When anti-Black racism was reported at Yale secondary school, it didn’t go unnoticed.
A teacher there reached out to Shayla Bird, who had been involved with a club called Black Connections at the University of the Fraser Valley. A teacher in the district herself, she was keen to jump in and create an affinity group for the high school students.
That was two years ago, and the club is going strong with seven leaders. Black Connections HS has branched out to other high schools in Abbotsford. There are about 100 Black students who they have connected with, Bird said, with about 60 students showing up on average to the bi-weekly meetings.
It’s open to all students in Grades 9 to 12 who identify as Black, which translates to an average of five to six per cent of students in B.C.
They just held their first public event, featuring a student panel, food trucks, and a special visit from Harrison Mooney, a Black author who grew up in Abbotsford. His coming-of-age memoir, The Invisible Boy, has been captivating readers since it was published last year.
Bird said the event was a hit, with about 120 people showing up, including the mayor and members of council and the school board. Several youth were on a panel who spoke about what it’s like to grow up as Black youth in Abbotsford.
Black Connections hopes to hold another public event this school year, but in the meantime they are back to what they are all about – building relationships and providing members with opportunities to discover more about themselves and their community.
“The Afro diaspora is so rich here,” Bird said, and the community of Black people is made up of people who were born here, who emigrated here, and even those who were adopted. There are Caribbeans, Africans, African Americans and Canadians, for starters, she said.
Bringing the Black students and staff together has given those students more positive representation, she said. Black youth often only see themselves reflected in media in specific ways such as rap videos or as basketball players, Bird said.
Black Connections gives them a chance to just be who they are, and to know that it’s OK.
“When I walk into a building and I see a student who is Black, there is an instant connection and they feel validated,” she said.
The group spends time chatting, watching movies, listening to music, doing art projects, talking about philosophy, science and the arts, and taking trips into the city to discover Black culture. They have visited the Vancouver Black Library and Hogan’s Alley.
Bird is looking forward to when last year’s graduates from the club are free of university commitments and can return as volunteers.
When the club members graduate this year, there will be a Black Excellence event as well.
Bird and her team have also been busy in the school system. They have just launched a website, blackconnectionshs.ca, where there are resources listed for teachers to access to ensure they are providing Black content to their students. They are also looking through curriculum with a Black lens, and making suggestions to staff on changes.
Last year, they were awarded some funding from the school district to continue their work and expand.
Bird said that was quite a moment to share with another Black teacher, along with the district’s superintendent, Kevin Godden, who is also Black.
“It was quite an experience,” she said, where they all looked at each other and smiled.
“I feel change and these students feel change.”
Some of the funding meant that every high school got copies of The Invisible Boy. Bird would also like to see the district support Black and Indigenous students by creating a staff position devoted to equity in the district. It’s a position many other districts already have, she said.
“We’ve had overwhelming support by the community of Abbotsford,” Bird said. “There’s been nothing but positive feedback.”
The resource page on the website is open to any educator anywhere, she said, “to make them feel comfortable and confident in having conversations about the Black experience.”
READ MORE: Opinion: In 2023, yes, Black History Month is still important
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