Celebration of Black Strength, Resilience and Passion
February is Black History Month in Canada, where we honour the contributions, achievements and lived experiences of Black community members. At Red Deer Polytechnic, we honour the contributions, achievements and lived experiences of students, alumni, faculty and staff.
Read on to discover the strength, resilience and passion of RDP's community members.
Meet Wemi and Encounter His Passion for Social and Racial Justice
Meet Wemi whose passion for impacting, helping and advocating for people led him to pursue his studies in the Social Work Diploma program at Red Deer Polytechnic. Wemi is from Nigeria and emigrated to Canada, and he also holds a degree in Industrial Chemistry.
“Black History Month is an opportunity to celebrate Black community members who had influenced and significantly impacted their society. It's an opportunity to create awareness of the legacy of the heroes in the past. These people have helped shape and well position our society.
I am passionate about social and racial justice because of their common traits: fairness, equitable division, and opportunity. As a prospective social worker, I want to fight for the right and justice of the oppressed, irrespective of who they are or what they believe. We live in a dysfunctional world where people face challenges daily, ranging from race, age, sex, etc. Therefore, we need to fight the system back with all we have. We need a world where people are put in a place of authority, not because of their colour but because of their competence. A world where the minority is not being oppressed and where we all respect each other cultures and beliefs.”
Dr. Anita Ewan is Paving the Way for Equitable Perinatal Mental and Maternal Health Services for Black Women
Meet Dr. Anita Ewan (she/her), an instructor in the Social Work Diploma program at Red Deer Polytechnic! Born and raised in Toronto, Dr. Ewan is a descendant of Jamaica.
"I am a first-generation graduate who has gained a lot of privilege because of my education. I have gained many opportunities as a Canadian. But there have been instances of racism, prejudice, and discrimination. What is particularly unique about racism in Canada is that it is covert. Sometimes this can be even more harmful because when people call Canadians out for their racism, they claim that they are not or that they “are nothing like America.”
As a Black woman, I have been overlooked for many opportunities, which have been provided to my lesser-qualified non-Black and non-racialized counterparts. I have also been penalized for speaking truths about my lived experience and the plight of my Black community. What Canada has allowed me to do, however, is to slowly recover from generational trauma and provide opportunities for my children that I did not get for myself. I believe my ancestors would be very proud.
I am focused on creating equitable perinatal mental health and maternal health service and care for Black women. I think Canada's focus on perinatal mental health, in general, is long overdue. However, studies show that Black women suffer at a much higher rate than their non-Black and non-racialized counterparts when experiencing perinatal mental health and maternal health challenges."
Dr. Robert Opoku Shares How Racial Justice Can Be Achieved through Connections and Conversations
Meet Dr. Robert Opoku, a former instructor who is currently the Director of Institutional Research at Red Deer Polytechnic.
"I am a Black Ghanaian who immigrated to Canada in June 2013. As a result, I am a first-generation immigrant with no direct connection to the history of Black people in this country. I consider myself Black, but not Black Canadian. My experiences differ from those of Black Canadians, but we are still connected.
My ancestry and racial background are extremely important to how I see myself. As an African immigrant, I am deeply committed to collectivism and spirituality. I have a strong sense of Black identity, perseverance, work ethic, and family orientation.
Black History Month, in my opinion, serves as a reminder of the beauty of being Black and the diversity of our people and culture. It is an opportunity to live with Black greatness and celebrate the Black race's past, present, and future in continental Africa and the African diaspora.
It is also a time to recognize who we are, what matters to us, and what we have offered and can still provide to the world. Notwithstanding, it serves as a valuable reminder that there is still much to be done to improve our communities and fortunes.
Our society is diverse, and educational institutions should be the change agents regarding racial justice. They must strategically work to recruit, engage, and promote educational leaders of different racial backgrounds to share the ladder of opportunity.
We all also must join in when it comes to fighting and addressing hate especially supporting the introduction of legislation to combat any form of hate.
I encourage everyone to step outside their comfort zone and engage in conversations that will challenge how they see the world by exchanging stories and sharing different points of view. Learning about other people's lived experiences can broaden our perspective on racial issues."
Tessie is Building a New Life in Canada
Meet Tessie (she/her), a second-year student from Ogun State, Nigeria, who is studying in the Practical Nursing program.
"Before I moved here, my mother hammered into me that I would be treated differently and that I would have to prove myself beyond a shadow of a doubt to get the opportunities I deserve. The world here would not give me chances, so I would have to take them because I was a Black woman.
I am fortunate, so my experience with racial justice in Canada has been fairly mild, apart from the expected ignorant Black stereotypes and overall view of what international students from a third-world country should look, act or talk like. That being said, I have not vied for any positions that would attest to my skills or knowledge, so I can only speak for the now.
However, I would say that the occasional slur can be frightening, especially in a small city like Red Deer, where Black people are a glaring minority and subjected to compliance with happy racism. Black people carry the burden of always representing the whole race. People equate their experience with one Black person to have experienced all of us, so Black people often will meet 'happy racism' with feigned ignorance. I always say that it's easier for people to recite ways to achieve racial justice, but it's a lot harder for allies to move for Black people, and that's just the hard truth.
An achievement I am most proud of is my life. I am proud I moved here on my own and built a life for myself. I am proud of my academic successes and the triumphs in my personal life. I fought tooth and nail to be here, so the stakes were always higher, and there was never the luxury of a safety net. If something does not work, I can't step back. I must work at it and turn it around. This is my reality. I must actualize my dreams to make my family's sacrifices worth it, and I am proud to say that I am building that for myself."
Inspired by RDP faculty, Ani continues to advocate locally for social and racial justice through her work and collaboration.
Meet Ani Dingamtar (she/her), an RDP Alum of the Social Work Diploma program, Class of 2016, and Queen’s Cross-Country athlete. Ani is of Chadian and Ukrainian descent.
"Since I was young, as a Black ciswoman, I never thought I belonged in academic spaces, but that changed for me when I came to Red Deer Polytechnic. I grew up with little representation. For me, seeing people I related to in the roles of instructors and professors at RDP reinforced hope and possibilities.
I continually practice with a racial justice lens. But one of the most memorable works I've done in racial and societal justice was to create a local community documentary. In the documentary, my colleagues and I identified the diversity and creativity of the many racial and social justice organizations. We also supported them in showcasing their collective efforts and work in the local community.
To support racial justice, Canadians need to do the difficult work, question their systems and institutions, question their biases, seek perspectives of people they see less in their spaces of belonging, and dismantle racial injustice both externally and internally."
The first post-secondary graduate in his family, David looks back with gratitude and forward with anticipation of more equitable future.
Meet David Fletcher (he/him), born and raised in Toronto, an RDP alum of the Social Work Diploma program, Class of 2019.
"Black History Month is a time of reflection and celebration. I am forever grateful for my ancestors, those who paved the way for me, and those who look like me. I reflect and take the time to expand my knowledge of what they experienced, and in turn, it allows me to appreciate how far we have come and never lose sight of where we are headed.
Black Canadians have such a unique history because we have very different backgrounds. Being Canadian-born, I have a deep respect for the first Black Canadians who experienced many injustices in Nova Scotia but showed incredible resilience and determination to overcome them.
I believe the onus is on each of us to get out of our comfort zone to learn about other cultures and people. All too often, the 'work' is left with the racialized groups to educate, empathize, understand and be patient, but it's an unfair exchange. I enjoy having conversations about my experiences or helping provide context and history for questions I may receive. Still, like anything else, it helps when someone has taken the time to read up on what they can, attend events that would enlighten them or take steps to get out of their comfort zone. It's a united effort that starts at an individual level and makes its way up to a structural level."