to help us celebrate our Black alumni, please email alumni@wlu.ca.

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That Golden Hawk feeling 

WLUAA welcomes Candice Joseph (BA '03) to board of directors

Inspiring Alumni Stories

Laurier alumni around the world are working to build more equitable and just communities

  • Healthcare with heart: Health Sciences alum Ekene Nwajei (BSc '22) shares his passion for pursuing a career in cardiac surgery.

Staff and Faculty Community

Laurier is committed to creating a thriving, inclusive community by fostering a highly personalized, equitable, diverse and inclusive environment in which all members experience a powerful sense of belonging.

Through their work in our classrooms, on our campuses and in our local and global communities, Laurier’s faculty and staff members are championing the values of equity, diversity and inclusion to move the university forward in new and exciting ways.

Inquiries about Black History Month at Laurier can be sent to diversity@wlu.ca.

Celebrating Black Faculty and Staff at Laurier

Stories celebrating the work of Black staff and faculty members at Laurier will be shared throughout Black History Month. Be sure to check back often.

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Building Connections for Black Flourishing

Laurier and University of Waterloo co-host Inter-Institutional Forum of the Scarborough Charter

Black Faculty and Staff Caucus

Laurier’s Black Faculty and Staff Caucus aims to engage, empower and protect the interests of Black faculty and staff members while contributing to the capacity and community building necessary for the equitable participation of Black professionals at Laurier. The caucus formed in February 2021 under the guidance of Lamine Diallo, an associate professor in the Leadership program and an equity, diversity and inclusion faculty colleague.

Membership is open to all faculty and staff who self-identify as Black and provides the opportunity to support equity, diversity and inclusion on Laurier’s campuses as it relates to Black experiences.

Black faculty and staff members interested in learning more, getting involved or continuing their involvement can email blackcaucus@wlu.ca for next steps. Together, we can enhance the experiences of all Black faculty and staff and champion the benefits of diversity across Laurier.

Spotlight on Research

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Fostering EDI in education through research

While studying the experiences of Black high school students as part of her master’s degree, Kiara Daw learned that her passion lies at the intersection of education and equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) efforts. Through Laurier’s work-study program, she worked with the Office of the Associate Vice-President: EDI to develop an inclusive research course.

Now, while pursuing her Bachelor of Education degree, she continues to immerse herself in EDI-centred research at Laurier. Read more about Daw's research collaborations, her passion for inclusive education and why she hopes to have a long future at Laurier.

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Black student excellence in STEM

Funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the Undergraduate Student Research Award (USRA) program enables talented, hardworking students to learn from mentors in their respective STEM fields and help cultivate new research. During 16-week internships, students earn real-world work experience and potentially kickstart a path toward future graduate studies.

Nikaela Walker, Jordan Meikle and Lorecha Lobulo participated in the USRA program in 2023. They worked alongside Laurier faculty members to investigate existing ideas and formulate novel solutions to global problems. Learn about their experiences and the positive impacts they hope to make through their research.

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Afrocentric research at Laurier

The Tshepo Institute for the Study of Contemporary Africa (TISCA) is a university-wide research centre with active members from multiple faculties involved in Afrocentric research projects.

Founded in 2003 at Laurier's Brantford campus, TISCA aims to provide scholars specializing in Africa with a platform and voice to produce and share timely interdisciplinary knowledge and discourse about issues affecting contemporary Continental Africa and its diaspora.

2024 Events

Several exceptional Laurier events take place throughout Black History Month. As an institution, Laurier continues to build and support Laurier’s thriving Black community by offering workshops, learning from research, and adding courses on equity, diversity and inclusion.

Join us as we learn about Black experiences, break barriers, and continue to support Laurier’s thriving Black community. All events are listed in the university calendar and are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted.

At a Glance 

Resources

The following resources are available to Laurier faculty, staff, students and community members as indicated.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at Laurier

Equity, diversity, inclusion and Indigeneity are a part of Laurier's core values as a learning institution. Learn more about the action plan in place for which we hold ourselves accountable.

Laurier Library's Black History Month Virtual Display

View the new and important Black History Month resources at the Laurier Library.

2019 Being Raced Report

The Being Raced research study investigates the experiences of racialized students, staff and faculty members at Laurier's Brantford and Waterloo campuses and Kitchener location.

United Against Hate Brantford

United Against Hate Brantford is a social-profit community resource for anti-racism education, collaboration and support in Brantford.

Staff and Faculty: Anti-Black Racism Resources

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