College celebrates Black History Month
Lethbridge College celebrated Black History Month on Wednesday to the sounds of African drums beating and the aroma of rich, spicy food wafting though the air.
The event, in its second year, is intended to showcase the college’s diversity and the diversity of the city as a whole, said organizer Ibrahim Turay, who teaches in LC’s School of Justice.
“I noticed when I first came here in 2015 there was nothing going on in terms of celebrating Black History Month,” said Turay, who originally hails from Sierra Leone, “and so last year I talked to some students and we decided to make a celebration in February of Black History Month. Part of my goal is to celebrate diversity in the college. This is expressed in the things we wear and the food we eat. This type of event brings everybody in to make connections with others.”
As part of the festivities, those in attendance were treated to a delicious Somali sampler meal, heard lectures on racial justice in Canada and participated in free African drum lessons. Business administration accounting student Ruth Aloisius, whose heritage is Indian and Nigerian, was one of the student volunteers helping out at the event.
“I am very proud to be halfblack,” she said, “and honestly I grew up within the black culture. I love it so much ... I love that a bunch of us can get together and celebrate our culture. And we can show the food, clothes and everything to highlight what our (black) culture is. It’s fun to show people what we are all about.”