Lacy Carty, Abir Hassan, Nancy Tran, Samina Singh, Kayla Smith, Chanel BeckfordMembers of the Making it Awkward: Challenging Anti-Black Racism Committee pose in front of a Black History display in the Pitt-Ferry Building. From left: Lacy Carty, Abir Hassan, Nancy Tran, Samina Singh, Kayla Smith, and Chanel Beckford.

Exhibit traces timeline of Black history

A group of students have created an exhibit in the Pitt-Ferry Building tracing Black history at the local and national levels.

The “Black History Timeline” is located in the first-floor lobby of the downtown building, which houses the School of Social Work and offices of the Centre for Executive and Professional Education. A sister exhibit is displayed on the ground floor of the Ron. W. Ianni Faculty of Law Building.

It was created by members of Making it Awkward: Challenging Anti-Black Racism Committee in observance of Black History Month and depicts the transatlantic slave trade, the Abolition Act, and Windsor’s deep history and involvement in the Underground Railroad.

The committee’s chair, first-year JD/MSW student Lacy Carty, notes that Black History Month is dedicated to exploring the lives of influential black Canadians in the country, to remembering the storied history of black people in Canada, and to focusing on the importance of diversity and equality throughout the entire nation.

The exhibit is open to the public weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Visitors are provided with sticky notes which they may use to write inspiring messages and add them to the display.