The Sooke School District is proud to participate in a virtual Black Excellence Day on Friday, January 13. The event is hosted by the Burnaby School District and led by the Ninandotoo Society. Over 5,000 students from our middle and secondary schools will be tuning into this meaningful, inclusive and accessible experience. Events like this offer us the opportunity to learn about each other, to better understand equity, and the importance of both inclusivity and acceptance in our schools and beyond.
Black Excellence Day is a lead up to Black History Month. It is an opportunity to celebrate and acknowledge Black history, stories, art and people in solidarity with Black Canadians. It will also highlight the contributions of Black Canadians and the ongoing civil rights struggles that often go unacknowledged in our history books and school curriculum.
The event will feature discussions on the contributions of Black Canadians and their ongoing civil rights struggle, with presentations from the following guest speakers:
- Hon. Rachna Singh, Minister of Education and Child Care
- Hon. Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion
- Alice Mũrage, Director, African Ancestry Project
- Debra Olaniyi, Associate-Manager of Programs and Services, Federation of Black Canadians
- Sheba Birhanu, Associate Director of Partnerships, Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA)
- Djaka Blais, Executive Director, Hogan’s Alley Society
- Tychon Carter-Newman, Motivational Speaker and Social Media Influencer
- Bryan Burnham, Retired BC Lions Wide Receiver
- Javain Brown, Vancouver Whitecaps Defender
- Elage Bah, Vancouver Whitecaps Midfielder
- Dakota Joshua, Vancouver Canucks Prospect
- Joey “King Handles” Haywood, Former Pro Basketball Player and Elite Basketball Trainer
- Khari Wendell McClelland, Musician & Music Historian
- Albert St. Albert Smith, Musician
- Amaal Nuux, Singer
- Jeremiah Brooks, North Surrey Secondary student
- Dieulane Miller, Student & BED ’23 logo designer
- Annecia Thomas, Student & Activist