Dalhousie moves closer to offering degree program focused on Black Canadian experience

A new Black and African diaspora degree program that has been given the green light by Dalhousie University will concentrate on the unique story of the African Canadian experience.

The program will require the approval of the Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission before going ahead.

It was approved by the university's senate earlier this month.

The university first offered a minor in Black and African diaspora studies in 2017 and established the Black Studies Research Institute in 2021.

'Poignant and historic moment'

Isaac Saney, the director of the university's transition year program and a proponent of the degree, described the university's approval as a "poignant and historic moment."

Saney said the approval of the program was the culmination of the work of many passionate people.

He said in other programs of its type in Canada, the Black Canadian experience is treated as an adjunct of the experience in the United States.

"That's what set this aside as a unique program in and of itself — the first of its kind in Canada — in the sense that it's going to be focusing on the Black Canadian experience and the core courses in the program," Saney said.

'Remarkable opportunity'

Russell Grosse, executive director of the Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia, collaborated in the planning for the program. He described it as a "remarkable opportunity" that is welcomed by the African Nova Scotian community.

Grosse said it will provide an opportunity for people to focus on Black history and to learn more through research.

"What's often missing in these type of programs … is the unique story of the African Canadian experience, the African Nova Scotian experience, and the fact that, here in this province of Nova Scotia, the Black communities have a lineage that goes well back over 400 years."

Saney, who teaches a number of African Canadian studies courses, said the large number of students taking the minor course of study since it was introduced showed the need to expand the program. 

Dalhousie is also one of the post-secondary institutions that signed the Scarborough Charter to address anti-Black racism and promote Black inclusion, something Saney said helped to push the proposal for the program forward.

According to Saney, in addition to learning more about Black history, the degree can provide a launching point for people to pursue graduate studies and law school.

For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.