YMCA Calgary proudly joins people across Canada and around the world to celebrate Black History Month. The 2022 theme: “February and Forever: Celebrating Black History today and every day,” focuses on recognizing the daily contributions that Black Canadians make to Canada.
This includes acknowledging and celebrating Black YMCA staff and volunteers, and Black community members that participate in Y programming. Like Violet King, a Calgary trailblazer who became the first Black Canadian to obtain a law degree in Alberta, the first Black person admitted to the Alberta Bar and the first Black woman to practice law in Canada. She rounded out these historic achievements by later becoming the first woman named to an executive position with YMCA in the United States. We look forward to sharing this story, and many more.
Let this be an invitation to celebrate – and to learn, unpack, and take action to dismantle the anti-Black racism that exists on many levels. To effectively combat anti-Blackness, we must engage in lifelong learning and daily allyship. Here are just a few ways you can get involved:
- Attend Canada’s virtual celebration featuring performances, tributes, interviews, and more on Thursday February 17 at 7pm(ET). This event will be hosted on Facebook Live
- Join the virtual panel discussion titled “Black in Calgary: Where have we been and where are we going,” hosted by Calgary Public Library on February 3. To register or view other Black History Month events hosted by the Calgary Public Library, click here
Your voices are valued and can bring change. As the theme encourages, let’s continue to listen and learn from each other, year-round in our shared effort to dismantle systemic racism.