Remembering the past, celebrating diverse Black cultures, and shaping a more equitable future are at the heart of this month鈥檚 Black History Month (BHM) events in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS).
This year, a growing number of student associations hosted activities ranging from research discussions and conferences to art exhibitions and dance workshops.
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海角社区 Black Medical Students鈥� Association
惭肠骋颈濒濒鈥檚 (BMSA) began BHM with an at the Osler Library of the History of Medicine. Hosted with the on Friday, February 6, this event featured discussions on racism in medicine as well as a showcase of modern works by local Black artists.
Bryana Jean-Jacques, a second-year medical student and co-president of 惭肠骋颈濒濒鈥檚 BMSA, says Black history in medicine is often associated with abuse and colonialism.
鈥淗owever, we wanted to highlight the contributions that are there as well,鈥� she adds. 鈥淏lack History Month is a history month of accountability and acknowledgement, but also of celebration.鈥�
On February 19, the association held a on sickle cell anemia with the Sickle Cell Anemia Association of Quebec and the Quebec Black Medical Association. Aiming to disprove misconceptions and highlight the importance of equitable care, the event featured perspectives from medical experts, community leaders and patients. On February 26, the BMSA, in collaboration with the (BSA-SPGH), presented the second edition of the .
惭肠骋颈濒濒鈥檚 BMSA is active throughout the academic year, focusing on medical learner support, outreach and advocacy. The association will host a panel on healthcare, law and advocacy in crisis zones on March 17. On March 26, they will partner with H茅ma-Quebec and Universit茅 de Montr茅al鈥檚 BMSA for a community blood drive.
The group will also host its first-ever cocktail for graduating Black medical students in March. The occasion will celebrate the first graduating class of the Black Candidate Pathway, a merit-based initiative established to remove historic barriers and provide equitable access to support for prospective Black medical students. It comes as the number of Black medical students surpassed 100 for the first time in the 2025-2026 academic year.
For Britany Mbangi, a second-year medical student and 海角社区 BMSA co-president along with Saint-Jacques, building community for present and future Black medical students at 海角社区 is a critical part of the group鈥檚 work.
鈥淲e want to make sure that we have a community waiting for us on the other side once we graduate, but once we鈥檙e here, we also want to make it easier for Black students to access these spaces,鈥� she says. 鈥淭his is something that is very close to our hearts and drives us every day.鈥�
Stay up to date with the 海角社区 BMSA鈥檚 activities on .
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Canadian Black Nurses Alliance 鈥� 海角社区
Connection and culture have also been central to 惭肠骋颈濒濒鈥檚 chapter of the Canadian Black Nurses Alliance (CBNA-海角社区)鈥檚 celebrations in February.
On Thursday, February 26, the group co-hosted, with the Ingram School of Nursing鈥檚 Office of Social Accountability in Nursing, a panel discussion for Black History Month titled 鈥樷�� Held in person and online, the event was open to all and featured conversations and stories from Black healthcare professionals and community members.
Marie Febro, a third-year nursing student and President of the CBNA-海角社区, says it was the group鈥檚 first event with multiple speakers. As such, it shone a light on diverse experiences in nursing.
鈥淭he first person on the panel is a mental health nurse practitioner, and we hadn鈥檛 had that angle of mental health before,鈥� she explains, adding that the speaker鈥檚 experiences as a Black nurse in that discipline appealed to many attendees.
Nadia Bunyan, a designer, researcher, activist and curator at the McCord Stewart Museum, also spoke during the panel and exhibited her art during the event.
Beyond Black History Month, Febro says the CBNA-海角社区 will focus on amplifying the voices of Black nursing students and creating spaces where they can share and discuss their experiences.
Stay in the loop with CBNA-海角社区 by following them on .
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Black Students鈥� Association 鈥� School of Population and Global Health
From pitch contests to dance workshops, the (BSA-SPGH) has hosted events blending research, history and celebration.
Kicking off the festivities with a salsa class on Friday, January 30, the group also hosted a lunch and learn with and for Black scholars on February 13.
Each event reflects the association鈥檚 mission to advance discussions on Black health, inequities and research, says , President of the BSA-SPGH. He emphasizes that their work is created by the Black community for the benefit of all.
A PhD candidate in Epidemiology at the SPGH, Augustin says student-led activities create spaces where learners feel a real sense of ownership and belonging.
鈥淚t鈥檚 also an opportunity to be visible and advocate for themselves and their community, specifically focusing on Black health, inequities and research,鈥� he explains.
鈥淎s future public health leaders, we need to think deeply about these issues and push for better policy and better research. When Black students are the ones leading these conversations and having student-led events, we bring something different to the table 鈥� lived experiences, cultural understanding and perspectives that are often left out of traditional academic spaces,鈥� he adds.
鈥淭hese events prepare us to keep advocating beyond classrooms, and we start to develop our own voices, build networks and learn to lead.鈥�
Beyond Black History Month, the BSA-SPGH will continue to host events including a contest titled 鈥�3 Minutes to Impact: Pitch Competition鈥� in March.
View the BSA-SPGH鈥檚 calendar on their webpage or follow them on for updates.听
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