February marks Black History Month in Canada, and this year's theme is “February and Forever: Celebrating Black History today and every day."
All around the world, Black contributions are remarkable in every corridor of society, including science, education, religion, law, government, and the arts.
As University Chaplain and Director of Student Ministries Rev. Dr. James Ellis III explains, “Black History Month is a concentrated time to educate [our communities], and to esteem the resolve and ingenuity that Black people have exhibited and continue to display.”
Rev. Ellis shared a reflection focused on Black History Month during Chapel this week. In it, he helped the campus community recognize the disproportionate barriers that Black people continue to face in society.
“Black people have been navigating the expectation to be quiet, to augment or to mar their personhood, to make their presence more palatable for others, for a long time,” he said.
During his address, Rev. Ellis also read a moving poem by Rev. Matthew L. Watley, titled, “Dear God, If You Please” (1992), and recited the lyrics of a song by Dee Wilson, called, “The Medicine”.
Students, staff and faculty are encouraged to continue their reflections and conversations around Black History Month, this month and throughout the year.
Inspirational Black leaders join Rev. Ellis in conversation
Throughout February, many inspiring Black leaders join Rev. Ellis on his podcast, Good News Stories. Here below are several highlights, including links to the full podcast episodes:
- Pastor Laurel Bunker is someone you should get to know. For roughly 14 years, she served Bethel University (Minneapolis, Minnesota) in several influential roles, with increasing responsibilities, from Dean of Campus Ministries to Vice President of Christian Formation. In having recently transitioned into a new chapter beyond Bethel, she is working on her Ed.D. in Higher Education, researching the struggles and staying power of African American women who navigate predominately White Christian institutions where they aren’t well represented in leadership positions. Pastor Bunker has served in parish life as well as the parachurch sector with Young Life, for example, and is a graduate of Luther Seminary and Hamlin University.
- Meet Jay Black and Kabronicka Ellis from Kingdom & Will, a Christian apparel company based in Montgomery, Alabama. They sell premium garments “to stimulate and initiate dialogue concerning King Jesus and his kingdom.”
- A native of Arkansas, The Rev. Dr. Chris Davis has been the senior pastor of the historic St. Paul Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee now for more than 20 years. He is also a professor and associate dean at Memphis Theological Seminary and the president of the Tennessee Baptist Missionary and Educational Convention. Being such a lifelong learner, he has a doctoral degree from United Theological Seminary and is presently completing his Ph.D. in leadership at Anderson University.
- Grace Khasar is a communicator, connector, connoisseur of 90’s R&B music, and the world’s biggest fan of fried chicken. As a woman who wears many hats comfortably, she has been overseeing the middle and high school, and young adult ministries at Living Word International Christian Church in Silver Spring, Maryland for a few years, but is moving on to a new job on the west coast of the U.S. She was born in Nigeria and grew-up in San Francisco, California. Grace completed undergraduate studies at California State University, East Bay and earned a master’s degree in social entrepreneurship from Hult International Business School in London.
- Dr. Ekpedeme Wade believes deeply in holistic health and care done in Jesus’ name. She is an assistant professor of biblical counseling at Dallas Theological Seminary, with her own private practice that focuses on treating the whole person (Twelve-Two Christian Counseling), alongside being a Board Certified Family Physician, who has been practicing medicine for over 15 years. After completing her bachelor’s degree at the University of Missouri at Columbia, she went on to earn M.D. there, and then eventually also finished her master’s degree in biblical counseling at Dallas Theological Seminary.
About Trinity Western University
Founded in 1962, Trinity Western University is Canada’s premier Christian liberal arts university dedicated to equipping students to establish meaningful connections between career, life, and the needs of the world. It is a fully accredited research institution offering liberal arts and sciences, as well as professional schools in business, nursing, education, human kinetics, graduate studies, and arts, media, and culture. It has four campuses: Langley, Richmond-Lansdowne, Richmond-Minoru, and Ottawa. TWU emphasizes academic excellence, research, and student engagement in a vital faith community committed to forming leaders to have a transformational impact on culture. Learn more at www.twu.ca or follow us on Twitter @TrinityWestern, on Facebook and LinkedIn.