Medicine Hat marked Black History Month on Feb. 23. (Bob Schneider/CHAT News)

By Adrian St.Onge, Eli J. Ridder

COMMUNITY

‘Does skin define who you are on the inside?’: Medicine Hat marks Black History Month with impassioned speakers, poets

Feb 23, 2024 | 5:22 PM

“Does skin define who you are on the inside, does skin change you or your identity as a human being?”

Those were one of the lines issued by high school student Chindimma Chukwunyerenwa as she delivered a poem at Medicine Hat‘s Black History Month celebration on Friday.

“My family has experienced quite a lot of racism, and so I was pouring a lot of those emotions into the poem,” she told CHAT News.

“It did have quite a lot of meaning to me,” she added, explaining she tried not to let the emotion take over as she delivered the poem with passion.

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Chukwunyerenwa was one of several speakers who addressed a hall full of people representing over 15 countries from various walks of life, reflecting this year’s theme of Black excellence, organizers said.

Yusu Mohammed, director of the Connection Intercultural Association of Medicine Hat, said it was important to hold these kind of events.

“I’m proud of Medicine Hat because, I tell you what, I’ve been here for 18 years and I’ve done many events like this, I’ve not regretted one of them,” Mohammed said.

“Each time people come, they support it, they work hard, they work together; we talk about differences and we talk about how to move forward so I’m fully encouraged.”

Black History Month has been celebrated annually since it was passed unanimously by the Canadian Senate in 2008.