BLMF, UNB & STU LAUNCH BLACK HISTORY RESOURCE WEBSITE FOR TEACHERS IN NB
DATE: FEBRUARY 1st, 2020.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Fredericton, NB ─ Black Lives Matter Fredericton, the University of New Brunswick’s Faculty of Education, and St. Thomas University have launched a resource website to equip teachers in New Brunswick with tools to incorporate New Brunswick Black Histories within their classrooms. The website--https://BLMFnbED.org--features lesson plans, power points, films, readings and videos in one convenient place, easily accessible to teachers.
“We are excited to launch this website for teachers in New Brunswick to begin the process of diversifying the curriculum to include Black voices and experiences,” said Alicia Noreiga-Mundaroy, Project Lead for BLMF. “ We hope the website will be useful to teachers and act as a first step to ensuring the education provided to students in New Brunswick is more representative of the population,” she concluded.
There is currently limited content related to Black History in the New Brunswick public school curricula. The lack of representation and historical information about the Black people who have lived here over the centuries contributes to the marginalization of current Black communities.
“We need to teach the real history of New Brunswick, including the fact that slavery and segregation were alive here for centuries and the resistance and grit of the Black population,” said Husoni Raymond, an organizer with BLMF. “ New Brunswick is seen as a white space; the contributions of Black New Brunswickers are rarely mentioned and often erased; we can, and need to do better.” he continued.
The website is being launched just in time for Black History Month, which will help teachers to create lessons and content that reflect Black histories and experiences. In the coming months, we seek to work with Black community members and teachers to create more resources so that we might continue to build the website.
The long-term goal of Black Lives Matter Fredericton is to have New Brunswick Black History permanently and meaningfully incorporated into the curriculum. We will continue to work with the Ministry of Education and Districts of Education to provide direction and support until the curriculum is changed. We hope to see permanent changes taking place in some areas by the start of the 2021-2022 school term.
Media contact:Alicia Noreiga-Mundaroy(506) 471-7499alicia.noreiga@unb.caBlack Lives Matter Fredricton Blmfredericton@gmail.com
