Wilfrid Laurier University celebrates Black History Month and the thriving Black community across our campuses.
Laurier is committed to creating an inclusive, equitable and diverse community and supporting the growth of the thriving Black community across our campuses and locations. As a signatory of the Scarborough Charter on Anti-Black Racism and Black Inclusion, Laurier is redressing anti-Black racism and fostering Black inclusion through principles of Black flourishing, inclusive excellence, mutuality and accountability.
Laurier will co-host the 2024 Scarborough Charter Inter-Institutional Forum on May 9 and 10 in partnership with the University of Waterloo. This is a national symposium that brings together senior administration, faculty, staff, students and members of the Black community. The forum's theme, Bridging Black: Building Connections for Black Flourishing, aims to bridge the gaps in both learning and action and build stronger connections between the different stakeholders in higher education. For more information about the forum, email scarboroughcharter@wlu.ca.
Throughout Black History Month and the rest of the year, we invite you to learn about our inspiring Black student leaders, exceptional faculty, staff members and our impactful alumni who are working to make the world a more just and equitable place through the stories, events and learning opportunities featured here.
The Black Student Association and Black Student Collective are student-led services at Laurier that aim to inform and empower the Black community at our Waterloo and Brantford campuses and Kitchener location.
Follow the Black Student Association and the Black Student Collective on Instagram to learn more about their leadership teams and upcoming events.
Together with our donors, Laurier provides student financial support, educational initiatives and events through the campus Centres for Student Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, and the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Highest Priority Needs fund.
You can support Laurier’s thriving Black community with a donation to the Centres for Student Equity, Diversity and Inclusion or the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Highest Priority Needs Fund at give.wlu.ca/edi.
Laurier alumni around the world are working to build more equitable and just communities
Stories celebrating the work of Black staff and faculty members at Laurier will be shared throughout Black History Month. Be sure to check back often.
Laurier’s Black Faculty and Staff Caucus aims to engage, empower and protect the interests of Black faculty and staff members while contributing to the capacity and community building necessary for the equitable participation of Black professionals at Laurier. The caucus formed in February 2021 under the guidance of Lamine Diallo, an associate professor in the Leadership program and an equity, diversity and inclusion faculty colleague.
Membership is open to all faculty and staff who self-identify as Black and provides the opportunity to support equity, diversity and inclusion on Laurier’s campuses as it relates to Black experiences.
Black faculty and staff members interested in learning more, getting involved or continuing their involvement can email blackcaucus@wlu.ca for next steps. Together, we can enhance the experiences of all Black faculty and staff and champion the benefits of diversity across Laurier.
While studying the experiences of Black high school students as part of her master’s degree, Kiara Daw learned that her passion lies at the intersection of education and equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) efforts. Through Laurier’s work-study program, she worked with the Office of the Associate Vice-President: EDI to develop an inclusive research course.
Now, while pursuing her Bachelor of Education degree, she continues to immerse herself in EDI-centred research at Laurier. Read more about Daw's research collaborations, her passion for inclusive education and why she hopes to have a long future at Laurier.
Funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the Undergraduate Student Research Award (USRA) program enables talented, hardworking students to learn from mentors in their respective STEM fields and help cultivate new research. During 16-week internships, students earn real-world work experience and potentially kickstart a path toward future graduate studies.
Nikaela Walker, Jordan Meikle and Lorecha Lobulo participated in the USRA program in 2023. They worked alongside Laurier faculty members to investigate existing ideas and formulate novel solutions to global problems. Learn about their experiences and the positive impacts they hope to make through their research.
The Tshepo Institute for the Study of Contemporary Africa (TISCA) is a university-wide research centre with active members from multiple faculties involved in Afrocentric research projects.
Founded in 2003 at Laurier's Brantford campus, TISCA aims to provide scholars specializing in Africa with a platform and voice to produce and share timely interdisciplinary knowledge and discourse about issues affecting contemporary Continental Africa and its diaspora.
Several exceptional Laurier events take place throughout Black History Month. As an institution, Laurier continues to build and support Laurier’s thriving Black community by offering workshops, learning from research, and adding courses on equity, diversity and inclusion.
Join us as we learn about Black experiences, break barriers, and continue to support Laurier’s thriving Black community. All events are listed in the university calendar and are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted.
