February is Black History Month, a time to celebrate the contributions, past and present, of Black Canadians in all aspects of our society.

This year’s theme is Celebrating Black History and History-Makers and the WECDSB is partnering with the Amherstburg Freedom Museum to promote Black History Month by creating a social media campaign and devoting a section of its website to help create greater awareness about some of the local figures who helped shape the spiritual, cultural, social, educational, political, and economic landscape of Windsor-Essex.

“As a Catholic school community, it’s imperative that we educate our students and ourselves about the importance of celebrating diversity and acknowledging the historical contributions that far too many under-represented groups of people have made to the betterment of our society,” said Director of Education Terry Lyons. “Black History Month gives us the opportunity to learn from the past so that we can create a more socially just future.”

Throughout February and beyond, the WECDSB will feature the contributions and successes of area Black historical figures, by sharing resources, stories and interviews with alumni and local community members. The content, much of which is being supplied by the Amherstburg Freedom Museum, will be hosted on a new Celebrating Diversity section of the board’s website and shared via its social media platforms.

“We’re very excited by the prospect of being able to share so much of this important historical material with a much broader audience,” said Dr. Lorene Bridgen-Lennie, the museum’s assistant curator. “It’s our hope that by learning more about the contributions so many Black Canadians have made to our local history, students will take pride in their accomplishments and model their behaviour in striving towards a more equitable society.”

In addition to these promotional efforts, schools throughout the WECDSB will engage in activities that recognize and celebrate the rich legacy, past and present, of Black Canadians throughout the month of February.

Check out our Black History web page here.