Reading Resources
Report on Lord Dalhousie’s History of Slavery and Race
A must-read for any Dalhousie Student. Anti-Black Racism is embedded into Dalhousie as an institution on a fundamental level. Written by Dr. Afua Cooper, former Halifax poet Laureate and current faculty member at the department of history and Anthropology and Sociology.
Black Matters by Afua Cooper and Willfried Raussert
A book of photography and poetry written in collaboration by Afua Cooper and photography by Willfried Raussert. Cooper translates Rausserts photos into lyrical and rhythmic verse, discussing the Black diaspora across North America and Europe, putting the past and present into conversation with one another. We have purchased a copy that will be available in the common room to borrow!
Events this Month
African Heritage Month at Dalhousie University
The Office for Equity and Inclusion invites you to join in on Wednesday, February 1, 2023 for the launch of African Heritage Month and flag-raising at Dalhousie University. The event will begin at 11:00 am in the LeMarchant Place atrium with a brief program which will then move to the Studley Quad for the raising of the flag at approximately 11:30 am. We will alternate the flying of the Pan-African flag and African Nova Scotian flag on the Halifax and Truro campuses throughout February. For an overview of Dalhousie and community events happening during African Heritage Month 2023, visit the Human Rights & Equity Services website and/or the Black Cultural Centre website
Downtown Light Show
Throughout February, the Downtown Halifax Business Commission will project light displays on the former Halifax Memorial Library Building at Grafton Park in celebration of African Heritage Month.
Pan-African Flag on Viola Desmond Ferry
Throughout February, the Pan-African flag will be displayed on the Viola Desmond Ferry in honour of African Heritage Month.
Virtual Museum Tours
Take an immersive tour of popular heritage and cultural sites, including the Africville Museum and the Black Cultural Centre
African Heritage Month – Calypso Celebration | DHBC
Come celebrate and learn about the heritage of Caribbean immigrants to Canada. This event offers a deep dive into the connections between jazz and afro-Caribbean music and its history here in Nova Scotia. It also offers some great tunes!
Date: Thursday, February 2, 2023
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: In-Person and On-Line
Language: Presented in English
Cost: FREE
A showcase of exceptional talent from our African Nova Scotian music community, produced by the African Nova Scotian Music Association. A favourite in Halifax, and a lot of fun. Uplifting, celebratory and engaging.
Date: Thursday, February 16, 2023
Time: 6:00 PM – 8:00PM
Location: Halifax North Memorial Public Library
The NFB in Libraries- African Heritage Month
A selection of films and documentaries from the National Film Board of Canada. Every Friday morning throughout the month of February; the public library will be screening eye-opening and provoking films to celebrate African Heritage Month. You can chat about the movie afterwards while enjoying some snacks!
Date: Every Friday in February starting February 3rd
Time: 10:00 am- 12:00pm
Location: Captain William Spry Public Library
February 3rd: Sol
Many Black, racialized, and immigrant women work with elderly patients as healthcare providers. Their jobs, already arduous and underpaid as it is, have become even more exhausting during the COVID-19 pandemic. While some public commentators have described them as over-represented in this sector because of their culture, and hailed them as “guardian angels,” what do they themselves have to say? This cross-sectional portrait of some of these women takes the form of a meditative essay.
February 10th Zab Maboungou
This portrait of choreographer Zab Maboungou provides insight into the meticulous training and physical strength behind one of her pivotal works: Mozongi.
February 17th Black Soul
Martine Chartrand’s animated short dives into the heart of Black culture with an exhilarating trip through history. Watch as a young boy traces his roots through the stories his grandmother shares with him about the events that shaped their cultural heritage.
February 24th: Ice Breakers
Josh Crooks is a promising teen hockey star in a sport where Black players like him are chronically underrepresented. Ice Breakers reveals the buried history of a pioneering Black hockey league in Atlantic Canada, as Crooks discovers that his unshakable passion is tied to a rich and remarkable heritage
