'Black history is Canadian history': St. John's kicks off Black History Month
St. John's holds flag-raising ceremony at city hall
The organizers of a flag-raising ceremony at St. John's city hall for Black History Month say the event was an important recognition of Black history but there's more work to be done.
Raven Anderson, co-founder of Black Lives Matter Newfoundland and Labrador, said the ceremony highlighted the significance of Black History Month and what it means to the African diaspora around the world.
"Black history is Canadian history; it all matters," Anderson said.
The flag-raising ceremony, which included speeches and musical performances, kicked off Black History Month, which takes place every February. The City of St. John's also issued a statement declaring Black History Month in the city.
Anderson said Black History Month is a time not only to reflect on the past but also to look at what still needs to be done.
"What needs to be fixed? Everything," she said.
She called on allies and organizations to examine how they engage with the Black community — beyond social media.
"What do you genuinely do to make your areas more inclusive?" she asked.
A tapestry
Anderson said the month is about celebrating both the unity and diversity within the Black community.
"We have such a tapestry of Black people coming together," she said.
"We should all be celebrating our similarities, bringing together our commonalities and celebrating our differences, as opposed to looking at our differences to be divisive."
Brian Amadi, another organizer of the event, said Black Lives Matter N.L. aims to help Black people in the province express their individuality.
"Not just being diverse, as a Black person, but being able to act within your diverse nature," he said.
Paving the way
Precious Familusi, also with Black Lives Matter N.L., said Black History Month highlights a need for more Black representation in K-12 Canadian history curriculum.
"There's so many heroes in Canadian history that you can celebrate, Black women, Black men that have paved the way," he said.
"As a Black kid, studying a history that does not reflect you or you're background or where you're from — that can really affect you," he said.
Familusi said he'd like to see the provincial government take the initiative to fly the Black History Month flag at Confederation Building next year.
"It's just a tradition we're going to continue, we're hopefully going to make bigger next year," Familusi said.
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.
With files from Heather Gillis