From Wikipedia to Wakanda, U of T celebrates Black History Month with virtual events

Suzette Vidale performs during last year's Black History Month Luncheon for U of T staff – one of many Black History Month events at U of T that will be held virtually this year (photo by Johnny Guatto).

The pandemic halted in-person events of all kinds, but it isn’t stopping the University of Toronto community from celebrating Black History Month. 

February is packed with online events for students, faculty, staff - and this intriguing selection, open to alumni. Read on to learn more about films, discussions and history presentations you can attend, and even how you can help improve Black History coverage on Wikipedia.

Feb. 1-28

Black history Wikipedia edit-a-thon kick-off event

U of T Libraries is planning a month-long series of events intended to improve the quality of Black history pages on Wikipedia. To kick things off, they are hosting a roundtable with U of T Scarborough’s writer-in-residence El Jones about ameliorating the historical record through public history initiatives and shared open knowledge. 12:30 - 2 p.m. Learn more >

Feb 3.

The Coromantee War: Charting the Course of an Atlantic Slave Revolt 

In the inaugural Decanal Lecture, Harvard historian Vincent Brown discusses the Jamaican Coromantee War of 1760-1761. Brown, a professor of American history and African and African-American studies, is the author of The Reaper’s Garden: Death and Power in the World of Atlantic Slavery and Tacky’s Revolt: The Story of an Atlantic Slave War. Sponsored by the Faculty of Arts & Science. 7 - 8:30 p.m.  Register now >

Feb. 5

The Black Nowhere: The Social and Cultural Politics of Listening to Black Canada[s] (Race, Ethics + Power: Emerging Scholars)

Ola Mohammed, an assistant professor of Black popular culture at York University, discusses her current project, “The Black Nowhere: The Social and Cultural Politics of Listening to Black Canada(s),” in which she looks at the sonic dimension of Black social life and anti-Blackness in Canada. Presented by U of T’s Centre for Ethics and streamed on YouTube. 4 p.m. Register now >

Feb. 8

Black History Symposium: Honouring the Diversity of Black Leaders and Agents of Change

The 2021 Black History Symposium will explore anti-Black racism activism in diverse spaces and the role of post-secondary environments in transforming anti-Black racism advocacy. Dahabo Ahmed Omer, executive director of the Black North Initiative, is the event’s keynote speaker. The symposium also includes remarks by Njoki Wane, a professor at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, and Dexter Voisin, dean of the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, both of whom are members of the university's anti-Black racism task force. There is also a panel discussion titled, “Pathways and Initiatives – Reinventing Anti-Black Racism Activism.” Hosted by U of T’s Anti-Racism and Cultural Diversity Office. 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. Register now >

Feb 11

Black Athletes on the Margins: I am More! 

Black professional athletes of different sport backgrounds discuss their experience finding acceptance and success, as well as new challenges brought on by COVID-19. The webinar also features spoken-word artists and a live raffle with prizes from Black-owned businesses. Presented by U of T Mississauga’s: Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Office; International Education Centre and department of recreation, athletics and wellness. 12 - 1:30 p.m. Register now >

Feb. 11

The Worldbuilding of Wakanda: Black Panther and Afrofuturism

Join action-adventure fantasy writer Antoine Bandele, futurist writer Stephanie Chrismon and editor-in-chief of Pressed Magazine Rashid Mohiddin for a talk on how elements of science fiction and fantasy intersect with African representation and the ways in which Black Panther presents its progress themes through its unique setting. Presented by Hart House as part of the Black Futures series 6 - 8 p.m. Register now >

Feb. 12

Ninth Floor film screening

More than 50 years later, filmmaker Mina Shum looks at a landmark student uprising in Canadian history: the 14-day sit-in at Sir George Williams University in Montreal (now part of Concordia). More than 200 students peacefully occupied the ninth floor of a campus building to protest the university’s handling of a racism complaint by a group of Black students. The screening of the documentary, presented by the Anti-Racism and Cultural Diversity Office, will be followed by a question-and-answer session. 12 - 2 p.m. Register now >

Feb. 23

How it Feels to be Free film screening

Join in the celebration of Black History Month as Innis College presents the documentary How it Feels to Be Free with filmmaker Yoruba Richen—the story of how six trailblazing stars reshaped the entertainment industry. Followed by a Q&A moderated by alumna Barbara Mamabolo. 6 - 9 p.m. Register now >