Today, our Black History Month coverage takes us to the beautiful southern Albertan city of Lethbridge.
Since 2017, Ibrahim Turay, an Instructor at the School of Justice at Lethbridge College has been using his own money, with some financial support from the LCSA, Centre for Justice & Human Services and Language Centre at the College to put on Black History Month events. This year, he got financial support from the college, with the support of other staff members, and the student union, they put on a wonderful Black History Month celebration on February 27, a lunch-and-learn session featuring Nigerian-inspired food and a special guest speaker.
The special guest was The Immigrant Experience Show Host, author, and retired civil servant, Moji Taiwo, who was a Communication Arts, Broadcast Journalism student at Lethbridge College in 1981.
In a phone conversation, Moji told Diversity Magazine that she was glad to be back home as she was given a celebrity treatment, doing rounds with local media, photos with students, and signing copies of her books; I Give because I’m Blessed, I’m Blessed because I Give, and her children’s series Grandma and Her Munchkins.
During the noon-hour presentation, hundreds of students attended in person and online. Taiwo shared her story as a newcomer to Canada, her experiences as a student of colour at the college in the early 1980s, career challenges and successes on her way to an award-winning career in Alberta’s Corrections system, and her encouragement to all people to never give up and to serve as our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers.
Turay told Diversity Magazine in a phone conversation that he wishes the financial support from the college continues as they look forward to future Black History Month events.
