Black History Month

Today's announcement focuses on Senator Wanda Thomas Bernard, a highly regarded Nova Scotian educator, social worker, researcher, and community activist.  Since 1990 she has been a professor at the Dalhousie School of Social Work and was its former director.  In 2016, she was appointed Special Advisor on Diversity and Inclusiveness at Dalhousie University.  In 2016, Prime Minister Trudeau appointed her to the Senate as an independent Senator representing Nova Scotia and as a result, Senator Thomas Bernard became the first African Nova Scotian woman to serve in the Senate Chamber.

Senator Wanda Thomas Bernard is the first African-Canadian to hold a tenure-track position at Dalhousie University and to be promoted to full professor.  She is a founding member of the Association of Black Social Workers, which helps address the needs of marginalized citizens, especially those of African descent.  Additionally, Senator Bernard's work as the past Chair of the Nova Scotia Advisory Council on the Status of Women led to the development of advice to ministers regarding frameworks for gender violence protection and health equity.

Senator Thomas Bernard has served as an expert witness on human rights cases and has presented at many local, national and international forums.  For her work, she has received many honours, including the Order of Canada in 2004 and the Order of Nova Scotia in 2012.

This Wednesday, February 26^th is National Pink Shirt Day.  It is a day when people across Canada come together by wearing pink shirts in school or work to show that they are against bullying.

As a reminder, the pink shirt anti-bullying movement came about after and incident in Nova Scotia in 2007 where Grade 12 students saw that a Grade 9 was being bullied for wearing a pink shirt on the first day of school.  The next day, the Grade 12 students handed out pink shirts in support of their Grade 9 peer.

Show your support and spirit here at CK by wearing pink this Wednesday.​

Black History Month

Black History Month

Founded in Windsor, Ontario, in 1934, the Hour-A-Day Study Club was originally called 'The Mothers' Club'.  Their pledge to study for one hour a day had a tremendous influence on the community as members of the Club became encouraged by school achievements and provided support for parents.  Each year, students who excelled in their studies received the Hour-A-Day Study Club scholarship awards.  The Club also organized many social and cultural events such as the Parents' Dinner and Mothers' Day worship services and the Spring Musical.

The Club was very active in promoting the rights of young women of colour in Canada.  When young women were being prevented from entering nursing, the Hour-A-Day Study Club petitioned the provincial Minister of Health and the University of Toronto to have Black nurses admitted.  Through the late 1940s to the early 1950s, Black women were gradually accepted as nursing students and eventually employed in hospitals in various centres across Canada.  Study Club members also took up various social causes, including helping to plan Emancipation Day festivities.

Black History Month

The Congress of Black Women of Canada was first convened in Toronto, Ontario in 1973 under the sponsorship of the Canadian Negro Women's Association, which was organized in 1951.

Through their discussions, it became apparent that there was a need for a national organization that could address issues facing Black women in Canada.

In 1974, the Montreal Regional Committee was founded.

Two years later, the delegates at a conference in Halifax set up a national organization and in 1977, in Windsor, a National Steering Committee was established to build a communication network and draft a constitution and an organizational structure.

It was in Winnipeg, in 1980, where the national organization was launched, the constitution ratified, and a national executive council was selected.

The Congress of Black Women remains dedicated to improving the lives of all Black women and their families in their local and national communities.

Tonight at 6:30pm in the CKSS Library, join us for a speaker led discussion of the signs, symptoms and coping strategies related to depression in secondary school age youth, and how parents and guardians can support impacted youth.

The speaker will share personal experiences and discuss the importance of peer support and other available public resources to parents, family members and friends.  Time will also be provided for questions and answers.