This year’s celebration of Black History Month offers new perspectives

One spotlight is on architecture, but events include a Black Community Gathering and a panel discussion on Black women’s entrepreneurship
Montreal Steppers at the 2024 McGill BHM opening event
The Montreal Steppers at the 2024 McGill BHM opening event (credit: Nicolas Debrosse Photographie. )

The 2025 edition of Black History Month at McGill highlights spaces and design and their importance to Black communities, but, as always, includes a wide range of events.

Each year, the Equity Team collaborates with a different faculty, bringing new perspectives. For this edition, the partnership is with the Faculty of Engineering and its Peter Guo-hua Fu School of Architecture.

“These fields are historically exclusionary, and that legacy continues to the present day and shapes who can be an architect or engineer and what ideas and projects are given the spotlight,” said Lynda Bulimo, Equity Education Advisor at McGill and the lead organizer of Black History Month 2025.

“There’s something we can all learn from those trained through the lens of space because they tell an important story of how we move and exist in the world: why some spaces feel like you can be yourself and why some spaces don’t feel welcoming because of oppressive structures. Weaving together these perspectives will be eye-opening, allowing us to see spaces — and their impacts on different communities – differently,” she said.

Keynote by Shane Laptiste

Delivering the keynote Feb. 6 will be architect Shane Laptiste, principal and co-founder of the award-winning, Toronto-based Studio of Contemporary Architecture (SOCA). A McGill graduate who teaches at the architecture school, Laptiste, whose focus is community-informed architecture, was a natural choice, said David Theodore, professor and Director of the Peter Guo-hua Fu School of Architecture.

“It’s rare for anybody to have the last couple of years as an architect that he’s had, it’s very impressive,” Theodore said.

“He’s a Montrealer, he’s a graduate of the School, he’s working on relevant projects, he’s been working with the Black community inside of the school. It’s a perfect match.”

Audience at the opening event of BHM 2024
Audience at the opening event of BHM 2024 (credit: Nicolas Debrosse Photographie. )

For Theodore, the focus on architecture this year is also a fitting choice for McGill.

“When we think of McGill as a place, we think of its architecture, so it is good to have somebody discussing what that would mean. It’s a bonus that in the Black community, we’ve been thinking about architecture in the last few years, as well. So, when you put those two things together, I think that’s a rare event,” he said.

Theodore said also significant is the location of Laptiste’s keynote and the accompanying BHM opening ceremony: Tanna Schulich Hall in the Elizabeth Wirth Music Building, an award-winning building by Saucier + Perrotte architects.

“We’ll be in a place that illustrates what we’re talking about when we’re talking about the value of architecture. We’re going to be gathered in a room that was specifically made to gather people together to do this kind of celebration. There’s an opportunity there for people to think about this in their own experience,” Theodore said.

Laptiste’s keynote (for which registration is required) is part of a month-long calendar of events at McGill; some are organized by the Equity Team, while others are presented by an array of departments, units and groups.

Creating community

“Black History Month has always been an important occasion for bringing people together to learn and celebrate and it’s been incredible to witness the growth over the years,” said Shanice Yarde, Associate Director, Anti-Racism and Equity Education in the Office of the Provost and Executive Vice-President (Academic).

“Although this is the 9th year of celebration at the institutional level, we must always remember that Black community members at McGill have been organizing and celebrating Black history and Black contributions for decades. This legacy inspires the work we continue today, and we are proud to see the broader McGill community join us in our efforts.”

Highlights of BHM include:

For the full list of BHM events at McGill, please visit this page. Check it throughout the month of February as new events are added and submit your events to have them included on the list