Black History Month with Your SA
February is Black History Month, and your Students’ Association (SA) is bringing powerful conversations, vibrant culture, and community celebration to our campuses!
Published: February 13, 2026
February is Black History Month, and your Students’ Association (SA) is bringing powerful conversations, vibrant culture, and community celebration to our campuses! All events are open to Algonquin College students, so mark your calendar, bring a friend, and be part of this month-long celebration.
Full event details are available at AlgonquinSA.com/events. Here’s what’s happening this month:
Ottawa Campus Events
- Live Speed Painting and Live Auction
Tuesday, February 3 | Free Event
Allan André, Ottawa’s award-winning speed painter and founding member of the Ottawa Black Artist Collective (OBAK), kicked off Black History Month with a live speed painting in the Student Commons.
Attendees participated in a live silent auction to take home a one-of-a-kind piece while giving back to the campus community. All proceeds from the finished artwork went to the SA Food Cupboard to support students in need.
- Underground Comedy Railroad
Monday, February 23 | Algonquin College Students and Guests – $5.00
The 14th Annual Underground Comedy Railroad (UCR), founded in 2012, is Canada’s first all-Black comedy tour. Each February, UCR brings Black comedians and their unique stories to audiences nationwide for Black History Month.
Featuring comedians Daniel Woodrow, Rodney Ramsey, Tamara Shevon and Keesha Brownie. Click here to get your tickets now!
- Sip n’ Paint with Art Life Andre
Wednesday, February 25 | Algonquin College Students, Free Event – $10 refundable deposit
Allan André is back for an interactive evening that invites students to explore creativity, storytelling, and self-expression through art, while celebrating Black history, culture, and contemporary Black voices. Participants will take part in a relaxed, welcoming paint night experience, learning techniques, and expressing their individuality. Click here to learn more and save your seat!
Pembroke Campus Events
Brought to you by AC Pembroke Campus and your SA
- The Bramburger Speaker Series presents – Kwame Osei
Wednesday, February 4 | Free Event
Attendees joined Kwame Osei for a compelling evening of storytelling and insight. Drawing from lived experience, Kwame explored how equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging shaped our mental, social, and emotional well-being, especially in academic and professional spaces.
- African Dance & Performance
Monday, February 9 | Free Event
Students and staff experienced the rhythm, movement, and storytelling of African dance in this high-energy live performance. It was a chance to engage with cultural expressions that have shaped global music, dance, and art.
- Free Jamaican Patties
Monday, February 23 | Free Event
Stop by the cafeteria for free Jamaican patties and connect with fellow students over great food. While supplies last!
Black Canadian History Display
Poster boards highlighting prominent Black Canadians who have shaped culture, politics, activism, and the arts are on display in the Student Commons at the Ottawa, Pembroke, and Perth campuses, offering opportunities for learning and reflection throughout the month. Explore their profiles below:
Mathieu da Costa
Mathieu da Costa(1586 – ?)
Mathieu da Costa was the first known free Black person in Canada, arriving in 1604 with French explorers. He worked as a multilingual interpreter and played a crucial role in bridging the communication gap between Indigenous peoples and Europeans. Da Costa disappeared from historical records in 1609, and his later life remains a mystery.
Mary Ann Shadd Cary
(1823 – 1893)
Mary Ann Shadd Cary was the first Black woman to publish a newspaper in North America. She established a racially integrated school for Black children in Windsor, Ontario and advocated for women’s rights and the abolition of slavery.
Elijah McCoy
(1844 – 1929)
Renowned Canadian inventor Elijah McCoy was born to parents who had escaped slavery in Kentucky via the Underground Railroad. His first patented invention was an automatic lubricating oil cup for locomotives, which was so reliable that buyers would specifically ask for the “Real McCoy,” a phrase still used today. He established the Elijah McCoy Manufacturing Company in 1920 and held more than 50 patents in his lifetime.
John Ware
(1845 – 1905)
Born into slavery in the American South, John Ware gained his freedom after the end of the Civil War and headed north to work as a cowboy. He quickly gained a reputation for his skill and experience, and in 1882, joined a cattle drive to the District of Alberta. By 1888, he had established his ranch on Sheep Creek and achieved success in a white-dominated industry.
Kathleen “Kay” Livingstone
(1919 – 1975)
Kay Livingstone was a pioneering Black Canadian radio host, actress, and advocate for racial equality. She started the Canadian Negro Women’s Association and organized the first National Black Women’s Congress. Honoured as a national historic person in 2011, she left a legacy of empowerment and education for young women.
Jackie Shane
Jackie Shane(1940 – 2019)
Born in Nashville, Tennessee, Jackie Shane moved to Canada in 1959.
A pioneering transgender performer in Toronto’s 1960s R&B scene, her hit “Any Other Way” became a local favourite. Shane’s unapologetic presence as a transgender performer has inspired generations of LGBTQ2+ artists, and in 2023, the City of Toronto officially proclaimed June 23 “Jackie Shane Day” in her honour.
Georges Anglade
(1944 – 2010)
Georges Anglade was a Haitian-Canadian geographer, writer, and political activist. In 1968, he became a professor at the Institute of Demography in Strasbourg. A year later, he co-founded the University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM), where he taught social geography until 2002 and helped establish a network of universities across the province. Anglade also chaired the Miami International Political Conference, which was crucial in initiating democracy in Haiti.
Debbie Douglas
(1950s – present)
Debbie Douglas is a Grenada-born Canadian activist and community leader. In the early 1980s, she co-founded Zami, Canada’s first support group for LGBTI Black and Caribbean individuals. Douglas was also a resident at the 101 Dewson Street Collective, an activism hub within the 2SLGBTQIA+ Black and POC communities.
She has co-written and produced several documentaries and received numerous awards, including the Order of Canada in 2023. Douglas is currently the Executive Director of the Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants (OCASI) and has played a vital role in promoting equity and inclusion in Canada’s immigration system.
Lori Seale-Irving
(1960s – present)
An Ottawa native, Lori Seale-Irving joined the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in 1990 and became the first self-identified black female member of the RCMP to attain the rank of commissioned officer. She has dedicated her life to serving her community and promoting diversity and inclusion, creating a national diversity employee network at the RCMP.
The Honourable Greg Fergus, P.C., M.P.
The Honourable Greg Fergus, P.C., M.P.Speaker of the House of Commons | (1969 – present)
On October 3, 2023, Montreal native Greg Fergus made history by becoming Canada’s first Black speaker of the House of Commons. A respected member of the Canadian political community and vocal advocate for the Black community, Fergus has devoted his career to fighting for policies that promote equity and inclusivity in Canadian society.
Stanley Wany
(1970 – present)
Stanley Wany is a Montreal artist who creates graphic novels such as Helem and explores identity through surreal and figurative art. He has shown his work around the world and supports Black stories in the art community.
Chúk Odenigbo
(1990s – present)
Chúk Odenigbo is a Franco-Albertan artist, scholar, and activist dedicated to climate justice, recognized as one of Corporate Knights’ Top 30 Under 30 Sustainability Leaders. He is a founding director of Future Ancestors Services and co-founder of The Poison and the Apple.
Odenigbo is currently a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Ottawa, studying the relationships between human health, the environment, and society. He uses his voice to influence public health policy through the Healthy Parks, Healthy People (HPHP) movement.
Blaise Mutware
(1994 – present)
Blaise Mutware is a wheelchair basketball champion who played for Canada at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, won a silver medal at the Lima Parapan Am Games, and helped the team qualify for the 2024 Paralympics.
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Thank you for joining us in celebrating Black History Month and honouring the stories, achievements, and vibrant legacy of Black Canadians!