The Future is Now - Black History Month
/"The Future is Now" was the motto of this year's Black History Month, an annual celebration to honor the legacy of Black Canadians and their communities.
Black History Month was introduced and institutionalized in the United States in the 1970s. In Canada, it took until 1995 for it to be officially recognized by the House of Commons. In February 2008, Senator Donald Oliver, the first black person in the Senate, introduced a motion to recognize the contributions of black Canadians and February as Black History Month. It received unanimous consent and was adopted on March 4, 2008. The adoption of this motion completed Canada's parliamentary position on Black History Month. Learn more about Black History Month in Canada under the following link: Black History Month - Canada.ca
Celebrating diversity and inclusion should not be limited to the month of February. At YWiB Vancouver, we want to start sharing resources on our blog, social media channels, and newsletter to create awareness and start a dialogue. We will recommend books, websites, events, exhibitions - anything that further educates us.
We hosted our first diversity and inclusion event this month. Together with four incredible panelists, we talked about creating and nurturing inclusion in the workplace. Over the course of this year, we would aim to organize more events that address inclusion and diversity, especially as it relates to the workplace and the business world.
Resources:
Today, we are suggesting two books and an exhibition at the Museum of Vancouver and in Vancouver Chinatown:
"Why I'm no longer talking to white people about race" by award-winning journalist Reni Eddo-Lodge (2014). It all started with a blog post where Reni expressed her frustration with the way that discussions of race and racism in Britain were being led by those who weren't affected by it. It later turned into a book where she is exploring issues from eradicated black history to the political purpose of white dominance, whitewashed feminism to the inextricable link between class and race.
"So you want to talk about race" by Ijeoma Oluo (2018). She explores the complex reality of topics such as white privilege, police brutality, systemic discrimination, and the Black Lives Matter movement. Oluo will make you feel uncomfortable because she is not here to make you feel comfortable. But her writing is funny, sensitive and passionate and will make you understand many racial issues we are currently discussing.
"Seat at the Table", a multi-sited and collaborative exhibition by the Museum of Vancouver and Vancouver Chinatown. It's a project that explores historical and contemporary stories of Chinese Canadians in BC and their struggles for belonging. Using food and restaurant culture as entry point, the project highlights stories that reveal the great diversity of immigrant experiences and of the communities immigrants develop. It also addresses themes of belonging, racism, agency, resilience and reparation as important facets of the complex picture of Chinese migrants and their descendants in the province.
Please share with us your favorite books, movies, series, exhibitions and events on the topic in the comment section or on social media. We are ready to learn and continue to grow together.
Blog Post by Nina Bader, Diversity & Inclusion Facilitator at Young Women in Business Vancouver.