Jan. 15 is Black Excellence Day and Black Shirt Day
Today, the district is proud to support both Black Excellence Day and Black Shirt Day, two movements recognizing Black history, stories, art and people in solidarity with Black Canadians, as well as encouraging education and dialogue on the history of racism and civil rights in Canada.
“January 15th is a critically important day for racial equity in our schools and provides an opportunity to celebrate Black excellence through our students,” said JB Mahli, Director of Instruction for Racial Equity. “In our ongoing efforts to offer culturally responsive resources, we continue to recognize the triumphs, tribulations, resilience and joy of Black Canadians and raise their voices today and throughout the whole school year.”
Both movements coincide with the birthday of American civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and are reserved to promote racial inclusivity, recognize inequality and acknowledge the ongoing civil rights struggle of Black and racialized Canadians. The day itself is also a chance to show solidarity by wearing black.
For this year’s Black Excellence Day, Mary Jane Shannon Elementary asked students to define what it means to be Black, and received dozens of thoughtful answers – determined, kind, inclusive, unique, resilient, self-confident, active, creative, powerful, upstanding, beautiful, proud, integrity and love, among many more.
“We asked them ahead of time to brainstorm with their families, because when you’re thinking about your cultural heritage and who you are and where you come from, those conversations are important to have at home as well,” said principal Zahara Rawji. “They came back and they were able to celebrate and share who they are and why they’re proud to be Black.
“To have the opportunity to do this meaningful video, it was a nice bringing together of students, to give them a sense of pride in their identity, and to celebrate their similarities and their differences.”
Additionally, several Grade 6 and 7 girls from Mary Jane Shannon were invited to attend Girls in Conversations, an initiative by members of the recently founded Black student union at Guildford Park Secondary that prepares elementary students entering secondary school by introducing them to current secondary students.
“We have a great relationship with Guildford Park Secondary and it was just a really nice building of community, bridging the gap between elementary and secondary,” said Rawji.
Today, thousands of Surrey students from nearly every school across the district are attending a live virtual event hosted by the Ninandotoo Anti-Racism Society and the Burnaby School District on Zoom from 10:30 a.m. to noon. Mary Jane Shannon Elementary’s video will be part of the provincewide presentation, and the event will feature discussions on the contributions of Black Canadians and their ongoing civil rights struggle.
Events such as these are powerful opportunities to learn, promote inclusivity, acceptance and equity in our schools and communities.
