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Black History Month

Every February, Wilfrid Laurier University recognizes and honours the history, achievements and contributions of Black Canadians and their communities. 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.

Andrea Davis
Andrea Davis, Associate Vice-President: Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Laurier Celebrates Black History Month

A message to the Laurier community from Andrea Davis, Associate Vice-President: Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.

February 2026 marks an important 30-year milestone in the Canadian celebration of Black History Month. Following a motion by the Hon. Jean Augustine, with wide support from members of Canada’s Black communities, Canada officially recognized Black History Month in December 1995.

This year, we are encouraged to reflect on the theme of “30 Years of Black History Month: Honouring Black Brilliance Across Generations — From Nation Builders to Tomorrow’s Visionaries.” The notion of “Black brilliance,” rather than a mere suggestion of Black singularity and exceptionality, acknowledges the remarkable adaptability, creativity, imagination, inventiveness and resourcefulness of ordinary Black Canadians who since the 17th century have found a way to build family and community under conditions that have made their very survival difficult.

Read Andrea's Full Message

Laurier Stories

Throughout Black History Month and the rest of the year, we invite you to learn about our inspiring Black students, staff, faculty and alumni who are using their Laurier experience to make an impact on local and global communities.

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Laurier student shares personal triumphs, traumas in new memoir

Born displaced and raised amid the heat and hardship of Kenya’s Kakuma refugee camp, much of Jean D’amour M. Ruvahafi’s life has been defined by political conflict, intergenerational trauma, health challenges and grief.

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Scotiabank commits $500,000 to support Black and racialized students

Laurier's Career Discovery Program will empower Black and racialized students with personalized career support to gain practical work experience, find mentorship and build community.

Female camp counsellors sitting around a table.
Laurier Scholar Mariam Hailu inspires young minds with ‘STEMXplorers’

Laurier Health Sciences graduate Mariam Hailu created STEMXplorers, a free, week-long STEM day camp for Black, Indigenous and racialized youth.

Three girls sitting on a rocky beach.
'We are reclaiming a sport we've been excluded from'

Laurier researcher Treisha Hylton is taking social work out of the office and into the ocean. She returned to her home country of Jamaica to help young Black girls grow and heal through surfing.

A group of people standing together.
Strategizing to end human trafficking

Laurier researchers Robert Ame, Kathy Hogarth and Stacey Wilson-Forsberg met with immigration officials and trafficking survivors in Ghana.

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Brant Beacon: Shining a spotlight on Brantford’s Black community

Laurier Brantford and community partners celebrate the opening of Brantford’s annual “Memories of Immigrant Communities” project.

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How Mary Asante-Asamoah (BA '06) combined family, business and global studies

While Mary Asante-Asamoah, executive director at Barbex Technical Services Ltd did not attend Laurier specifically for business, she credits her success to her experiences at Laurier.

A group of smiling students.
Support Black students at Laurier

Your gift to the Black Students Bursary at Laurier makes a tangible difference in a Black student's educational journey.

Events

Laurier is supporting several events to celebrate Black History Month. Events are open to the public unless otherwise noted. Please consult Laurier's event calendar for complete event details.

At a Glance

  • Black in Corporate, Feb. 7. Open to Laurier students only. Organized by the Black Students of Lazardis student club. 
  • Beating the Odds Conference, Feb. 11. Open to high school students in the Waterloo Region District School Board.
  • Black Brilliance Elementary Conference, Feb. 19. Open to elementary school students in the Waterloo Region District School Board. 
  • Black Intellectual Life and the Post-EDI University, March 5. Part of the 2025-2026 Lamine Diallo EDI Speaker Series.

Events Calendar

Full Events Calendar