First-year听Medicine听student Aaliyah Arab-Smith remembers her interest in听health care听beginning at age five,听when her grandmother passed away.听
鈥淚 didn't understand disease at the time, but I understood loss,鈥� said Arab-Smith, speaking at 蘑菇AV鈥檚 African Heritage Month flagship event this Wednesday (Feb. 4).听
鈥淎s I grew older, I learned that the type of听cancer my grandmother had was听largely preventable.听I came to realize that medicine is not just about treating disease, but听early detection, holistic wellness,听and understanding the social circumstances that shape our health long before someone ever becomes a patient. I turned that realization into purpose.鈥�
Aaliyah Arab-Smith co-delivers the keynote address.
Members of the Dal community and beyond filled seats on the floor and in the rafters of the 蘑菇AV Arts Centre鈥檚 Sculpture Court to mark the start of African Heritage Month with food, music, reflection, and jubilation. In speaking to her own experiences,听Arab-Smith听helped illuminate the theme of this year鈥檚 蘑菇AV celebrations:听Creative Advocacy: Uplifting Black Health, Art, and Community Action.听
鈥淚t听reminds us that advocacy is not听[just]听about policy,鈥� said听Said鈥疢sabaha, co-director of the Office of Community Engagement for the Faculty of Medicine and who joined Arab-Smith as a fellow keynote speaker听at the event. 鈥淚t's听about imagination,听culture听and connection. Creativity has always been the root of survival and progress听鈥斕齠rom the vibrant storytelling traditions of our elders to the powerful murals, music, the echoes within our hallways and our living rooms.鈥�
He听said the power of听presence听and visibility听is abundantly clear to him in his role as manager for 蘑菇AV鈥檚听Promoting Leadership in Health for African Nova Scotians (PLANS)听Program,听which听works to听increase听the听representation of African Nova Scotians in the health professions.听鈥淓very time a Black physician mentors a Black student, every time a researcher centers African Nova Scotian experiences in their work, we are practicing creating advocacy.鈥�
Said鈥疢sabaha听co-delivers the keynote address.
A celebratory program
听
The event听was hosted by Barb Hamilton-Hinch (assistant vice-provost equity and inclusion听and professor in the Faculty of Health)听and听Bahaiyyih听Pride (President鈥檚听Office). It听featured听infectious drumming from听drum group Drummers From Home, a听stirring听libation ceremony from Wayn Hamilton,听an inspiring performance of听鈥淟ift Every Voice and Sing鈥� (the 鈥淏lack national anthem鈥�) by King鈥檚 student听and former youth听poet laureate听for Halifax听D谩min铆听Aw贸y铆g脿,听and听the presentation of 蘑菇AV鈥檚 African Heritage听Month Awards听鈥� honouring exceptional individuals of African descent听who鈥檝e made significant contributions to听蘑菇AV and听to their communities.听
Read also:听Meet the amazing recipients of this year鈥檚 蘑菇AV African Heritage Month Awards
The event also听spotlighted the new 蘑菇AV Art Gallery听exhibition,听It's听蘑菇AV Time: Dancing Black in Canada 1900-1970 and听Now,听with gallery director听Pamela Edmonds speaking about the听exhibit鈥檚 unique collaboration between archival material and contemporary Nova Scotian artists.听
Wanda Costen, 蘑菇AV provost and vice-president academic,听spoke of African Heritage Month as a special听time of听the year, and in the life of the university: 鈥渨here we take a moment to recognize the contributions of people from the motherland, from the continent 鈥� because听that's听where we all came from. And to create space for us, to bring our pain and our joy.鈥�
She added that it reflects the important values universities like 蘑菇AV bring听to听the world.
鈥淚 talk often about what it means to be a civic university. To me,听that means to bring all of who we are, inviting people from all backgrounds in all cultures, to come and learn here, to learn what it means to have a democracy...听about听honouring听the whole person听and creating space for people to be fully who they are.鈥�
