Saturday 11 February 2023
Ottawa-Carleton District School Board celebrates 2023 Black History Month
by Ruth Aman
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) held its annual Black History Month program on Saturday, February 11th at Longfields-Davidson Heights Secondary School. This year’s theme was Black History: A Day of Celebration. Speeches that gripped the hearts of all listeners were made by invited speakers such as Megan Stewart and Director of Education Michele Giroux. Seated in the auditorium was an audience made up of students, teachers, board members and special guests, numbering over one hundred, who had came to watch and take part in this primarily student-led program.
Supported by school teacher Adrienne Coddette, students Graedy Ngabiro, Evangeline Tabiou, and Kishi Debo-Omidokun hosted the program. Coddette opened the show by welcoming all guests and she then introduced herself: “On the weekends you can find me on 89.1 Black on Black radio, but every weekday you’ll find me in Room 216 at Woodroffe High School”. As a teacher of world studies, law, and Black Canadian history, Adrienne has had much experience being a leader. However, she now recognized that leadership also meant getting out of her way for those that are younger than you.
Invited to speak first was Michele Giroux who had just become the Director of Education in early January. She spoke boldly saying that Black History Month should not just be limited to the 28 days in February or the years you learn about Black History in school. It is meant to be something celebrated and remembered each day we live on this earth. She then mentioned a number of initiatives that the Board had undertaken to combat anti-Black racism in schools. She also gave great assurence that she and the Board are committed to supporting the lives and legacies of Black Canadians.
Following this speech was the introduction of Prince Duah, the Superintendent of Instruction responsible for Central Schools in the Ottawa area. He first introduced himself and then rather than giving a speech as was planned, he gave his time to a young high school student named Naomi as Duah thought it would be best to uplift her voice. The poem was called Hidden Figures and it beautifully captured the sense of struggle between wanting to be who you are and wanting to belong.
The Keynote Speaker was Meghan Stewart, an Ottawa native with roots in Jamaica. She is the founder of Mindfulness Meghan and serves the community by providing individual or group coaching, e-courses, and corporate wellness programs designed to support individuals through the practice of mindfulness. By promoting wellness, she has opened the doors for many to prioritize their own mental health wellbeing in a practical way.
Her speech centred on the empowering of our identity, as she invited guests to sit on their emotions and learn from them, rather than trying to send them away. With PowerPoint slides of images, concepts, and diagrams, Meghan taught individuals the importance of mindfulness and how necessary it is to see it as a healing and essential part of an individual’s success. According to her, caring for ourselves is synonymous with caring for others, and life has shown this principle consistently ring true in everyone’s lives.
In connecting mindfulness to the lived experiences and racism faced by Black Canadians she reminded everyone that behaviours are learned. Not a single individual is ‘born racist’ yet they are taught to become racist. To successfully deal with racism, one must acknowledge that it is impossible to unlearn something, yet you can relearn it with better instruction and teaching. Therefore, educators and parents alike have a tremendous responsibility in ensuring that proper learning is done and awareness of other cultural experiences and identities is understood from an appropriate standpoint.
After a standing ovation from the audience, the three student hosts returned to the stage and gave a quick run through of the performances that were to come.
First was OrKidstra, a student band comprised of youth and children who come from lower-income areas throughout the city. The organization was founded to support children who loved music, yet were unable to receive classes because of the financial strain it would put on their caretakers and families. Therefore OrKidstra provides instruments and lessons to help those that are especially from underserved communities.
Teacher Bryan Parker and youths Ezekiel Callender and Vela Furlong Perry approached centre stage with their brass instruments and beautifully played two songs including the classic Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.
Next were Bellyn Civil and Daisy Alamene of Pinecrest Public school who performed traditional belly dancing. Following this were multiple musical performances from students from schools such as Canterbury High School, Hawthorne Public School, and Colonel By Secondary School.
A highlight of the show was Ashley Fyneah’s performance of I have Nothing by Whitney Houston. Complete with an outfit change and powerhouse vocals, this performance received a standing ovation with cheers and screams from the crowd. Fyneah is a student of Canterbury High School.
As the event concluded, guests were invited to refreshments in the school’s cafeteria. Guests were also invited to visit all the booths and display tables run by students in the main lobby. Schools throughout the area had representatives of the Black Student Clubs, with information on the work they do at their respective schools and showcase their achievements. Pictures below show the different schools and organizations that were supporting Black students in various capacities.
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Ruth Aman is a Project Officer with Black History Ottawa. She holds a Bachelor of Global and International Studies (Honors) degree, with a specialization in Law and Social Justice from Carleton University.