University of Lethbridge Black History Month kickoff event focuses on inclusivity

Black History Month is also being celebrated at the University of Lethbridge. A kickoff event to recognize the month took place Wednesday morning that focused on inclusivity. International Rep for the U of L Maleeka Thomas says black history should never be forgotten.  

“Erasure it’s one thing you recognize when coming here that your blackness seems to be minimized because there’s other things that ideally take precedence. For example, slavery, which I think it’s a problem because it should be where we honor and celebrate black excellence and joy and all the achievement, where people forget that you who exist in this little bubble. And so you find that a lot of times, black students or people on campus tend to stick together, which is not what we were looking for. We’re looking for inclusivity. We’re looking for people to merge together and integrate.”

Officials with the university say they really want to create a safe space for all students on campus while creating a strong diverse culture.  

“Especially now with so many different changes. And what we want to say concerns about what it is and what it’s not. It’s really important for us to create an assurance to our students, no matter where they come from. They do have a space on our campus. This year, for example, we have the highest number of international students on our campus. So you see our campus is becoming a very diverse mosaic. It’s vibrant. And I think for us, it’s about celebrating that diversity as well. So I think it’s an opportunity for them to know that there’s a space here for you. But we also want to celebrate the different diversity of identities that they have as well,” Martha Mathurin–Moe, Vice-Provost, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, University of Lethbridge.

Throughout February, the university will be hosting a number of different Black History Month initiatives.