Noted and highly regarded professor and public intellectual Dr. Cornel West will be delivering a lecture entitled âBeing a Hope Amid Crisisâ on Wednesday, February 16 from 5 to 6 pm.
What to do to celebrate the February month of reflection and education
By Matthew Fraser, Editor in Chief
Black History month has officially begun and there are many local and digital events to participate in to celebrate. The national theme for this year’s Black History month is âFebruary and Forever: Celebrating Black History today and every day.â The Daily Hive announced the theme on January 21, a day used to commemorate and celebrate Lincoln Alexander.
According to The Canadian Encyclopedia, Alexanderâs career as a lawyer began shortly after he was honourably discharged from the military. In 1965, he would be appointed Queenâs Counsel in honour of his significant contributions to the Canadian legal field; the same year, he would enter politics. In 1968, Alexander became the first Black Canadian to sit in the House of Commons; subsequently, he would be re-elected four times, serving a total of 12 years. Lincoln Alexander passed away on October 19, 2012.
The BC Black History Awareness Society has amassed a series of in-person and online educational activities for residents to experience. On Saturday, February 5, Dr. June Francis, Director of the Institute for Diaspora Research & Engagement at SFU and a Director of Hoganâs Alley Society, will be hosting a Livestream talk on the: âHistory of anti-Black Racism in Canadian Schools and Universities.â The event, which will go from 1:30 pm to 3 pm will explore the historic ways in which inequity in the Canadian post-secondary system has contributed to and prolonged anti-black racism. Online registration is necessary for this event.
Noted and highly regarded professor and public intellectual Dr. Cornel West will be delivering a lecture entitled âBeing a Hope Amid Crisisâ on Wednesday, February 16 from 5 to 6 pm. Throughout this talk, West aims to explore the combined effects of economic outcome, democracy and racial injustice in shaping the Black identity. Westâs career spans more than three decades and includes notable books like Race Matters. In more recent years, he has lent his passion to co-hosting The Tightrope podcast alongside Tricia Rose. Register online to gain access to this talk.
On February 19, the African Fashion Week will hold its annual fashion show. The event will take place at the Newmont Stage Theatre. Founded in 2018, the event aims to showcase African fashion designers from across Canada, the US, the African continent and around the world. The about section of their website states that the organization wishes to use its platform to âcreate progressive partnerships which will lead to collaborative business opportunities for our designers, models, and other fashion professionals.â
Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) will be highlighting Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America as their centrepiece for this year’s Black History Month. The documentary, made by former ACLU deputy Jeffery Robinson argues that the economic shackles of slavery constitute the foundation of American power. The Broadway World describes the film by saying: âRobinson argues that the vested interests of white supremacy have conspired to choke off those ideals of liberty and equality espoused in the Bill of Rights whenever civil rights movements have threatened to upset the status quo.â
For the musically inclined readers, Joy Bullen has teamed up with TD Bank to present Rashaan Allwood and Yanick Allwood and their suite of original songs and reimagined classics. The event will premier on February 1 but will be available to stream online, free of charge until February 28.