SAIT proudly celebrates Black History Month to honour black people on campus
Oluwafisayo Oloruntoba stands in the Stan Grad building at SAIT, Calgary on Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2024. Oloruntoba is a data analytics at the BEES(Black Empowerment and Excellence at SAIT) Club. (Photo by Sukhneet Kaur/The Press)
BEES (Black Empowerment and Excellence at SAIT) club at SAIT and Afro-Caribbean Student Club organized a Black History Month fest in the Heritage Hall at SAIT on February 27 to celebrate the heritage of black people.
The month of February is celebrated as Black History Month every year to honour and recognize the achievements, contributions, and history of African Americans. The observance originated in the United States and has since been adopted by several other countries.
BEES (Black Empowerment and Excellence at SAIT) is a group of black students who support black people on campus. The Afro-Caribbean Student Club of SAITSA combats anti-black racism at SAIT and supports black students on campus.
The theme for SAIT’s Febuary month was the celebration of Black Joy. Events like these hold personal significance for a lot of black students and make them feel connected to their roots.
“It makes me remember my family back home and my country,” said Boluwazifu Omoleye, a SAIT student.
During the BHM festival, students enjoyed several activities and free refreshments. The Afro Hause YYC group took centre stage and captivated the audience with a lively dance performance that celebrated the rich history and heritage of black culture.
Members of the BEES expressed their pride in being part of an event that not only celebrated black history but also promoted unity and inclusivity on campus.
“It is to show that black is important in Canada, and events like these encourage more people to show it. I am glad that everyone came out to enjoy themselves,” said Oluwafisayo Oloruntoba, data analytics manager.
The event featured various games, including chess and basketball, providing a lively atmosphere for students to engage and have fun.
Students were spinning the wheel to know more about the BEES Club.(Photo by Sukhneet Kaur/The Press)
There were free refreshments for the students like Popcorns.(Photo by Sukhneet Kaur/The Press)
Members of the Afro Hause YYC Group are performing a dance to enjoy the celebration of BHM.(Photo by Sukhneet Kaur/The Press)
“This event is all about bringing black students on campus together in one environment to celebrate the culture of African Americans. This is a moment for black students specifically on campus to come and enjoy themselves from the stress of midterm and everything else that might be going on in their lives,” said Akuon Makuei, managing director of the event and business administration student at SAIT.
SAIT Trojans also joined the event to celebrate the event with students, and students were happy to take pictures with him.
There were several other virtual and live events that took place in the month of February. Some of them were Speakers Panel: A Celebration of Black Joy through the Arts, and Inclusion Talks: Documentary Review: Speak It.
Artists like Olawunmi Idowu, Founder and Director of Woezo Africa Music & Dance Theatre Inc., Anthony Russell, Visual Artist Sydonne Warren, Mural Artist, and Instructor showed their art and diverse work in the speaker’s panel.
The Reg Erhardy library also collaborated with BEES to pick some physical and ebooks for Black History Month on the theme of Black Joy.
