Canada and the Black Atlantic World: Panel Discussion at the Past/Future 2022 Symposium

Symposium: “Past/Future: African Canadian History, Arts, and Culture in STEM Education”
Presented by A Black People’s History of Canada

Past/Future: African Canadian History, Arts and Culture in STEM Education, is a conference of action and possibilities. It explored Black Canadian history, and further investigated how it can be integrated into STEM education. It featured notable scholars and educators and looked at the various ways African Canadian history arts and culture can be integrated into STEM courses. Teachers, academics, students, and cultural workers offered panels, workshops, and cultural presentations. This was the inaugural conference of A Black People’s History of Canada Project. A Black People’s History of Canada is designed to create and share exciting new materials for teaching and learning African Canadian history across the curriculum.

Event Details: Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada from 26 to 28 July 2022

Conference Program

Day 1, Welcome
Speakers: Welcome from Dr. Afua Cooper, Her Excellency Michaëlle Jean, Honorary Patron of the conference, and senior Dalhousie officials including President Deep Saini, and Provost Frank Harvey.

Day 1, Introduction to A Black People’s History of Canada
Speaker: Dr. Afua Cooper

Day 1, Session 1: Canada and Slavery
Moderator: Isaac Saney
Panel: Afua Cooper, Natasha Henry, Catherine Couttreau-Robins

Day 1, Lunch Session
At this lunch session, Marcia Ostashewski from Centre for Sound Communities, CBU, gives a hands-on presentation dealing the topic of decolonizing community music by focusing on the music technology of West Africa.

Day 1, Session 2: Canada and the Black Atlantic World
Moderator: Claudine Bonner
Panel: Amani Whitfield, Adrienne Shadd, Christine Wood

Day 1, Session 3: Historians of the Future
Moderator: Dana Campbell
Panel: Evan Jennex, Bashir Mohammed, Robyn Brown

DAY 2

Day 2, Session 1: Teaching African Canadian History, Arts & Culture in STEM
Moderator: Natasha Henry
Panel: Eddia Solas, Graham Nickerson, Aaron Wright

Day 2, Session 2: Teaching in STEM in the Maritimes
Moderator: Eddia Solas
Panel: Karen Hudson, Eartha Monard, Marcia Ostashewski

Day 2, Lunch Session
Dolana Mogadime, on the importance of oral histories, human rights and intersectionality: Black women in STEM

Day 2, Session 3: Teaching in STEM across Canada
Speakers: Nikitha Fester, Christian Mbanza, Jennifer Adams

Day 2, Session 4: Using Social Media in Teaching STEM
Speaker: Wade Pfaff

Day 2, Evening Session: Imhotep’s Legacy Academy - Black History in STEM Essay Competition
Moderator: Pemberton Cyrus
Speakers: Tobias Karakach, Chigozie L. Okolie, Adango Miadonye

About A Black People’s History of Canada
📕 Sharing stories of Canada's rich Black Canadian heritage
🔧 Developing teaching materials for classrooms

A Black People’s History of Canada (BPHC) is a three-year project initiated by the Department of Canadian Heritage and Dalhousie University in 2021. Its purpose is to conduct new research into our nation’s rich African Canadian heritage.

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