Lloydminster city council marked the start of February by recognizing the 30th anniversary of Black History Month in Canada.
“I wanted to open this February as Black History Month at this council table and for our community,” said Coun. Michele Charles Gustafson.
Read more: Seniors serve Lakeland Rustlers well
Black History Month celebrates the legacy and contributions of Black people in Canada and their communities.
“This year marks the 30th year of Black History Month in Canada and it all started with our honourable Jean Augustine, who was the first Black member of parliament in the House of Commons in 1996,” said Charles Gustafson. “She presented a motion to make Black History Month a national month of celebration and recognition.”
Charles Gustafso also talked about her own experiences as a Black Canadian.
“Even with this national recognition established, Black folks, particularly in rural and northern communities, don’t necessarily have a lot of numbers around them and can often feel very conspicuously invisible,” she said. “This paradoxical phrase describes the feeling I’ve had over the years of feeling consistently seen, yet at the same time, overlooked or ignored in a majority setting.”
Her messages to the wider community were clear.
“To the African, Caribbean and American black communities in our city and region, you are not invisible, you are seen, your contribution is essential to our communities and to this country. Not only this month, but beyond it,” she said. “Be proud of the pioneering spirit you bring to your rural communities. We need them in the rooms, at the tables, in the meetings and at the events.
“To our wider community, I know you might want us to know that you don’t see colour, but I want to tell you that we need you to. Not as a way to create separation or discrimination, but when you see all of us, you acknowledge that our life experience has informed what it means to be in this skin. That acknowledgement is not a bad thing, it’s powerful for creating a powerful community where we all contribute.”
She says it’s important to put yourself in the various stories told this month.
“Imagine how it would feel to live as we do,” said Charles Gustafson. “Imagine being Dr. Augustine presenting her motion of Black History Month as the only one that looked like her rising in the House of Commons for the first time. Imagine being a single voice at a table where you feel you’ll be misunderstood of conspicuously invisible; the feeling is real.”
Her hope is that residents will take the chance to learn about stories they may not have known about Black Canadians and how they experience the world.
“This month is an opportunity for all of us to open ourselves to new stories of resilience and what they teach us as we strive to create more connected community that celebrates unity in every kind of diversity,” she said.
Mayor Gerald Aalbers echoed the sentiment saying it’s important for people to learn.
“I appreciate the efforts that are put into it and encourage people to learn more each and every day,” he said.
Author Leander Lane will speak at the Lloydminster Museum and Archives on Feb. 28 at 2 p.m., sharing his experiences reconnecting with his roots in the Shiloh community.
Read more: Fish and game banquet sees yearly growth
