How Voices of Connection is giving Black, diverse students a safe space for connection and meaningful dialogue

“You can be heard by people looking to actively understand your perspective or hear you out. It strengthens bonds and makes you feel less alone.” — Third-year ECS student Savannah Munro

February is Black Heritage Month – a time to reflect on and celebrate Black history, culture, and heritage. At the University of Guelph-Humber (U of GH) where there’s a rich tapestry of diversity on-campus, everyone deserves to feel seen, heard, and supported. That’s what the Voices of Connection initiative aims to achieve.

Voices of Connection is spearheaded by Early Childhood Studies (ECS) Associate Head Amina Yousaf. It’s a bi-weekly meeting that’s new for the Winter 2025 semester for ECS students, designed to foster connection, community, and a deeper understanding of equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging (EDIB) within the program, open to students of all racial identities. Yousaf said it’s meant to serve as a learning opportunity for everyone because at its core, Voices of Connection is a community. 

As a Black student, attending Voices of Connection is meaningful to third-year Savannah Munro, who also helps Yousaf collect resources for each session. “It’s having a place where there’s no judgement,” she said. “You can be heard by people looking to actively understand your perspective or hear you out. It strengthens bonds and makes you feel less alone.” 

Each week, the group’s discussion centres on a central theme, such as “belonging,” or “intersectionality” (overlapping identities – race, gender, ability, etc.). The conversations start off with some guided questions led by Yousaf, then branch out into organic discussions. At the end of the session, the group participates in a reflection about what they each got out of the session – something Yousaf describes as “powerful.” 

“As a student passionate about creating a safe and inclusive environment for children and families, I value the opportunity to learn from diverse perspectives and share experiences that help us better understand EDIB. In this group, every voice and opinion is heard and respected, creating a supportive environment for discussion, learning, and growth,” third-year ECS student Shahana Karunakaran said. 

Offering safe spaces to U of GH students for expression and to talk about racial identity is crucial, especially for students who will graduate to one day work with children of various backgrounds. There are courses taught within the ECS department that centre on social justice and diversity, but Yousaf wants to extend that dialogue outside of the classroom. Understanding different cultures is valuable to child development, but also to pedagogy (the practice of teaching), EDIB, and understanding our own identities, Yousaf said. 

“There's only so much that can be done from just learning theory. We’ve got to have these conversations and put things into practice, and I feel like Voices of Connections is a stepping stone to making that a little more solidified in our day-to-day,” Munro said. 

For instance, Black Heritage Month may only be one month a year, but how can the Guelph-Humber community keep that flame burning bright for all 12 months of the year to uplift Black voices? Yousaf said as instructors, “we have so much power” to bring these conversations to the forefront on a daily basis, and acknowledge why anti-Black racism needs to be discussed, why celebrating Black Heritage Month is significant. She added it’s important to find new resources to embed in curriculum, but to also incorporate into conversations and getting to know students, too. 

Munro suggested to keep Black voices at the forefront and to further amplify diverse voices, it’s paramount to consider representation. Ask yourself: do event posters or pamphlets on campus depict a multitude of identities? Are we securing guest speakers for U of GH who are Black or of different ethnicities to address a variety of viewpoints and experiences?  

Also, Black culture isn’t a monolith. In Voices of Connection, Munro emphasized the importance of celebrating diverse backgrounds. While her parents are from Grenada, she noted that the vast Caribbean community is unique and multifaceted, with different cultures within it. Those differences are what makes it special.  

“When we're problem-solving, when we're coming up with creative ideas, having a different outlook on it from someone who isn't mirroring our exact experiences is extremely useful,” she said. “Specifically, as a Black student having other Black individuals that I can work with and collaborate with…there's something warm and fulfilling of feeling like I'm being seen and heard in this space [of Voices of Connection].” 

Diversity of perspectives is what makes these sessions meaningful. If you’re concerned about joining a session because you may not connect with a particular theme, don’t worry; with each week’s theme changing, there is something for everyone to learn from.

Voices of Connection is held in GH302 every other Thursday from 11:40 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Upcoming dates include Feb. 27, March 13, and March 27. 

For more on Black Heritage Month on campus, click here.