Brock University observes Black History Month
The Brock Badgers are proud to celebrate and honour Black History Month/African Heritage Month with a collection of events and initiatives throughout February.
The month’s theme, ‘All for Change,’ was chartered between Brock Sports and Recreation and men’s basketball head coach Willy Manigat, who helped craft the motto and an accompanying logo.
“The world needs change. It’s not even necessarily limited to just Black History Month; it’s a global issue, especially since the killing of George Floyd. An injustice for one is an injustice for all,” Manigat said. “We all need to change. It’s about allyship and allies who will fight for change. Fight for us, and for everybody. If I can do something to help others see we need a change for the better then maybe we can affect change — a change for all.”
The Badgers are raising money for the University’s Black/Indigenous Heritage Student-Athlete (BIHS) bursary through proceeds of an ‘All for Change’ T-shirt and tickets to varsity home games.
The bursary aims to support student-athletes who demonstrate financial need and is not centred around athletic achievement.
The ‘All for Change’ T-shirt, designed by Manigat, is black and features a global symbol of fighting oppression: a raised fist. The fist is made up of hearts with ‘All for Change’ written on the front. A Brock Badgers logo is featured on the back.
Ten dollars from each shirt sold will go directly towards the BIHS bursary. Visit the online store to place an order.
Fans attending home games will have the option to donate $1, $2 or $5 to support the BIHS bursary when purchasing tickets through University Tickets.
Brock Sports is hosting four Black History Month Awareness Games Feb. 3 and 4, with various in-game programming.
All for Change games include:
Friday, Feb. 3
Women’s basketball vs. University of Toronto (Bob Davis Gymnasium), 6 p.m. | TICKETS
Men’s basketball vs. University of Toronto (Bob Davis Gymnasium), 8 p.m. | TICKETS
Saturday, Feb. 4
Men’s hockey vs. Lakehead University (Canada Games Park), 2 p.m. | TICKETS
Women’s hockey vs Wilfrid Laurier University (Canada Games Park), 7 p.m. | TICKETS
In collaboration with Associate Professor and Graduate Program Director Shannon Kerwin of the Department of Sport Management, Brock Sports will also host a roundtable in Sankey Chamber on Monday, Feb. 13.
The discussion will focus on the findings of the Ontario University Athletics Anti-Racism report, the positive steps that have been taken at Brock and work that still needs to be done by the University.
On Thursday, Feb. 16, Brock’s Black student-athletes are invited to a focus group at Pond Inlet to address what more can be done to enhance the Black experience at the University. Details will be announced in the near future.
The initiatives hosted by Brock Sports are part of a comprehensive lineup of events happening across the University in recognition of Black History Month/African Heritage Month.
A developing list of Brock events is available on ExperienceBU.