Tuesday, February 1, 2022

Celebrating Black History Month at Waterloo

A message from the Ujima Black History Month planning committee.

In 1995, the House of Commons recognized February as Black History Month in Canada. During this month, many Canadians and institutions take a moment to examine the dark history of racism in Canada that was generated from slavery and the Transatlantic slave trade.

The emergence of Black History Month is attributed to Carter Woodson (1875-1950) who is known as the creator of Black History Month. As a historian and published author, Woodson was concerned that the stories of Black people and their achievements were not recognized and shared in the wider world. He dedicated his life to educating African Americans about the achievements and contributions of their ancestors. In 1926, he dedicated the second week of February to celebrating Black achievements. Within a decade the celebration of Black history had grown tremendously. While it was proposed to become an annual American celebration in 1969, it was not until 1975 that President Gerald Ford recognized February as Black History Month. Ford commented that the accomplishments of African Americans had been neglected for too long.

Today, during the month of February, people around the world celebrate incredible stories of Black people, who have made a tremendous impact in our world. In Canada, we celebrate those who have contributed to Black liberation and progress, such as Viola Desmond, Lincoln Alexander, Oscar Peterson, and George Elliott Clarke - to name a very few.

Black History Month is also a reminder that during the other eleven months of the year we must continue to learn, reflect and act on the need for a more equitable and just society where all can feel a sense of belonging and inclusivity. 

“We use February to spotlight Blackness and Black history,” said Dr. Christopher Stuart Taylor, associate vice-president, of the office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-racism. “This year, I'm challenging us to (re)think and (re)imagine the space and place of Black people in society, our historical narrative, and the one month a year we choose to ‘celebrate’ Blackness and Black people.”

“Our goal is to celebrate Black history in the campus community and beyond, and to celebrate these histories in February and beyond. Any time is the right time for celebration and actions,” Dr. Taylor said.

“As we celebrate Black history and the many achievements and successes of Black Canadians and others, we must also reflect on what we can to build a more equitable and just society for all,” said Vivek Goel, President and Vice-Chancellor. “We must ensure that racism and oppression have no room in our workplaces or communities. Together, we must work on continuing the essential work of self-reflection and intentional anti-racism,” he said.

What can you expect from Ujima Black History Month at UWaterloo?  

We’ve entitled our University’s celebration of Black History Month with the symbol Ujima. The creator and founder of Kwanzaa, Dr. Maulana Karenga, stated that Ujima, a Swahili word from South Africa, is the principle of collective work and responsibility. Ujima is also “a commitment to active and informed togetherness on matters of common interest” and represents the internalized ethos that guides one’s life for the common benefit of ourselves and our larger communities. With the goal of liberation from oppressive forces, and we want our UWaterloo community to understand that, though we might differ in strategy and process, this fundamental goal is something we can achieve together. Most importantly, Ujima recognizes that “without collective work and struggle, progress is impossible, and liberation unthinkable”. 

You can expect virtual events, stories, and other initiatives by and with UWaterloo folks and guests that, echoing Karenga, speak to a collective culture and identity and highlight our shared responsibility for institutional and wider systemic change.

Learn more about UWaterloo’s Ujima Black History Month.

Research improves equal access to community supports

By Melanie Scott. This article was originally posted on Waterloo News.

A group of researchers from the University of Waterloo is providing community partners with training and resources to support people living with dementia. The research project, Dementia Resources for Eating, Activity and Meaningful Inclusion (DREAM), aims to improve knowledge and attitudes around physical activity, healthy diet and inclusive programming. 

“Instead of specialized programs for people living with dementia, our resources aim to give current wellness providers, such as exercise instructors, dietitians and those who provide cultural, religious or other community programming, the ability to adapt their current services to be more inclusive,” says Laura Middleton, a Kinesiology and Health Sciences professor who leads the project. 

January marks Alzheimer’s Awareness Month and according to the Alzheimer Society of Canada, over 500 thousand Canadians are currently living with dementia. That number is expected to increase to 912 thousand by 2030. Women make up 70 per cent of people affected by Alzheimer’s disease.  

“People living with dementia have a right to benefit from health care and rehabilitation through exercise and support for healthy eating, and to participate in recreational and leisure activities in their communities,” says Middleton. “This is a right supported by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability.” 

The DREAM project is co-led by Middleton and Heather Keller, another Kinesiology and Health Sciences professor. It brings together 40 people and 15 organizations to develop and deliver training modules, pilot test and evaluate wellness programs to ensure they meet the needs and preferences of people living with dementia and their care partners. The training includes information on abilities, challenges and the rights of people living with dementia. It makes recommendations for communication, program delivery and facility design. 

“Our goal is to help community wellness program providers understand dementia and how to engage people living with dementia in their programs," says Middleton. “Our resources work to de-stigmatize dementia and teach how small changes can support inclusion. It can be as simple as reducing noise or using clear communication in program delivery. Ultimately, these accommodations will benefit others in the community as well, such as those with stroke or Parkinson’s disease or those living with cognitive or learning delays.” 

Funded by a Public Health Agency grant, the project has completed its first stage: the co-development of video and learning materials with exercise professionals, dieticians and other community partners. The training modules can be completed online and are free to access for anyone. Resources for people living with dementia and their families to learn about ways to improve their well-being are also available. The second phase of the project, which has just begun, includes the implementation and evaluation of training and programming. The long-term goal is to improve the number, quality and variety of physical activity, healthy eating and wellness opportunities available to people living with dementia.

GRADflix winners named

A message from Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs.

Please join us in congratulating the winners of the 2022 GRADflix competition.

On January 31, Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs hosted its fourth annual GRADflix Showcase, a virtual red-carpet event featuring the 25 best one-minute videos made by graduate students to describe their research.

After a tough deliberation, a judging panel comprising Clare Bermingham (Writing and Communication Centre), Chris Peace (Waterloo International), and Tracelyn Cornelius (University Relations) selected four winning videos that best exemplified and communicated the amazing research being carried out by UWaterloo grad students. The audience decided the People’s Choice Award winner.

The winners are:

• 1st place - $750 prize: Eugenia Dadzie, from the Department of Biology, for her video Microbes and enzymes: sustainable plastic degradation

• 2nd place - $500 prize: Atiyeh Ahmadi, from the Department of Biology, for her video video Let's go for healthier future!
• 3rd place - $250 prize: Cameron McGlade-Bouchard, from the School of Environment, Enterprise & Development, for her video Challenging voluntary sustainability standards’ role in filling global regulatory gaps
• 4th place - $250 prize: Mariam Gad, from the Department of Chemical Engineering, for her video Silicon batteries
• People’s Choice - $250 prize: Maria Bernadette Battaglia, from the School of Environment, Resources, and Sustainability, for her video Human behaviour and small-scale fisheries governance: the role of social norms

All of this year’s GRADflix videos can now be viewed online.

Board of Governors meets today and other notes

The University's Board of Governors has its first meeting of 2022 today at 1:30 p.m. on MS Teams. Among the agenda items:

• A motion to approve a number of sabbaticals and administrative leaves;
• a motion to approve changes to the Student Services Fee for undergraduate and graduate students;
• a motion to approve changes to the residence fees for 2022-2023;
• a motion to approve revisions to University Policy 42 - Prevention of and Response to Sexual Violence;
• a motion to approve the 2022-2023 tuition fee changes and the 2022-2023 co-op fee;
• a motion to approve the Statement of Investment Policies and Procedures (SIPP) and Fund Implementation Procedures (FIP) for the University's pension plan effective February 1, 2022; and the delegation of oversight for the FIP to the Pension & Benefits Committee (P+B), including the responsibility to review and approve any recommended changes to the FIP, in accordance with the terms thereof and the governing documents for P+B and Pension Investment Committee (PIC);
• a motion to approve a number of new academic appointments with tenure;
• a motion to approve amendments to the resolution for the Audit & Risk Committee's membership; and
• a motion to elect members to the Finance & Investment Committee and Audit & Risk Committee.

Additionally, the Board will hear reports from the President and Vice-Chancellor and the Vice-President, Academic & Provost on a number of issues.

First-year students: are you feeling stuck writing an assignment or don’t know where to start? If so, Waterloo Ready to Write is a collection of online resources to help you tackle any communication task. "Whether you’re working on a research paper, essay, report, or presentation, our self-guided resources are going to be your new best friend," says a note from the Writing and Communication Centre (WCC). "Check out our Waterloo Ready to Write workshops + resources to learn at your own pace."