SAINT-LAMBERT
Champlain Saint-Lambert Launches Month of Programming for Black History Month

Champlain Saint-Lambert is marking Black History Month with a series of events aimed to highlight Black culture and heritage through food, music, dance and educational workshops.

This series of events was organized by Student Services and the Black Lives Allyship Mission (BLAM) student group with the goal of stimulating the intellectual, cultural and social growth of our Champlain community.

"At Champlain, the BLAM students take a lead on creating and implementing programming that keeps the conversation going throughout the year," said Wanita Jones, a psychologist with the mental health team and advisor to leadership students.

"Black History Month is an excellent starting point upon which we build a year-long program to ensure that our community is educated not only about the past but also about the ongoing struggles of racial inequality and systemic racism, as well as the achievements, and contributions of Black individuals," said Jones.

"Our BLAM students emphasize the importance of allyship within their mission as we aspire to create an inclusive community and foster an environment where allyship can thrive! This way, we can all unlearn and re-learn as a collective to be able to challenge systems of oppression and truly make a difference."

The month kicked off with the Soul Food Cafe event which included free meals from Boom J's Caribbean Cuisine and a presentation by Omari Newton from Overture With The Arts.

This year's OWTA presentation focused on the often forgotten histories of early Black communities across Canada.

During the month, events are planned to showcase Djamboola and emphasize the importance of music within the African culture and community with a workshop led by guest Ricard Laubonet.

Later in February, students will be treated to a steelpan drum performance by Fatima Wilson.

"Celebrating diversity is also of great value as we bring together the unique features of Black culture and around music, food and dance," added Jones.

Montreal salon owner Nancy Falaise will give a workshop on campus, speaking about Black hair care and the trend toward embracing natural curls.

An evening event highlighting Black entrepreneurs and business owners is also planned to shine a light on the career opportunities for young people.

At the end-of-month block party, a live dance performance from Break City Street Dance Program is planned for all members of the campus community.