Showcasing talent and inspiring change

Under the theme “From Barriers to Breakthroughs: Black Nurses Inspiring Change,” over 100 nursing students, faculty, staff and invited guests gathered in the atrium of UM’s Helen Glass Centre for Nursing on Feb. 2 for a lively, colourful and inspiring Black History Month celebration.

The two-hour event featured greetings from Black nursing leaders, alumni and UM officials, and showcased the talents of several Black College of Nursing students through poetry, dance, visual art, modelling and music.

“When people hear of Black history, they think of the past, of stories told, but Black history isn’t only in the past, it is happening right now in the work that we do and the lives that we touch,” said third-year student Tolani Olanrewaju, who emceed the event alongside fourth-year student Oluwatomiloba (Tomi) Oyewusi.

The second annual event was co-hosted by the College of Nursing and the Manitoba chapter of the Canadian Black Nurses Alliance (CBNA), a student-led initiative that was founded by instructor Shakerah Jones Hall in 2024.

“This Black History Month event continues to grow, and I hope it becomes a lasting tradition. I am proud to work at a university that values inclusivity and belonging,” Jones Hall said.

Tolani Olanrewaju and Oluwatomiloba (Tomi) Oyewusi

Halimah Cassimo, the college’s CBNA vice-president, was one of six student dancers whose energetic performance brought cheers that echoed through the atrium. She said the event was a great way to celebrate the efforts Black individuals have made toward culture and health care.

“I think it was good for us to celebrate and showcase our talents, because even though we’re in nursing, we have some good dancers, we have some good singers, we have some good artists,” said Cassimo. “It was really important for us to come together and do this today.”

CBNA Manitoba Chapter vice-president Halimah Cassimo and president Val-King Akubuobi

Students from the College of Nursing perform in a cultural dance showcase.

…Black history isn’t only in the past, it is happening right now in the work that we do and the lives that we touch.

Tolani Olanrewaju, third-year nursing student

College of Nursing dean Dr. Kellie Thiessen said the college honours the legacy of black nurses in Canada and beyond.

“We create space for that pause to reflect on the past and to be present here today in celebration, and we envision how we will continue to support and advocate for equity and justice in our work and in our learning environments,” Thiessen said.

Dr. Tina Chen, UM’s vice-provost of equity, noted that the event took place on the same day that UM became the first Western Canadian university to raise the Pan-African flag in honour of Black History Month.

“Symbolic acts like this are reminders that anti-Black racism is deeply rooted in Canadian society, resulting in historical and ongoing marginalization and systemic barriers for Black, African and Caribbean folks,” Chen said.

Other speakers included: Jacob Ahiaegbe, president of the Association of Regulated Nurses of Manitoba; Dr. Lois Stewart-Archer, clinical nurse specialist with the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority and Manitoba’s honorary consul for Jamaica; UM aluma Ann Nzeruem; Minister of Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care Uzoma Asagwara; and keynote speaker Ava Onwudegwu, CBNA vice-president and director of academic relations.

Dr. Kellie Thiessen

Jacob Ahiaegbe

Fourth-year student Jennifer Omulu delivers an original poem celebrating Black nurses.

Third-year student Amarachi Ndukauba poses with a painting she created in honour of the celebration.

Third-year student Amarachi Ndukauba poses with artwork she created in honour of the celebration.

Nzeruem, a nurse practitioner and CEO of Mara Home and Health Services, reflected on her time at the college. She graduated with a bachelor of nursing degree in 2014.

“I was sitting where you were now in these halls at the college … but there is one difference between then and now. Twelve years ago, we didn’t have the Canadian Black Nurses Alliance. There was no centralized space for black nursing students. No clear road map. Many of us were navigating a system that wasn’t built with us in mind,” she said.

“When I look up and see this … this is already a breakthrough.”

Ann Nzeruem

Onwudegwu gave a powerful address about her lived experience and the need for Black nurses to advocate in their profession.

“I’ve been in rooms with Black nursing leaders who were pioneers in Canada, and I’ve heard the barriers they faced and the tenacity with which they persisted, and I am utterly grateful for them,” she said.

“Our responsibility is to create sustained shifts, to widen doors, to build foundations that outlive us, so that one day others will stand on our shoulders and confidently declare, ‘I belong in spaces of influence.’”