Black History Month
February is Black History Month, a time to celebrate the history, culture, and significant contributions of Black communities in Canada and beyond. This year’s national theme, Honouring Black Brilliance Across Generations, recognizes the leadership, creativity, resilience, and innovation of Black Canadians. The Office of Equity and Inclusive Communities invites all students and employees to engage with Black history throughout the month through the events, workshops and resources listed below.
Visit HERE FOR RESOURCES for teaching and learning Black History
Event - Celebrating Black History Month at KPU
- Tuesday, Feb 3 | 2:00–3:30 p.m. KPU Surrey, Cedar 2110
- This informal gathering celebrated Black Excellence at KPU, bringing together students and employees for meaningful conversation and connection. Attendees explored what Black excellence means today, shared experiences, built community, and took time to reflect together.
Employee Workshop - Beyond Buzz Words – Honouring Lived Experience
- Online - Wednesday, Feb 4 | 1:00–3:00 p.m.
- Led by facilitator Nic Wayara, this workshop supported understanding of lived experience, its value in the workplace, and how to support those with lived experience to thrive.
Employee Webinar - Canadian Centre for Diversity & Inclusion - Exploring Black Leadership
- Online - Thursday, Feb 5 | 10:00 -11:00 a.m.
- This panel discussion explored the evolving landscape of Black leadership across Canada and spotlight the innovation and collective impact of Black leaders across sectors
KPU's Fourth Annual Anti-Racism Symposium
The Office of Equity and Inclusive Communities is excited to announce that KPU’s Fourth Annual Anti-Racism Symposium will take place on Monday, March 23, 2026, at the KPU Surrey Conference Centre from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm.
Held annually in recognition of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, the symposium provides a dedicated space to confront racism and to showcase internal and external research, scholarship, and creative work related to racism and anti-racism. We look forward to a full day of learning, unlearning, collaborating, and listening.
The call for proposals is now closed.
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Eniola Salami
Keynote Address: White Coat, Black Girl: A Personal and Professional Reckoning with Racism in Medicine
Abstract: Medicine often presents itself as objective and neutral, yet racial inequities remain deeply embedded in its structures, cultures, and everyday practices. Further, speaking about these realities is frequently ignored and dismissed. In this talk, I weave my lived experience of Anti-Black racism in clinical and academic work to examine how racism shapes medical training, professional identity, and patient care. Drawing on personal narrative as a Black woman in medicine alongside evidence and practice-based examples, this talk explores how credibility, belonging, and authority are racialized within medical spaces. The presentation challenges the myth of neutrality in healthcare and reframes anti-racism as essential clinical and ethical work rather than an optional moral stance. Participants will be invited to reflect on their own positionality and will leave with concrete strategies to engage in anti-racist practice at the individual, interpersonal, and institutional levels.
Upcoming Workshops
The Office of Equity and Inclusive Communities is hosting a series of online educational workshops to support ongoing employee learning around equity, diversity and inclusion. See below for our list of offerings.
We are collaborating with the National Council of Canadian Muslims to provide workshops to deepen learning on Islam, Muslim identity and Islamophobia.
Islamic Heritage Awareness - Feb 18, 2026 - 01:00–2:30 pm
- Building on the principles of equity and inclusion, this workshop focuses on expanding the capacity in affirming Muslim identities. Who are Muslims? What are the core values of the community? What is the history of Islamic heritage in Canada. We will focus on practical ways to champion belonging. You'll gain valuable insights and resources to help remove barriers to equitable education and create a welcoming space where all Muslim learners can thrive.
To register, please email oeic.reg@kpu.ca.
Past Events
Antisemitism Awareness Trainings
The OEIC collaborated with JQT Vancouver to offer online workshops focused on understanding antisemitism, including its historical and contemporary impacts, Jewish identity, and media representation.
October 10, 2025 | 10:00 am – 12:15 pm
October 31, 2025 | 10:00 am – 12:15 pm
Islamophobia Awareness Trainings
The OEIC collaborated with the National Council of Canadian Muslims to provide workshops to deepen learning on Islam, Muslim identity and Islamophobia.
Islamic Heritage Awareness
December 11, 2025 | 10:00 – 11:30 am
Understanding and Challenging Islamophobia
December 17, 2025 | 1:00 – 2:30 pm
January 23, 2026 | 10:00 – 11:30 am
Anti-Racism Trainings
The OEIC collaborated with Hook or Crook Consulting to provide KPU employees with online workshops focused on anti-racism.
Unpacking White Supremacy Culture
September 11, 2025 | 2:00 – 4:00 pm
Intersectional & Justice-Oriented Leadership
October 15, 2025 | 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Power Is Everywhere
November 27, 2025 | 1:00 – 3:00 pm
Transforming Harm & Skilling Up for Hard Conversations
December 10, 2025 | 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Heart-Centered Foundations to Change
January 14, 2026 | 1:00 – 3:00 pm
- Beyond Buzz Words - Honouring Lived Experience
- Feb 4, 2026 | 1:00-3:00 pm
Launch of KPU's EDI Action Plan
Over the past few years, KPU has deepened its commitment to social justice making it one of the key pillars of Vision 2026. This includes a firm dedication to Indigenization and decolonization, anti-racism, accessibility, and equity, diversity and inclusion.
With the launch of our Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Action Plan on July 22, 2025, we are further affirming our responsibility to advance equity and inclusion across the institution.
Recording of the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Action Plan Launch:
Pride 2025
The Office of Equity and Inclusive Communities hosted and participated in a number of Pride events across the lower mainland during Summer 2025.
- June 24 – Workshop: Out on Screen: Pride is Protest – Online
- June 28 – Surrey Pride Festival – Civic Plaza
- July 3 – Workshop: Two-Spirit History with Jessy Dame – Online
- July 18 – White Rock Pride Flag Raising and Pride Ride – White Rock
- August 3 – Vancouver Pride Parade – Downtown Vancouver
- August 9 – Langley Pride Day – Langley
AccessAbility Week 2025
AccessAbility Week took place at KPU from May 25 – May 31, 2025 to recognize and celebrate the contributions of people with disabilities while promoting accessibility and inclusion across the campus community. This week highlighted the importance of removing barriers—physical, systemic, and attitudinal—to ensure equitable opportunities for all students and employees. By centering disability justice and fostering dialogue, AccessAbility Week encourages a more inclusive and equitable learning environment, aligning with KPU’s commitment to diversity and the principles of universal design.
The Office of Equity and Inclusive Communities, in collaboration with the Accessibility Committee, Lead Advisor on Disability, Accessibility, and Inclusion, the Library, Teaching & Learning, Accessibility Services, and Rec Services hosted a number of events, resource fairs, and workshops for students and employees to attend.
The calendar of events for AccessAbility Week can be accessed here
Breaking Down Barriers in the Classroom: What is Academic Ableism? – April 23 and May 28, 2025
This workshop was created and hosted in collaboration with Lisa Gedak from the Teaching & Learning Commons, Dr. Fiona Whittington-Walsh, the Lead Advisor for Disability, Accessibility, and Inclusion, and Trina Prince from the Office of Equity and Inclusive Communities.
Academic ableism is a pervasive yet often unrecognized issue in educational contexts. In this two-hour online workshop, faculty gained an understanding of academic ableism, including its definitions, the ways it shows up in the classroom, and how it impacts students with disabilities negatively.
KPU’s Third Annual Anti-Racism Symposium - March 21, 2025
Recording of the Third Annual Anti-Racism Symposium:
Leading up to and during Black History Month, the OEIC collaborated with Dr. Nicole Kaniki of Senomi Solutions to host a series of online workshops designed to help employees deepen their understanding of anti-racism.
- January 24, 2025 - Foundations of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) in Academia
- February 5, 2025 - Black History and Culture
- February 18, 2025 - Anti-racism and Anti-oppression in Action
The OEIC collaborated with Invisible Condition to provide KPU employees with online workshops to deepen learning around disability inclusion.
- November 15, 2024 – Disability Inclusion: Advocacy in the Workplace
- December 11, 2024 – Talking about Unusually Normal Things: The Words We Use Have an Impact
- January 15, 2025 – Authentic Curiosity: Less Advice and More Curiosity, Please
February 13, 2025 – The Three R’s of Resilience: How to Bounce Back to a Pre-Crisis State
The OEIC worked with Hook or Crook Consulting to provide KPU employees with online workshops to learn about anti-racism.
- September 19, 2024 – Transforming Harm
- October 7, 2024 – Heart-Centered Foundations to Change
KPU's Second Annual Anti-Racism Symposium - March 21, 2024
Recording of the Second Annual Anti-Racism Symposium:
KPU's Inaugural Anti-Racism Symposium - March 21, 2023
Recording of the Inaugural Anti-Racism Symposium:
KPU Task Force on Anti-Racism (TFA) - Launch of Final Report and Recommendations
Recording of TFA Launch of Final Report and Recommendations: