This past Thursday the Canadian Caribbean Association of Halton (CCAH) officially launched Black History Month with a Kick-Off Celebration at the Oakville Town Hall. Commemorating the rich cultural tradition of African Canadians, this lively event was attended by approximately 150 people and featured remarks by local dignitaries, musical performances, and art exhibits by the Oakville Museum and by the Association of African Canadian Artists.
For the first time, the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences partnered with the CCAH on this event, which also featured a poster presentation exhibit by Sheridan students who conducted a Black History Heritage Minute assignment as part of their course work in the General Education elective, Canada in the Making: Understanding Canadian History. The posters covered a wide variety of topics in Canadian Black History, including the Underground Railroad, Black Settlement in Ontario, the War of 1812’s Coloured Corps, Black Loyalists, as well as profiles of such notables as Harriet Tubman and Mathieu deCosta.
These works of public history by Sheridan students from across all campuses were greeted by the community with unanimous and enthusiastic acclaim. Many of the students who created the posters were in attendance on Thursday and had the opportunity to speak with community members about their research and the importance of Black History Month. Recognition for the great success of this initiative also goes to faculty members Christian Knudsen, Steven Bunn, Dustin Galer, and Evgeny Efremkin.
The Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences is also in discussions with the Oakville Museum to feature the students’ posters at their Black History exhibit. Bill Nesbitt, Supervisor of the Oakville Museum, has expressed an interest in realizing this partnership, thanks to the outstanding quality of the students’ work.
A few of the students’ posters are featured below:
