News

We extend a warm and heartfelt invitation to join us at Dalhousie’s Annual African Heritage Month Launch Day event and Flag-raising Ceremony on Feb. 1 at 12:00 noon.

A van will be available to transport Dal AC students, faculty and staff to Halifax on February 1st for the launch of African Heritage Month at Dalhousie.

The van leaves Dal AC at 9:00am and will return by 4:00pm - space is limited so please confirm your intention to David Parks (david.parks@dal.ca)

The main event will be held at the LeMarchant Building, followed by a ceremonial flag raising on the Studley Quad. This gathering has been and continues to be the capstone event for our university community to not only recognize multifaceted identities and rich legacies of Peoples of African Descent but also join in communion with one another to celebrate.  

Time: 12:00PM-2PM
Location: Atrium, LeMarchant Building & Studley Quad, Dalhousie

The commemoration of African Heritage Month can be traced back to 1926 when Harvard-educated Black historian, Carter G. Woodson, founded Negro History Week to recognize the achievements of African Americans. Woodson purposefully chose February for the birthdays of Frederick Douglas and Abraham Lincoln, both key figures in the emancipation of enslaved Blacks. In 1976, as part of the American Bicentennial celebrations, Negro History Week was expanded to Black History Month.  

The vast contributions of African-Canadians to Canadian society have been acknowledged informally since the early 1950s. However, Nova Scotia, particularly the Halifax Region, has been a leader in the promotion and awareness of African Heritage Month. Nova Scotia has 52 historic African Nova Scotian communities with a long, deep and complex history dating back over 200 years. African Heritage Month provides us with another opportunity to celebrate our culture, legacy, achievements, and contributions of our people – past and present. 

Time: 12:00PM-2PM
Location: Atrium, LeMarchant Building & Studley Quad, Dalhousie