The Thames Valley District school board has sent out Black History Month resource guides to its schools as it shines a spotlight on inequity in the fallout of the Black Lives Matter movement.
The Thames Valley District school board has sent out Black History Month resource guides to its schools as it shines a spotlight on inequity in the fallout of the Black Lives Matter movement.
The guide, developed by Black staff and students, will go to all schools and staff, said Matt Sereda, learning co-ordinator in equity and inclusive education. And staff can sign up for a virtual anti-racism presentation.
Featured presenter Saidat, the London-area children’s entertainer turned virtual presenter, has crafted daily virtual presentations on the theme “Black history is Canadian history.” The sessions, featuring prominent Black Canadians, will cover everything from the civil rights movement to the Colored Hockey League.
“We really wanted our Black students to see themselves in the learning in February,” Sereda said.
A host of resources will be available for teachers to include embed in lessons throughout February – the month where Black history is highlighted – and beyond, he said.
Individual events highlighting Black history will vary from school to school.
At HB Beal secondary school, Black Students United, a group of about 25 Black students, are holding a virtual assembly focused on Black Excellence, said Andre Meyer, their staff adviser.
While Black Canadians’ history and culture always have been “of great importance,” Sereda said the Black Lives Matter movement has meant “a new light has been shone on these important conversations.”
Black Lives Matter, a movement protesting police brutality and racially motivated violence, gained new prominence after the death of George Floyd, a Black American who died May 25, 2020, after a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.
In 2020, Thames Valley trustees endorsed an equity action plan addressing what many say is deeply rooted racism in the board.
The plan will investigate anti-Black racism, including in schools, hiring practices, equity and anti-oppression training, course curriculum, mental health supports and school resource officers’ role within the school system.
The school resource officer program is currently on hold after some students reported negative experiences.