Black History Month News Archive

February 27, 2025 — 
As Black History Month comes to an end, stories of resilience and triumph have come to the forefront. For Edmund Opoku-Agyeman, his journey from Ghana to Canada showcases the impact of centuries of history on personal identity and opportunity.   Born and raised in Ghana, Edmund’s connection to its history runs deep. His maternal hometown, Elmina, is home to Elmina Castle (Fort St George’s) —one of the most significant landmarks of the transatlantic slave trade. Built by the Portuguese in 1482, the castle evolved from a gold trading post into a major center for the enslavement of Africans.  “In the late seventies, a few hundred years after the castle was built, an extension of it was turned into a community secondary school,” Edmund recalls. “There was enough space for classrooms, a library, a canteen, administrative offices, staff common room, and even an assembly area. I was among the fourth batch of students to attend that school in the eighties.” 

February 21, 2025 — 
UM community members share their reflections

February 10, 2025 — 
Student-led initiative, Black barbershop help create welcoming places for men and boys to open up

January 29, 2025 — 
From bookclubs and podcasts to keynote speeches and panel discussions, the 2024-25 Promoting Black Flourishing Fund showcase the creativity and diversity of the Black community at UM.

February 23, 2024 — 
My father, the late professor Lawrence Fitzroy Douglas, accepted a position in the department of sociology at the University of Manitoba in 1967. He was the first Black faculty member in the department and one of its four founding members.

February 20, 2024 — 
Munashe Nhunzwi is a 4-year Biochemistry Co-op major who has also worked in Dr. Sabine Kuss's lab in the department of chemistry. In this interview, she shares the importance of working in a lab and developing experiments from scratch. She mentions lack of or delayed access to the correct information to be one of the main challenges for students when it comes to their studies and says she is determined to support prospective students with her knowledge as everyone “deserve[s] the correct information and the right guidance for their journey in university.”

February 20, 2024 — 
The reflection of Black History Month allows us to recognize a St John’s alum, former Max Rady college of Medicine professor and current St John's college council member Dr. June Marion James. The acclaimed Black physician and previous UM Distinguished Service Award recipient has faced both challenges and successes throughout her medical career.

February 12, 2024 — 
Promoting Black Flourishing Fund 2024

February 12, 2024 — 
Witta Irumva is a fourth-year genetics student at the University of Manitoba and UMSU Women’s Representative. In this interview with her, we learn about her journey in science, her challenges in the field of genetics, how she hopes the Faculty of Science supports students and her advocacy work for the UMSU Women's Centre and Black Student Empowerment Society.

February 9, 2024 — 
Bisons Men's Basketball guard Bolatito 'Tito' Obasoto is a leader on and off the court