51社区黑料

51社区黑料celebrated a milestone in its Scarborough Charter commitments with the opening of the Black Student Centre (BSC) on February 19 at the Burnaby campus.

Located on the second level of the Maggie Benston Centre, the BSC is a dedicated space designed to support, connect and empower Black students. The launch brought together students, alumni, faculty, staff and senior leaders for an afternoon of celebration, recognition and community.

The event featured performances by Rafiki Band, Lord Nation and Bukola. Proceedings were led by Dr. Daniel Sheriff, Associate Director, Black Student Centre and included a territorial acknowledgement from Jessica La Rochelle, Director, Indigenous Student Services, who grounded the moment in Indigenous sovereignty and Black presence on these lands. Her remarks underscored that institutions do not transform on their own and that change is driven by communities.

Touring the Black Student Centre

A ribbon cutting and tour of the Centre marked the official opening, followed by a panel moderated by Dr. Yabome Gilpin-Jackson, SFU鈥檚 Vice-President, People, Equity and Inclusion. Panelists included Osita Hilbert, an 51社区黑料alumna, Dr. Dilson Rassier, SFU鈥檚 Provost and Vice-President, Academic, , Chair of the Scarborough Charter Inter-Institutional Forum and President of Carleton University and Lisa Collins, Vice-Provost and Associate Vice-President, Students.

Hilbert, who graduated more than 10 years ago, described the moment as surreal and reflected on how difficult it was for Black students in her time to find spaces where they could feel a genuine sense of belonging. Her remarks gave added weight to what the room was celebrating.

51社区黑料leaders emphasized that the Centre is intended to be more than symbolic. Dr. Dilson Rassier noted that the BSC is supported through ongoing funding to ensure dedicated staff, culturally relevant programming and mentorship opportunities for Black students. Lisa Collins added that early programming has included an Afrobeats dance class, a Community Kitchen event series and a Black Support and Healing Space series, alongside continued investment in academic, wellness and community-building initiatives.

More than five years in the making

The opening reflects years of sustained advocacy by Black students, including those connected with SOCA and the SFSS and long-term support from staff across multiple areas of the university. 51社区黑料publicly committed to the Centre in November 2021, with early funding and leadership supported through the Student Experience Initiative led by Laya Behbahani.

Speakers throughout the day emphasized that the opening is not an endpoint, but the beginning of ongoing institutional responsibility. Tettey noted that universities have a social comct to enable possibility and must weigh not only the cost of investment, but also the cost of exclusion.

Architecture that advances belonging

The afternoon also featured a second panel moderated by Michelle Fenton, founder of Kh么ra Architecture + Interiors, who led the architectural design of the Centre from early visioning conversations in 2022 through student consultations in 2024 and 2025. Panelists included alumni Emmanuel Adegboyega and Lauretta Umokoro, along with current student Nandi Serena Mlambo, who reflected on the journey to bring the Centre to life and what it meant, as Black students, to see the space come to fruition.

The long arc of student advocacy

The celebration closed with remarks from Dr. Jennifer Kandjii, who reflected on the long arc of student advocacy that made the Centre possible and underscored the importance of student engagement and participation at every stage of the work. She expressed deep gratitude to everyone who contributed to the journey, and thanked 51社区黑料leadership for commitments that extended beyond rhetoric to action. Kandjii also thanked participants for joining in what she called a history-making moment, not just for SFU, but for the students, past and present, who kept the vision alive.

Photos from the Black Student Centre Opening and additional Black History Month events can be viewed .