Black History Month – February 17, 2021

Black History (or African Heritage) month began on February 1st. Officially recognized in Canada since 1996, Black History month has its origins in the 1920’s United States.

In the United Church of Canada we take time during this month to focus on the contributions and experiences of Black members of the Church. Stories from across the Church are being shared on the SPUC blog page throughout the month and I encourage you to watch or read them and to do some exploring on your own. Black history is Canadian history and it’s something we all need to learn more about.

Today I invite you to read a blog posted authored by Rick Garland, an Administrative Associate at KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives.   In his post, titled “Why Did I Write a Worship Service for Black History Month?” Rick states “I believe deeply that White people need to take ownership of racism, in a way that people who have been victimized by racism don’t have the opportunity to avoid.”

To access the post, please click on https://united-church.ca/blogs/round-table/why-did-i-write-worship-service-black-history-month