Black History Month

This Black History month, explore events, achievements, and inspirational stories of Black flourishing that continues to shape our university community.

Jump to: Events | Stories | Resources

A message from Vivek Goel, President and Vice-Chancellor

The University of Waterloo is proud to celebrate Black History Month. Black History Month in Canada celebrates the contributions and achievements of Black Canadians and communities. It was officially recognized in 1995 when the House of Commons unanimously adopted a motion introduced by the Honorable Jean Augustine, the first Black Canadian woman elected to Parliament. 

Our institution is committed to fostering and celebrating inclusion and belonging in our community. Throughout the year, we recognize various groups that make up our diverse community. This month, Waterloo’s Black History Month website highlights several inspiring stories. I encourage you to learn more about several students and faculty who are making a positive impact at Waterloo and beyond.  

On the website, you can read about individuals like Chris Wilson (BSc ’21), who is pursuing a Master of Design in Strategic Foresight and Innovation where he is exploring Black futures and looking how to help organizations support activists and community organizers to advance change.  

PhD student Eugenia Dadzie (BSc ’21,), a 2023 recipient of the Entrepreneurial PhD Fellowship, works alongside her supervisor Trevor Charles to investigate plastics biodegradation, bioplastics production and bacterial genome engineering. Her research has led to a venture called Metacycler Bioinnovations. The start-up uses bacteria to convert food waste to a fully biodegradable biopolymer with properties similar to pertroleum-derived plastics. 

And Oliver Schneider, a professor in the Faculty of Engineering who is leading a unique reconciliation project that incorporates digital oral histories to highlight the experiences of survivors of the Nova Scotia Home for Coloured Children within a virtual reality learning experience for secondary school students in Nova Scotia. 

I hope you’ll join me this month to celebrate the achievements and contributions of Black Canadians and their communities to the University and to Canada. 


2025 Black History Month Events

Black Hair Care+

February 6 | 4:00 p.m.

A hands on workshop to learn how to protect & manage Black hair during the harsh winter months. This event is open to all Black students, so come celebrate the beauty of Black hair.

Learn more and register on Portal

Flowetry: Open Mic & Visual Arts for Black History Month

February 6 | 7:00 p.m.

Join RAISE for an unforgettable night of artistic expression at Flowetry—an open mic event that showcases the power of creative voices.  Featuring a variety of performances from talented individuals, this free event will highlight the theme of resilience through music, poetry, spoken word, and more. 

Learn more and register today

Understanding the Black Family

February 13 | 4:00 p.m.

Come together to share your experiences as a Black student navigating university life. Together, we’ll explore the nuances of the Black family dynamic.

Learn more and register on Portal

Queer Film Series: "Pariah"

February 13 | 5:00 p.m.

The Queer Film Series (QFS) is a monthly screening coordinated by the Mathematics Equity Office. For this month's screening folks will be watching Pariah.  Reviewers describe Pariah as a powerful coming-of-age story about Alike, a Brooklyn teenager, as she navigates her identity while balancing family expectations and personal expression.

Learn more and register today

ABC (African, Black, and Caribbean) Chill

February 24 | 7:00 p.m.

Calling all African, Black, and Caribbean students across Renison! Join Renison Don David for an hour of chill conversation, free food, and conversation as we get to know more people across the Renison community.

Learn more on the Renison website

Anti-Racism Reads: Black Boys Like Me

February 27 | 12:00 p.m.

Join the Library for their next installment of Anti-Racism Reads, which will feature a conversation with the author Matthew R. Morris about his book Black Boys Like Me: Confrontations with Race, Identity, and Belonging.  

Learn more and register today

Black History Month Fête

February 27 | 6:00 p.m.

The APS Collaborative in partnership with The Black Collective and Black History Studies invites all students, staff, and faculty to join us as we honour the rich history, culture, and contributions of Black communities during our Black History Month Celebration! This vibrant and empowering event will be a night of music, art, dance, and soul food!

Learn more and register on Portal

Making a difference

Read about our students, researchers and alumni who are making a difference.

Black History and Anti-Racism Resources

Anti-Racism and Anti-Hate Supports

Our institution is committed to fostering a safe, inclusive, and supportive environment for all community members.

Visit this webpage to learn more about the University of Waterloo's commitments with respect to anti-racism and anti-hate and explore how the University is proactively creating an inclusive post-secondary environment.

Taskforces and working groups

Asynchronous training

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