The third annual Black Joy, Black Excellence Student Symposium brought together Black students from across Windsor-Essex to celebrate their history and build community. Held on Tuesday at St. Clair College's main campus, the event was organized by the Black Student Advisory Committee (BSAC) and featured programming focused on Black history and the achievements of Black students.
Emotional and Inspiring Moments
Oyinkansola Adeniji, a Grade 11 student at Walkerville Collegiate Institute, described the experience as deeply moving. "I honestly started getting emotional because I'm learning the different ways that my ancestors defied all the odds that were stacked against them and how they came out on top and paved the way for us to have more opportunities than they had," she said. "And it's honestly just a big motivation for me to do the exact same for the next generation."
Adeniji has been an active BSAC member for about two years and helped create a presentation on local Black history in Windsor-Essex.
Building Connections Across Schools
Mateen Bakare, a Grade 12 student at Massey Secondary School and BSAC member, highlighted the importance of connecting with Black students from different schools. "A school like Massey where I go to, we don't really have much interaction with the Black community except from family," he explained. "So, connecting different Black communities in different schools will just empower us in general and let us know that we have people everywhere."
Learning Beyond the Classroom
Adeniji emphasized that the symposium offers a unique chance to learn about Black history beyond what is typically taught in schools. "In our schools, a lot of our history is only taught based off of slavery," she noted. "But here, we're not just focusing on that, but rather on our excellence and what we've achieved and how we've made a commitment and an impact in our own society."
The event included various activities, such as a virtual race in the E-gaming lab, and featured exhibitors like Salem Berhane, owner of IncluSV Beauty Solutions, who signed a message board during the symposium.
Students from Grades 7 to 12 across the Greater Essex County District School Board participated in the symposium, which aimed to foster a sense of pride and community among Black youth.
