E76: BHM Student Panel 🇳🇬 Nigerian Edition 🇳🇬 — Navigating equity, community, and belonging in Canada

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Lethbridge is dry. But to be sincere, since I came to Lethbridge, I've never been lonely.
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I've never felt depressed. I've never felt, oh, I'm alone in Canada,
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even though my family is not here.
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Just why? Because of the community and connections I've gotten to build over time here.
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Just talking with different people really helps me. And that is how I survive,
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like, mentally speaking.
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Like, if you're passing through nothing and you just want to do everything,
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figure everything out yourself, you can't really progress. And one of my culture
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says, if you want to go fast, you go alone, that is pretty easy.
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But if you want to go far in life, you go together.
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So that part of togetherness, that part of community is really intricate in surviving.
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This is Learning Innovation, the teaching and learning podcast,
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also known as LITL-Pod.
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We are created by Lethbridge Polytechnic's Centre for Teaching,
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Learning and Innovation and located in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada,
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on the traditional lands of the Blackfoot Confederacy.
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In the spirit of equity, diversity, inclusion and Niitsitapi’ksimpstaan
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or Real Thinking, we play host to a spectrum of guests from the teaching and learning community.
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As we highlight and explore innovation in education, we hope to kindle warm
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conversations, expand perspectives, and foster lasting partnerships today, tomorrow, and beyond.
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The future of learning starts now.
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Oki, and welcome. I am your host, Donna McLaughlin, and I am a Work Integrated
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Learning Coordinator at Lethbridge Polytechnic.
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In honor of Black History Month 2026, we're hosting another amazing student
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panel from Lethbridge Polytechnic.
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Our guests today will discuss their shared experiences as Nigerian international
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students in the nursing field, and will focus on themes of cultural identity,
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systemic navigation, and healthcare equity.
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Welcome, Monica, Devine, Jude, and Adarike.
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Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for having us. So thank you all for joining us today.
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To start us off, I'd love for each of you to share one thing about your cultural
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background, perhaps a value like respect or community that you've carried with
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you to Lethbridge Polytechnic.
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Monica again, and I'm Nigerian, specifically Igbo.
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And one value that we carry is respect and community.
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So basically, it's like your success is not just your own, but it affects everyone.
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So I also bring that into nursing. It makes me see people not just as individuals,
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but members of like a family and a society.
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That's really amazing. That sounds like that would fit also very,
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like that's a wonderful attribute to have in nursing. Yeah.
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Divine, would you like to go next? Yeah, I'm just following up.
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I'm Divine from Nigeria and also from Igbo tribe.
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One cultural thing...
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So I would say one part of my culture is that we also love to like celebrate
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everyone's success and we are diligent.
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So I think that part of the being diligent and resilient, no matter what you
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are facing, kind of saw me through.
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And it really helped me so far here because, you know, being the first to leave
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my family and you traveled all miles and come to Canada and just trying to figure
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out everything right from first. semester.
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And it hasn't been easy, but at the same time, just having that at the back
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of my mind that you have to be resilient and like diligent.
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So that's one part of me that I brought to like Leadbridge Polytechnic.
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And you see most students, you work, you still have to study.
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And that's just more like you are from this. You just don't have to give up
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or you just can't give up at this point, right?
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So because you know what you sacrificed to come to this moment.
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So I think Thank you, Devine. And Jude, what about for you?
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Okay, my name is Jude. Fortunately, I'm from Nigeria and also from the Igbo tribe.
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So one of the qualities or the philosophy of Igbo people, we are resilient and we work hard.
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We are known for working hard and we do business.
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So whatever we do, we do it like a business. We take it, you know,
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business-like. So that's how we excel.
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And we're trying to form a community here in Leadbridge. I'm also the president
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of the Hebrew Association of that bridge. So, yeah.
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Those are great attributes to have as a student, too. That's a great approach to take.
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And Adarike, what about for you? So, my name is Adarike, and it's a pleasure to be here today.
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I come from the western part of Nigeria, which is the Yoruba tribe.
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And for us, we're big on respect. Like, even in our greetings,
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the way we greet elderly people, like we're very big on respect in our language
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when we're talking to elderly people we don't like.
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The words we use, like we use eh, instead of like talking to a younger person,
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because the person is older than you. You have to always respect them.
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And I feel like we're also big on like resilience, because no matter what,
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wherever you find yourself, you have to always remember the child of whom you are.
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So this is like something that has helped me even in here in Lethbridge Polytechnic
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and in my nursing program.
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That's really amazing. Thank you. And again, Adarike, you've mentioned that
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navigating Canadian systems like taxes and the credit system can feel uncomfortable.
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So how does understanding these hidden systems impact an international student's
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feeling of being secure in their new home away from home?
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So the tax system and the
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credit system the way it works here is like very different
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from back home in nigeria because here like it's kind of a key to success you
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need this credit systems to like buy houses like build like just basically you
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need this credit systems to like build your financial life here on like back
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home so i feel like there's just a.
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Which kind of needs to be bridged. And I feel like maybe through taking courses
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or like talking to people, you get to understand these systems,
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but it's definitely a continuous walk in progress.
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Well, that's great that you're learning that because it is quite a complicated system.
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Divine, I understand this is your first solo international travel experience. That's amazing.
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Looking back at those moments, what were some of the challenges you navigated?
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I think the big one for me will be trying to understand the environment I came in here.
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Because I think immediately just entered Leadbridge and landed in Canada.
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I just, it was just, it just feels so different. Like right from the people
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down to the food, down to the culture, down to the languages.
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And I was very, very conscious of, oh, I don't know if being polite enough in
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the way I talk back home. and communicate compared to here in Leadbridge.
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So that was us. But at the moment, just being a student, I was trying to figure
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out, okay, I just came into Leadbridge. How do I get a home?
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How do I, you know, create a back account?
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How do I sign up for my SIN? Because I learned about SIN here and having your,
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you know, hospital, healthcare number and a couple other things.
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And so it was pretty not easy at the first moment because, you know,
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It took me more than a month to finally like get a house, like you just search on Marketplace.
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And then there was people I was also learning about, the people I met.
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I was like, okay, you've been here for a month. I just came into the college.
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I met a couple of students on residence.
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I was like, can you walk me through how I can either get a bus pass if I want
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to move from my house to the bank? Where do I go? How do I go?
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And I learned about here, you have to book an appointment to create a back account.
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You have to, you know, for houses, you need to get some references.
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And I'm just like, I'm just a new student.
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I don't have a reference. I've never lived anywhere in Canada before.
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So these are like pretty much some of the challenges, just trying to settle
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in at the moment, find a house, you know, buy groceries and like just knowing
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how to navigate all those systems and getting all your identification set up at the moment.
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That's really a lot to learn about on top of what you've come here for,
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which is your education.
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And so many of you chose Lethbridge Polytechnic for its supportive environment
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and the hands-on learning.
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How has the community here helped
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you bridge the gap between your life in Nigeria and your life in Canada?
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Monica? Yeah. Okay. So in Lethbridge Polytechnic, we are grateful to have so
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many student communities like the international students. We have a lounge for
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international students.
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And I think we just launched a Black student lounge today.
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Yeah. And these spaces create the availability for community.
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And also when it comes to the hands-on learning
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I think Let's Beach Polytechnic is very good at that
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because in Nigeria it's like a hierarchy so your instructor tells you what to
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do and like it goes but in Let's Beach Polytechnic you can like challenge your
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instructors and they want you to participate like that also like labs and we
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have smaller class sizes and.
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Also, instructors actually want to know you and know your name.
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But in Nigeria, it's like just you don't know really, your instructors don't
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really know you, especially because of the large class sizes.
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And, well, the community, I have made it less overwhelming to transition from
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Nigeria to Lethbridge Polytechnic.
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Okay. And Jude, what about for you?
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Okay. Yeah. For me, I'm not actually an international student.
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I'm resident here, so yeah, I decided to go into nursing, I stopped,
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how would I put it, I had a law background back home,
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I practiced law for like 10 years, when I arrived here, I started working in
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the food industry, but along the line I decided not to pursue the law career,
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so I decided to veer off into nursing,
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so I like helping people even back So, but now in the medical field,
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so yeah, I, it was, um, how would I put it, it was not an easy decision to,
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you know, to switch, to make that switch.
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So yeah, but I love the support system in Leadbridge Polytechnic.
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It has a good support system and where we're coming from, like she said,
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you know, the cultural shock, you know, like where I'm coming from,
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you don't call an elder by his name, like your lecturers.
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Yeah, and you don't look them in the face, but here you're expected to look
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them in the eye and speak to them.
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Yeah, but as a sign of respect, back home, you don't look your,
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you know, you kind of look away a little bit, you know, speak.
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You can speak confident, but not making high content and all those cultural
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barriers and all those cultural shock.
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So when you come here, there are some things you have to relearn to just fit into the society.
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Okay. That's very interesting that you've come from law to nursing.
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Is there anything in what you learned in law that you feel like carries to nursing
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that kind of helps you with that?
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Yeah because where i'm coming from is um also
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a common law country right so the laws are similar it's just some variations
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so yeah in the nursing field in the medical field i know there are some laws
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like you have to just that protect the clients and the patients right so yeah it's just quite.
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Oh, okay. So the patience, yeah. Yeah, that's very interesting.
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Okay. Devine or Adarike, did you want to add to what Monica and Jude said? Okay.
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How LeadBridgePolitik supported me is, I think, right from when I came in,
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me settling in pretty quick and easy was so much from the help of the student leaders then.
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I can remember even right from when I was in Nigeria, I was connected to a support group on Discord.
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And that was when I met like Stefan, the then president of the LCSA.
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And he really kind of walked me through. He was like, oh, I should try figuring
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out how to find a house. He linked me to Kijiji, Marketplace.
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But I couldn't even access Marketplace because my location hasn't changed at the moment.
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So he was just asking me to just search on, you know, Kijiji and other websites for houses.
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And even when I came in here, I landed like a month before my school resumption in August.
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That 2023 so I and they
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were around like in school pretty much so when I came
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in they were like the one that pretty and I've got it oh they told
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me that they are having some services on signing off for
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your SIN here in school your health care number and
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they will sell bus passes so it kind of really helped me
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in like instead of going to service Canada and
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even the whole transport and time it saved me a lot of time that they made those
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connections and these people just came for the students to sign up pretty easily
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and they had a couple of orientation even when i arrived before school started
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in finding your classes and everything so that community helped me and.
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Most international students, at the time you come in, you're trying to,
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you know, just transition or how you want to start eating and everything.
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They have food banks here. Those things really help at the moment because you're
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just trying to pay a lot of bills at the moment, school fee,
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housing, get a lot of things set up.
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So at the moment, I wasn't even buying groceries. So they just gave me like,
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oh, come sign up for a hamper. And those hamper were really helping me.
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And they have awareness services here. I met with the counselor when I feel
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like everything was, the first one month of school resumption was just so, so much of a worry.
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Because the stressors I had then wasn't for school, it was just a stand-up.
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Because I was still homeless, but I was trying to navigate deadlines.
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And like, this is my first time interacting with Canvas.
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I like a whole lot of digital things that works here pretty good.
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And at the moment, you are in class listening, but at
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the moment we were like after class when am I going to sleep now like you're trying
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to go check out two three athletes and you
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know how things and those all those moments it was the
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LPSA that really supported me like both food
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wide cancelling wise they really helped me or some of them referred me to a
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couple places they know and that was I was I got my first place I lived in so
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I was really involved and that was why even right from the orientation I volunteered
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with the LCSA from my orientation day and helps in serving the barbecue and
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everything so like the The community really made that connection so easily.
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And it kind of makes me, and that was why I saw the reason why to like give
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back to the community too and just join them, right?
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It was like, I love the team of positive changemakers here they have for student leaders.
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It's something that I never got to experience from where I'm coming from. So it was pretty good.
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Oh, that's amazing because yeah, it's a lot at the beginning,
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but that's wonderful that you jumped in and gave back as well.
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So coming to Lethbridge Polytechnic, I feel like I kind of all of a sudden became
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more mature than I originally was because you're here, you have to...
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Do whatever you have to do. So I feel like the community here is actually really
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strong, even from my instructors, like academic wise, like they're so approachable.
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You can always like go in for office hours. If you have any questions,
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you can always like ask them.
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They're always like willing to support you in your academics.
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And then the people, because my friends are always,
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like you can always talk to them not only
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about academic stuff but like whatever maybe
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just even things about back home they always like
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relate with you I remember on orientation day my friend and I we like went to
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look through the campus and then we're looking for our classes so that the next
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day we're ready to go so things like that provides a support for students like
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myself and I believe in volunteering back,
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like giving back to the community because the community has given back to me.
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So like the last New Student Orientation, I volunteered and served barbecue to new students.
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And then even right now, this Black History Month planning, I'm a member of
00:17:22.748 --> 00:17:23.708
the planning committee.
00:17:24.488 --> 00:17:28.808
And yeah, so I feel like there's a strong support system in the community.
00:17:29.248 --> 00:17:33.308
Well, that's really wonderful to hear. And yeah, it must be,
00:17:33.488 --> 00:17:35.708
you know, when you're giving back and seeing those new students,
00:17:35.708 --> 00:17:37.728
You probably can relate because you've been through it.
00:17:37.968 --> 00:17:44.068
So going back to the academic side of things, Monica, you are particularly interested
00:17:44.068 --> 00:17:49.608
in exploring Black maternal mortality and the experiences of immigrant mothers.
00:17:49.888 --> 00:17:54.868
Why is it vital to have these specific conversations within the context of a
00:17:54.868 --> 00:17:57.868
nursing program and Black History Month? Okay.
00:17:58.348 --> 00:18:03.788
So the first time I saw a pregnant Black woman was in the postpartum unit.
00:18:03.788 --> 00:18:09.628
She was in labor and we drove her to the labor and delivery unit and that made
00:18:09.628 --> 00:18:15.008
me reflect on what her experiences would be like throughout pregnancy and up to delivery.
00:18:15.840 --> 00:18:21.300
Now, I searched online for the black maternal outcomes for Canada and I have
00:18:21.300 --> 00:18:23.840
no sources in the search results.
00:18:23.980 --> 00:18:29.100
And that's a problem because this colorblind approach can make it difficult
00:18:29.100 --> 00:18:33.320
to actually pinpoint where racial problems can arise.
00:18:33.760 --> 00:18:39.920
Now, as nurses, we are the first line in like health care, taking care of people,
00:18:40.120 --> 00:18:44.080
because we are the ones that inform the doctors about our patients.
00:18:44.080 --> 00:18:47.240
And also nurses can have the bias of
00:18:47.240 --> 00:18:50.660
dismissing pain especially for black people and
00:18:50.660 --> 00:18:53.740
there's a study from Ontario that said that black people
00:18:53.740 --> 00:18:59.160
are less likely to get pain management than white people and we also know that
00:18:59.160 --> 00:19:06.440
labor pain can cause horrible outcomes for women so if we connect it it's like
00:19:06.440 --> 00:19:10.860
sometimes their pain is not taken seriously because they believe black people
00:19:10.860 --> 00:19:13.220
feel less pain, something like that.
00:19:13.480 --> 00:19:17.180
So that's one thing we should really focus on as nursing students.
00:19:17.360 --> 00:19:20.600
And it's something I'm interested in pursuing in grad school.
00:19:21.060 --> 00:19:25.160
Yeah, that sounds like an excellent topic to pursue in grad school. Yeah.
00:19:26.080 --> 00:19:32.120
Devine, how do topics like health inequities and discrimination connect to your
00:19:32.120 --> 00:19:36.540
identity as both a student leader and a future healthcare professional?
00:19:36.540 --> 00:19:40.860
So health equities and also discrimination has been something,
00:19:40.860 --> 00:19:43.920
you know, has been prevalent from history.
00:19:44.520 --> 00:19:49.880
When I came in first as international student or like even last two years,
00:19:50.160 --> 00:19:53.100
the first few experiences I had kind of, you know.
00:19:54.060 --> 00:19:57.640
What I say brought me to my knee because I never thought of my color of skin
00:19:57.640 --> 00:20:01.080
as black back home. I've always seen myself as a human being.
00:20:01.280 --> 00:20:05.180
Like you just don't done me the first I came into Canada that way, you're a black man now.
00:20:06.027 --> 00:20:10.287
And because someone made a comment around where, like, we came up from the same
00:20:10.287 --> 00:20:12.287
home. I was like, hey, you black man kind of thing.
00:20:12.507 --> 00:20:15.487
And it's, wait, I just like, wait, I'm a black man?
00:20:15.887 --> 00:20:18.667
And it just doesn't be like, okay, right now you're in an environment where,
00:20:18.767 --> 00:20:23.007
like, there are the color of skin. But I never saw myself that way.
00:20:24.287 --> 00:20:27.207
And even though I've been back home, I do, like, you know, watch through what
00:20:27.207 --> 00:20:29.547
goes on on social media and how to develop states.
00:20:29.767 --> 00:20:33.147
And you see, okay, this is racism or what's happening. And that was part of
00:20:33.147 --> 00:20:37.167
my first anxiety about Canada, because I was like, am I going to fit in?
00:20:37.607 --> 00:20:40.067
Will I be racialized? Will I be discriminated?
00:20:40.927 --> 00:20:48.087
And health-wise, when I came in and the first time I felt ill, it was really bad.
00:20:48.747 --> 00:20:53.267
And then I went to ER here. I was like, OK, it took me more than nine hours
00:20:53.267 --> 00:20:56.127
that day to be able to see a doctor.
00:20:56.127 --> 00:21:03.027
So, and even though I was a health student, you know, I felt disappointed or
00:21:03.027 --> 00:21:06.887
like I kind of lose faith in the health thing here.
00:21:07.487 --> 00:21:11.267
And because I was wondering why, and because I was told, oh,
00:21:11.347 --> 00:21:13.607
the maximum wait hours you can have is three hours.
00:21:13.867 --> 00:21:16.627
And they follow the triage principle. So, okay, that makes sense.
00:21:16.727 --> 00:21:18.787
But at the same time, there were people that.
00:21:19.666 --> 00:21:24.306
I feel like we have like same issue and I came very much earlier than them,
00:21:24.306 --> 00:21:29.346
but because of they are not black, they were preferred or they were according.
00:21:29.526 --> 00:21:34.166
And I was like, wait, I came before this guy and he doesn't have a more like,
00:21:34.286 --> 00:21:38.106
say, priority illness that is life-threatening at the moment.
00:21:38.346 --> 00:21:41.846
Like mine is even, I was bleeding and everything and they asked me to wait.
00:21:42.306 --> 00:21:45.066
And I was thinking, Omazemon, three hours. I was like,
00:21:45.146 --> 00:21:47.266
this is the first time I'm going to wait this long, but I didn't even know that
00:21:47.266 --> 00:21:50.906
it's going to be more than that i literally spent all night in the hospital
00:21:50.906 --> 00:21:55.986
and saw the doctor the next day and like the spread wasn't even like funny for
00:21:55.986 --> 00:21:57.686
me because i was like wait you're a nurse student.
00:21:58.286 --> 00:22:02.326
And what if in the future you want to carry this treatment to like meet out
00:22:02.326 --> 00:22:07.106
against all the people that are based on what you receive and even then couple
00:22:07.106 --> 00:22:11.046
of my classmates because i was the only guy who was my first year then in nursing
00:22:11.046 --> 00:22:14.786
class and i have four other black ladies in my class too,
00:22:15.346 --> 00:22:18.986
we were asked to do couple pre-placement requirements and
00:22:18.986 --> 00:22:22.026
these other ladies we all went to you know public centers to
00:22:22.026 --> 00:22:25.566
get immunization and everything done but mine
00:22:25.566 --> 00:22:28.226
went by quickly easily but for them it was
00:22:28.226 --> 00:22:30.926
a challenge because the nurses then made a
00:22:30.926 --> 00:22:33.886
comment about not doing it and kind of
00:22:33.886 --> 00:22:36.486
kind of was specific and direct it was
00:22:36.486 --> 00:22:39.166
like you're a black woman why are you coming for this and we
00:22:39.166 --> 00:22:42.286
are trying to tell them that this is a requirement for
00:22:42.286 --> 00:22:45.206
our nursing students and I don't think being
00:22:45.206 --> 00:22:48.726
a black person exempts you from you know doing checkups
00:22:48.726 --> 00:22:51.986
and everything and tests so they they
00:22:51.986 --> 00:22:54.966
weren't allowed to do the tests just because
00:22:54.966 --> 00:22:57.806
of and we asked why they just say because you're a
00:22:57.806 --> 00:23:00.846
black lady they don't do that yet they only accept other
00:23:00.846 --> 00:23:05.786
people they see us as a threat or a criminal so it wasn't a nice experience
00:23:05.786 --> 00:23:11.746
at the beginning that was first year and it also took me like more than six
00:23:11.746 --> 00:23:17.306
months to get my first job in canada and other job i went for interviews i was
00:23:17.306 --> 00:23:19.306
qualified for the skill bet couple of days.
00:23:20.341 --> 00:23:26.461
Job owners were specific on, oh, you're a black man and you don't have Canadian experience.
00:23:26.821 --> 00:23:31.561
And that term I was trying to figure out, but like on your requirement where
00:23:31.561 --> 00:23:36.161
you posted all these ads, you never mentioned having a Canadian experience as
00:23:36.161 --> 00:23:37.821
one of the job requirements.
00:23:37.941 --> 00:23:41.361
You just mentioned someone that has a skill and I've done this same role back
00:23:41.361 --> 00:23:46.021
home and the same thing I have my maybe references or something.
00:23:46.541 --> 00:23:49.321
But you said, and some of them were like, oh, you're the most qualified.
00:23:49.521 --> 00:23:51.961
Some would say you're the most qualified after the interview.
00:23:52.621 --> 00:23:56.221
But sorry, you don't have a Canadian experience or you're a black person.
00:23:56.501 --> 00:24:00.121
So one of the interviews, I just got pissed off and I asked them,
00:24:00.221 --> 00:24:01.641
what do you mean by Canadian experience?
00:24:01.801 --> 00:24:04.661
And they were like, oh, interesting. Nobody has ever asked them the question
00:24:04.661 --> 00:24:06.281
and they don't know what to answer me.
00:24:06.521 --> 00:24:08.581
Because I was like, I've been here for six months.
00:24:08.961 --> 00:24:12.741
I've interacted with my Canadian instructors, with my Canadian neighbors,
00:24:13.021 --> 00:24:14.241
with my Canadian classmates.
00:24:14.721 --> 00:24:17.441
And like, if I understand what you
00:24:17.441 --> 00:24:20.761
mean by Canadian experience i mean it's just you knowing how to
00:24:20.761 --> 00:24:23.601
communicate with canadians and i think i do have that because
00:24:23.601 --> 00:24:26.301
i'm a student here and i speak in english and you
00:24:26.301 --> 00:24:29.521
know you understand me right and they were
00:24:29.521 --> 00:24:32.841
like oh that's interesting but like using that as kind
00:24:32.841 --> 00:24:35.941
of a myth to not hire people
00:24:35.941 --> 00:24:39.261
from other races is kind of disgusting because
00:24:39.261 --> 00:24:42.201
i told them your your work focuses on equity
00:24:42.201 --> 00:24:45.121
diversity and inclusion but you don't apply those
00:24:45.121 --> 00:24:50.301
policy when you're hiring applicants so that was part that part of this kind
00:24:50.301 --> 00:24:55.321
of made me rethink and even as a future healthcare i'm really really interested
00:24:55.321 --> 00:25:00.261
because even within nursing health cares and different teachings you can see
00:25:00.261 --> 00:25:02.601
these vary on the representation of black.
00:25:03.516 --> 00:25:08.096
Even in leadership, or within healthcare system. And it has been a thing because
00:25:08.096 --> 00:25:10.156
we started talking about it in classroom.
00:25:10.456 --> 00:25:15.276
And thank God, when I came here, some of our teachings really reflected the
00:25:15.276 --> 00:25:19.436
positive changes that Lethbridge has committed to making those things in nursing program.
00:25:19.596 --> 00:25:21.636
Because if you're teaching you, oh, this is what...
00:25:22.142 --> 00:25:26.022
This outcome would look like for a white person. I don't see a picture of what
00:25:26.022 --> 00:25:29.702
that would look like for a black person because my color of skin is different
00:25:29.702 --> 00:25:31.062
from that of a white person.
00:25:31.542 --> 00:25:34.982
If someone has another unit, I'll be like, oh, it's going to look pink.
00:25:35.142 --> 00:25:36.882
But on my skin, it's not going to look pink.
00:25:37.202 --> 00:25:40.942
So I was trying to see what that would look like for somebody from my race,
00:25:41.082 --> 00:25:43.562
right? And we don't have the same representation.
00:25:44.182 --> 00:25:47.382
We just have kind of a vague definition of
00:25:47.382 --> 00:25:50.562
what this will look like applying to health wise and again
00:25:50.562 --> 00:25:53.422
discrimination is something systemically has
00:25:53.422 --> 00:25:58.222
been tackled but even within the individual level some people are still like
00:25:58.222 --> 00:26:03.602
biased or some people can will not just like you like no matter how you try
00:26:03.602 --> 00:26:08.842
to do it even my first job I later came in couple colleagues don't like me like
00:26:08.842 --> 00:26:12.342
I had to work like five times extra just to prove myself,
00:26:12.862 --> 00:26:16.422
and other people do some things and get away with that, but I can't do that
00:26:16.422 --> 00:26:18.142
because I'm a black man now.
00:26:18.342 --> 00:26:22.722
Like I just have this sense that you always have to do your best or even try
00:26:22.722 --> 00:26:29.962
to outdo every of your colleague just to prove yourself and make you feel sane,
00:26:29.982 --> 00:26:31.282
of which it's not supposed to be.
00:26:31.462 --> 00:26:34.622
Like everybody should be treated equally as human.
00:26:34.842 --> 00:26:38.662
So that is something that resonated with my experience and part of my lived
00:26:38.662 --> 00:26:43.602
experience here and it's something I'm carrying on, advocating for this in systems.
00:26:44.062 --> 00:26:48.642
When I even currently as a student leader, I met a couple political leaders that denied that.
00:26:48.782 --> 00:26:51.742
Oh, we don't do that in Canada. I was like, sorry, minister.
00:26:51.982 --> 00:26:53.182
This is my lived experience.
00:26:53.742 --> 00:26:58.242
Like this is what I passed through. This is what I was told that they can't
00:26:58.242 --> 00:27:00.102
hire you because you don't have Canadian experience.
00:27:00.402 --> 00:27:04.422
And that doesn't sound well for like someone that is professional already.
00:27:04.722 --> 00:27:08.622
You have the skillset, you have the certification, but you're just not hired
00:27:08.622 --> 00:27:13.162
because of your color of skin or like tagging something Canadian experience.
00:27:13.422 --> 00:27:16.842
So, but when we started having discussion around this, so many men that were
00:27:16.842 --> 00:27:19.162
born here were like, oh, I never knew, so sorry.
00:27:19.302 --> 00:27:21.482
Like, I was like, this is what I passed through.
00:27:21.822 --> 00:27:25.202
And part of being a student leader is making advocacy for these that.
00:27:26.040 --> 00:27:30.200
Policies should be changed from systemic-wise, and even when such policies are made,
00:27:30.900 --> 00:27:35.880
EDI, when implied, they should be kind of followed up to see those organizations
00:27:35.880 --> 00:27:40.140
actually, you know, applying those policies in their hiring and every other
00:27:40.140 --> 00:27:41.580
practices within the organization.
00:27:41.960 --> 00:27:45.560
Thanks for sharing that, Devine. I'm sorry you went through that,
00:27:45.660 --> 00:27:48.580
but it's great that you're talking about it.
00:27:49.460 --> 00:27:56.080
Jude, how does your Igbo heritage and your passion for language and tradition
00:27:56.080 --> 00:28:00.420
influence the way you approach patient care in practical nursing?
00:28:00.860 --> 00:28:02.180
Thank you for the question.
00:28:02.800 --> 00:28:09.600
So in Igbo, there's a philosophy we have, Onya Halawanea, how we interpret.
00:28:10.020 --> 00:28:14.180
Do not leave anybody behind, no matter what they are going through.
00:28:14.580 --> 00:28:17.440
So we are bringing that into the nursing field.
00:28:18.300 --> 00:28:22.540
No matter what people are going through you have to be there to help them,
00:28:23.220 --> 00:28:30.580
and there's another philosophy on Yibo that says Igui Biike we do it together
00:28:30.580 --> 00:28:35.860
it's not a one man's job so we all come together to take care of.
00:28:37.140 --> 00:28:39.320
The patients the patients.
00:28:41.620 --> 00:28:45.820
It's not a one man thing that you do alone and you don't leave anybody behind
00:28:45.820 --> 00:28:49.860
no matter what they are going through So that community thing of helping people,
00:28:50.160 --> 00:28:54.140
being there for them, so we bring that ideology into the nursing field.
00:28:55.361 --> 00:29:00.181
That sounds like a really wonderful ideology to bring into nursing.
00:29:01.201 --> 00:29:05.921
So Jude, back to you again as well. You've expressed a strong desire to use
00:29:05.921 --> 00:29:08.081
this platform to share your culture.
00:29:08.361 --> 00:29:14.861
What is one aspect of your tradition you wish more people on campus understood? Yep.
00:29:15.661 --> 00:29:22.261
One aspect of our culture I want people to understand is that community, strong community.
00:29:22.881 --> 00:29:25.961
Because in Igbo land, we believe in the community.
00:29:26.721 --> 00:29:30.861
In Igbo land, we don't have, like, nobody's more supreme.
00:29:31.321 --> 00:29:36.761
Like, there's no, there's a king, right? But the council of elders,
00:29:37.881 --> 00:29:41.461
the, how would I put it, the community is more stronger. They make that decision.
00:29:41.841 --> 00:29:46.281
They work together, okay? So that's why we're trying to build a community here,
00:29:46.401 --> 00:29:50.381
to bridge that gap also, you know, to feel that, to bring that home,
00:29:50.721 --> 00:29:55.061
to let bridge, you know, to make it a home for us.
00:29:55.261 --> 00:29:59.601
That's why we're coming together to have that, build that community, yeah.
00:30:00.021 --> 00:30:04.221
Okay, so a second part to that question. What would make it feel like home?
00:30:04.921 --> 00:30:07.621
Okay, yeah. What would make it feel like home.
00:30:09.089 --> 00:30:14.969
When you feel that sense of belonging, when you feel that you are integrated in the system,
00:30:15.489 --> 00:30:20.049
and you're also carrying your culture along, okay, you are seen,
00:30:20.569 --> 00:30:23.889
you know, you are doing what you're supposed to do, and you're so proud of who
00:30:23.889 --> 00:30:27.129
you are, doing it with that confidence of, you know,
00:30:27.749 --> 00:30:33.069
you are carrying that feeling along of belonging and integrated in the system,
00:30:33.429 --> 00:30:38.089
also representing that your culture, carrying your culture along too. Yeah.
00:30:38.109 --> 00:30:40.189
And that's a wonderful connection to home.
00:30:40.489 --> 00:30:46.429
Can I say something? Yeah, for sure. And I think also understanding that the
00:30:46.429 --> 00:30:47.949
worldview here is different.
00:30:48.929 --> 00:30:52.749
The Western worldview, I will say, is since I learned about maybe indigenous,
00:30:52.949 --> 00:30:56.029
I took an indigenous class and I kind of see the difference.
00:30:56.029 --> 00:31:00.689
We kind of have a similarity between indigenous culture and like even black culture.
00:31:01.029 --> 00:31:06.509
But Western culture more like talks about individualism. Everybody is very independent.
00:31:06.509 --> 00:31:09.569
You just see someone who's a white person
00:31:09.569 --> 00:31:12.649
like right from child they're so independent they
00:31:12.649 --> 00:31:15.609
can leave their parents house like they can do a lot of decisions
00:31:15.609 --> 00:31:18.629
there are a lot of things i saw here i was like wait what what's the
00:31:18.629 --> 00:31:21.589
meaning of this you know i asked a couple of my friends they
00:31:21.589 --> 00:31:24.809
were like oh they they they they
00:31:24.809 --> 00:31:27.589
have a girlfriend and they want to marry and they
00:31:27.589 --> 00:31:32.509
just have their their two friends come for their wedding i was like that is
00:31:32.509 --> 00:31:37.269
it's so so different back home because back home if for example i want to marry
00:31:37.269 --> 00:31:41.029
or have a girlfriend i'm not the only one marrying the person like my family
00:31:41.029 --> 00:31:47.469
have to accept the person the lady's family has have to accept me even though we love each other.
00:31:48.249 --> 00:31:51.529
Our family has to come together. And like when you are doing a wedding,
00:31:51.669 --> 00:31:53.769
it's something that the whole community has to approve of.
00:31:54.469 --> 00:31:59.829
If another person in the family say, oh, I know this lady, she did this to me
00:31:59.829 --> 00:32:04.749
or like did one had a bad character, we'll have to fix it before the marriage goes on.
00:32:04.969 --> 00:32:09.589
Because even when you get married into that family, you have to make sure that
00:32:09.589 --> 00:32:11.189
there is peace and everybody accepts you.
00:32:11.309 --> 00:32:14.529
So if I'm the only one that loves you, when I'm not at home,
00:32:14.689 --> 00:32:17.549
my family member will treat you badly as my wife, right?
00:32:17.549 --> 00:32:21.589
So everybody comes in hand and that's why if when you marry.
00:32:22.269 --> 00:32:28.429
In my culture, we don't approve of divorce as a culture, cultural thing,
00:32:28.629 --> 00:32:33.009
because people feel like before you come to that process and all these processes are followed,
00:32:33.609 --> 00:32:37.669
they kind of checkmate and investigate both families and make sure that you
00:32:37.669 --> 00:32:41.789
guys are coming from well-respectable families or you don't have anything that
00:32:41.789 --> 00:32:43.889
can, you know, bring up an issue in future.
00:32:44.349 --> 00:32:47.809
And even when there are crises in a marriage, which are bound to happen,
00:32:48.189 --> 00:32:50.509
misunderstandings, those families come in to help you.
00:32:50.949 --> 00:32:54.649
Your mom, your mother-in-law, your father-in-law, they'll come in because they
00:32:54.649 --> 00:32:56.489
don't want to see you guys separate.
00:32:57.009 --> 00:33:00.369
But when you come here and just be like, oh, well, dad, you shouted at me,
00:33:00.509 --> 00:33:04.029
I'm going to leave your house and get out of here. But we don't do that back home in my culture.
00:33:04.349 --> 00:33:09.689
So over here, when I came in here, it's when we have all those parties,
00:33:10.349 --> 00:33:16.009
get together, meet and greet with other black people is something very interesting
00:33:16.009 --> 00:33:20.009
about community and is something that is very vital to us because I come in
00:33:20.009 --> 00:33:22.989
as a nursing student, I made friends with all my nursing students who are black
00:33:22.989 --> 00:33:25.049
and we found out, oh, we also Nigerian, we also, we also.
00:33:25.834 --> 00:33:28.934
I met other people who are not even Nigerian, Ghanaian, from different African
00:33:28.934 --> 00:33:32.734
culture, Indians. And like, we started talking about this culture.
00:33:33.054 --> 00:33:36.594
We are all nursing students. We share same struggles. We talk about our feelings.
00:33:36.774 --> 00:33:41.394
And that's how you get encouraged, right? That community aspect of my culture
00:33:41.394 --> 00:33:43.974
is something that I know that you don't need to do this all alone,
00:33:44.194 --> 00:33:45.534
divine. Like, seek for help.
00:33:45.894 --> 00:33:50.634
Ask for help. When I'm down, you visit the counselors. You go to international
00:33:50.634 --> 00:33:53.214
student services. Use all the resources we have here.
00:33:53.534 --> 00:33:56.654
You come to the LPSA. you know you talk to your instructor
00:33:56.654 --> 00:33:59.454
i've talked to my instructor a couple times when i'm
00:33:59.454 --> 00:34:02.394
passing a lot of personal crisis like you know what take your time
00:34:02.394 --> 00:34:05.234
do this and i never knew i can get all this help if i
00:34:05.234 --> 00:34:08.094
don't reach out right and those supports are
00:34:08.094 --> 00:34:11.154
always available and that community aspect of culture is
00:34:11.154 --> 00:34:14.354
what you carry along so when you come here every christmas people
00:34:14.354 --> 00:34:17.014
will be like oh let me just drive it to be sincere since i came
00:34:17.014 --> 00:34:20.254
to let me i've never been lonely i've never felt depressed i've
00:34:20.254 --> 00:34:23.134
never felt oh i'm alone in canada even though my family
00:34:23.134 --> 00:34:26.894
is not here just why because of the community and connections
00:34:26.894 --> 00:34:29.754
i've gotten to build over time here just talking with
00:34:29.754 --> 00:34:32.454
different people really helps me and that is how
00:34:32.454 --> 00:34:35.714
i survive like mentally speaking like if
00:34:35.714 --> 00:34:38.634
you're passing through nothing and you just want to do everything figure everything
00:34:38.634 --> 00:34:44.774
yourself you can't really progress and one of parable in my culture says if
00:34:44.774 --> 00:34:49.174
you want to go fast you go alone that is pretty easy but if you want to go far
00:34:49.174 --> 00:34:53.454
in life you go together so that part of togetherness that part of community
00:34:53.454 --> 00:34:56.134
is really intricate in surviving,
00:34:56.474 --> 00:34:58.614
like even in a strange land.
00:34:59.268 --> 00:35:02.508
And not just with every, that's why I try to connect with Canadians.
00:35:03.008 --> 00:35:05.888
I learned about indigenous culture. I was like, oh man, your values are similar
00:35:05.888 --> 00:35:08.468
to my values. And we share same similarities.
00:35:09.168 --> 00:35:14.408
They were colonized. We were colonized. Like, same story, same struggles, same thing.
00:35:14.948 --> 00:35:18.308
Just in different, you know, varies on spectrum levels.
00:35:18.468 --> 00:35:21.888
But at the same time, it kind of gave me this empathy level.
00:35:22.008 --> 00:35:25.388
And even when you meet clients in the hospital, I meet a lot of,
00:35:25.468 --> 00:35:30.048
I will meet a lot of black, you know, clients here. because of the region I'm in.
00:35:30.188 --> 00:35:34.988
I meet more of, you know, Asian, Caucasians, indigenous people.
00:35:35.208 --> 00:35:38.948
And I carry that culture of, I have to work with my healthcare team.
00:35:39.388 --> 00:35:42.128
Yeah, the nurse is not the only one that treats a patient. You have to work
00:35:42.128 --> 00:35:46.708
with your occupation therapist, with the physician, with the social worker, with everybody.
00:35:47.168 --> 00:35:51.448
And even when you feel burnt out, you talk to your colleagues for help because
00:35:51.448 --> 00:35:53.208
you can't give what you don't have, right?
00:35:53.368 --> 00:35:56.648
So that part of it will help you to give a more patient-centered care too.
00:35:56.848 --> 00:36:01.288
So thank you. Yeah, that's really amazing how you've found that community.
00:36:01.788 --> 00:36:08.148
Adarike, I know you value conversations that showcase diverse voices, but...
00:36:08.766 --> 00:36:13.786
How do you think hearing shared stories from this panel can help students who
00:36:13.786 --> 00:36:15.746
are still finding their own voice?
00:36:16.226 --> 00:36:21.966
So I believe that hearing shared stories would motivate more people to share
00:36:21.966 --> 00:36:28.146
their own personal stories because this kind of makes them culturally aware and culturally humble.
00:36:28.366 --> 00:36:31.686
When everyone believes that they have a voice and they're being heard,
00:36:31.846 --> 00:36:34.466
it's to make them feel seen and represented.
00:36:35.006 --> 00:36:39.046
It's just like relating it to nursing in the sense that when taking care of
00:36:39.046 --> 00:36:42.166
a particular client, I'm not just treating them.
00:36:42.406 --> 00:36:44.126
Well, I'm treating them holistically.
00:36:44.486 --> 00:36:48.206
Like I'm focusing on, okay, what are this person's cultural values?
00:36:49.006 --> 00:36:50.386
What other things do I need to
00:36:50.386 --> 00:36:54.686
focus apart from just providing them with pharmacological interventions?
00:36:55.426 --> 00:36:59.866
Yeah, so then it's more than just about the medicine goes beyond that.
00:37:00.026 --> 00:37:00.926
Yeah, it goes beyond that.
00:37:01.306 --> 00:37:06.566
Yeah, that's wonderful to hear. Monica, so you have spoken about the pressure
00:37:06.566 --> 00:37:10.306
to succeed in spaces where Black voices are underrepresented.
00:37:10.706 --> 00:37:17.166
How can we normalize the challenges so other students feel less alone in their journey? Yeah.
00:37:17.826 --> 00:37:22.786
Okay, so first of all, this pressure comes from the community involvement.
00:37:22.926 --> 00:37:27.386
So everyone pours into you, aunties, uncles, like everybody.
00:37:27.886 --> 00:37:32.946
So now failure is basically letting the entire community down and that's why
00:37:32.946 --> 00:37:35.126
there's an intense pressure to succeed.
00:37:35.426 --> 00:37:40.126
So for example, my mom is a nurse, she's a midwife and a labor and delivery
00:37:40.126 --> 00:37:46.906
nurse and she couldn't really advance in her career when she had me and my twin brother.
00:37:47.719 --> 00:37:52.939
Then my aunties came in. Her two sisters took care of all my mom's children
00:37:52.939 --> 00:37:55.959
and she was able to progress and succeed.
00:37:56.159 --> 00:38:01.319
But the thing is, she had a lot of pressure to succeed because at some point,
00:38:01.539 --> 00:38:05.079
my aunties that took care of us would need help and she has,
00:38:05.379 --> 00:38:07.639
she must be in a position to help them.
00:38:08.079 --> 00:38:13.339
So that's, I think, is something that a lot of international students go through.
00:38:13.519 --> 00:38:16.879
It's like, okay these people helped me like for
00:38:16.879 --> 00:38:19.739
example if my parents can't pay my bills I can call my
00:38:19.739 --> 00:38:22.759
aunties my uncles my dad's friends someone
00:38:22.759 --> 00:38:25.899
will take care of me so when I
00:38:25.899 --> 00:38:28.699
succeed I have to think back and look at them and
00:38:28.699 --> 00:38:33.419
take care of them as well so I must succeed because everyone's rooting for me
00:38:33.419 --> 00:38:39.939
and also there's a girl I know she said I can share the story it's like she's
00:38:39.939 --> 00:38:45.139
not doing well in her elective and she's wondering how she's going to break
00:38:45.139 --> 00:38:47.319
it to her parents that she wasted a.
00:38:48.763 --> 00:38:54.803
$2,000 for a course and it's affecting her mental health so much.
00:38:55.003 --> 00:38:59.943
So there's so much pressure that she's going through and we should be able to
00:38:59.943 --> 00:39:03.283
normalize these challenges by talking about them.
00:39:03.463 --> 00:39:08.403
So for example, we have a Black student lounge and Black students can come together
00:39:08.403 --> 00:39:12.163
and talk about these experiences because the pressure is a lot.
00:39:12.343 --> 00:39:16.743
Like the school fees is so much and you can't make any mistake at all.
00:39:17.183 --> 00:39:20.363
So instead of like going through depression,
00:39:20.743 --> 00:39:25.163
costing yourself mental health, physical health, like intellectual health,
00:39:25.383 --> 00:39:29.043
you should come together and talk about this so that you can get help before
00:39:29.043 --> 00:39:32.823
it gets too late because that 20k is not coming back.
00:39:33.663 --> 00:39:38.943
So yeah. That's a really good point. And yeah, I can see where on the one hand
00:39:38.943 --> 00:39:44.763
you've got this immense pressure and on the other hand you've got this incredible support system. Yeah.
00:39:45.343 --> 00:39:48.843
All right. Well, this has been an amazing conversation, and I want to thank
00:39:48.843 --> 00:39:53.363
you all for sharing your hearts on these essential talking points and talking
00:39:53.363 --> 00:39:54.603
about what's important to you.
00:39:54.883 --> 00:40:00.303
To close out the show, I'd love to hear about your experiences so far in celebrating
00:40:00.303 --> 00:40:02.723
Black History Month at Lethbridge Polytechnic.
00:40:02.983 --> 00:40:06.443
What have been your favorite things so far?
00:40:06.643 --> 00:40:09.963
We're near the end of the month. There's still one or two events left to go,
00:40:10.123 --> 00:40:12.103
but what have you enjoyed the most so far?
00:40:12.403 --> 00:40:15.503
Okay, for me, I enjoyed the.
00:40:16.337 --> 00:40:22.577
I was promoting jollof rice. Yeah, to my friends, you know, have you tried jollof rice before?
00:40:23.237 --> 00:40:26.457
Oh, Google it. Just try it, you know.
00:40:26.637 --> 00:40:31.757
So I encourage you to go and collect the jollof rice raw materials and try it out, you know.
00:40:32.037 --> 00:40:37.757
Do it in your home. You enjoy the, you know, so that they try a dish from West
00:40:37.757 --> 00:40:39.117
Africa they have not tried before.
00:40:39.457 --> 00:40:43.637
Wonderful, yeah. And that recipe is still available online. So even though the
00:40:43.637 --> 00:40:47.157
meal kits are done, people can get the ingredients and still make it.
00:40:47.577 --> 00:40:51.057
So I kind of promoted that and I wanted to try it, you know.
00:40:51.837 --> 00:40:56.057
Yeah. Yeah. Wonderful. Yeah. I helped put the ingredients in the meal kit and
00:40:56.057 --> 00:41:00.357
the smell in the room was just fantastic putting that all together. Yeah.
00:41:01.157 --> 00:41:07.057
Okay. For me, I always, I kind of, I'm very much grateful that Leadbeach Polytechnic
00:41:07.057 --> 00:41:10.517
do recognize black instrument for students.
00:41:10.517 --> 00:41:17.617
And that was the first thing that really helped me settle in my second semester in my first year.
00:41:17.917 --> 00:41:23.737
When I saw that, okay, we do have Black History Month, just like a month to
00:41:23.737 --> 00:41:25.457
recognize Black students.
00:41:25.697 --> 00:41:30.657
I was like, well, that's very fantastic because I think that is one of the species
00:41:30.657 --> 00:41:37.277
that we can actually, you know, have this awareness and advocacy being reiterated
00:41:37.277 --> 00:41:39.797
again to everybody that's.
00:41:40.617 --> 00:41:45.857
That black people are just humans like us, you know, all those discriminative
00:41:45.857 --> 00:41:53.097
piece, even though from the system-wise, Canada, they encourage multiculturalism.
00:41:53.837 --> 00:41:57.677
And everybody comes in, but even down to the individual levels,
00:41:58.137 --> 00:42:01.497
down to people here, down to everyone that has come in.
00:42:01.917 --> 00:42:04.937
It just also, you know, believing in that same vision
00:42:04.937 --> 00:42:08.577
that a black person is not necessarily violent
00:42:08.577 --> 00:42:11.457
or like a criminal like the way
00:42:11.457 --> 00:42:14.177
we have bad and good in my country is the
00:42:14.177 --> 00:42:17.117
way we have bad and good in every country there's no perfect
00:42:17.117 --> 00:42:20.017
country right and then believing just a
00:42:20.017 --> 00:42:23.137
single story to generalize that is the danger there is
00:42:23.137 --> 00:42:26.397
it kind of make the the little piece you
00:42:26.397 --> 00:42:29.917
know be missing because my first semester i
00:42:29.917 --> 00:42:32.977
just i was curious to know what people think about black people
00:42:32.977 --> 00:42:35.717
so i just asked a couple of my friends when you hear
00:42:35.717 --> 00:42:38.637
black man what are the first three words that comes to your mind and
00:42:38.637 --> 00:42:42.037
they were like oh it must be a violent person a
00:42:42.037 --> 00:42:44.697
criminal somebody dangerous like these were
00:42:44.697 --> 00:42:48.077
the three words i had i was like okay and if
00:42:48.077 --> 00:42:50.797
people see if people believe this then they
00:42:50.797 --> 00:42:54.657
see everyone from that race with that
00:42:54.657 --> 00:42:57.337
mindset or from that perspective that you have to
00:42:57.337 --> 00:43:00.457
be a violent person or disorder or like
00:43:00.457 --> 00:43:03.657
somebody who is inferior because we thank
00:43:03.657 --> 00:43:06.997
god that one of our instructors was remembering my first year
00:43:06.997 --> 00:43:10.157
first semester i wrote one of my papers in my
00:43:10.157 --> 00:43:12.917
classes and my instructor called me i
00:43:12.917 --> 00:43:18.197
was like oh i'm gonna fail you i was like why what did i do and he was like
00:43:18.197 --> 00:43:24.257
well you didn't use ai i didn't see plagiarism i didn't nothing flagged you
00:43:24.257 --> 00:43:28.617
my system but i don't believe that you can write such a paper like this.
00:43:28.837 --> 00:43:30.637
And I was like, and why is that?
00:43:31.357 --> 00:43:34.137
And she said, because you're black.
00:43:35.837 --> 00:43:41.157
And I was like, where it'd be? And if so, if I'm black, can't I write a paper?
00:43:41.297 --> 00:43:44.997
Like you asked us to write your paper and I followed the rubric and I followed
00:43:44.997 --> 00:43:48.237
the instruction and I wrote down what's my story and I wrote my paper.
00:43:48.557 --> 00:43:51.677
And you feel like I'm not the one that writes what was there.
00:43:52.317 --> 00:43:59.057
And I was like, okay, your system, you agree that I didn't use AI or I didn't use any plagiarism.
00:43:59.237 --> 00:44:05.137
So why couldn't you just grade me? It was like, I don't believe that any first-year
00:44:05.137 --> 00:44:06.157
student can write such things.
00:44:06.257 --> 00:44:09.797
I was like, okay, be worried if the first-year student is not a fresh high school
00:44:09.797 --> 00:44:12.797
graduate because I've had my post-secondary education back home.
00:44:12.957 --> 00:44:16.997
I have done papers. I've been taught how to write papers. I've been taught how to do references.
00:44:17.257 --> 00:44:19.457
So I'm not just coming fresh out of high school.
00:44:19.837 --> 00:44:24.117
And you're just trying to film me just because you don't believe I can write
00:44:24.117 --> 00:44:28.517
a paper like this or maybe categorically no first-year should write a good paper
00:44:28.517 --> 00:44:30.737
like this that sounds so good.
00:44:31.077 --> 00:44:36.377
Is just merely being biased and like, you know, really being open to things.
00:44:36.917 --> 00:44:40.217
And true to what you say, she didn't really pass me well.
00:44:40.477 --> 00:44:45.137
But everybody, we kind of gave the feedback survey and next semester I saw that
00:44:45.137 --> 00:44:49.317
most students actually complained and failed their classes and she was removed and sacked.
00:44:49.597 --> 00:44:55.757
But it's something to like, when you talk about this and have those advocacy made every year,
00:44:56.137 --> 00:44:59.237
there are some traits of racism and
00:44:59.237 --> 00:45:03.337
discrimination in every place in every species and
00:45:03.337 --> 00:45:06.457
and we're talking about this every year
00:45:06.457 --> 00:45:12.237
kind of remind people the the importance of you know recognizing your people
00:45:12.237 --> 00:45:15.617
like they are humans so far they share the same principles and they've never
00:45:15.617 --> 00:45:20.837
done anything bad just treat them the way you expect to be treated and that's
00:45:20.837 --> 00:45:24.957
just like being human and equal right back to black history month.
00:45:25.781 --> 00:45:29.481
I'm always interested towards the fashion show. It's going to be happening on Thursday.
00:45:29.761 --> 00:45:33.241
So that's also one of the events I always look out for every year.
00:45:33.381 --> 00:45:38.841
Because, you know, it's that part of the event where most of our instructors
00:45:38.841 --> 00:45:42.461
or people who I know from black countries will get to see, okay,
00:45:42.561 --> 00:45:46.161
these are different dress styles and fashion styles.
00:45:46.581 --> 00:45:49.821
What it means or what those pieces means in our culture.
00:45:50.101 --> 00:45:53.261
And people just getting to learn about it always give me joy.
00:45:53.261 --> 00:45:59.421
Because just the same way I attend, you know, Powers and Orange Day and different
00:45:59.421 --> 00:46:01.621
indigenous events and different cultural events.
00:46:01.841 --> 00:46:04.721
And I love what they do. I mean, it's always interesting learning about,
00:46:05.201 --> 00:46:08.481
oh, maybe this is what this means in their culture.
00:46:09.041 --> 00:46:11.521
And when you're talking about your culture, providing those education,
00:46:12.081 --> 00:46:15.841
you feel this sense of reward and fulfilling at the end of the day.
00:46:16.201 --> 00:46:20.041
And will we see you walking the runway tomorrow? Ah, yes.
00:46:21.881 --> 00:46:25.901
Awesome. Good, good. Okay. And Monica, how about for you?
00:46:26.321 --> 00:46:30.061
Yeah. So for the Black History Month at Leadbridge Polytechnic,
00:46:30.221 --> 00:46:35.241
I really like it because it's like a period to show your culture,
00:46:35.421 --> 00:46:37.121
showcase your culture to like everyone.
00:46:37.341 --> 00:46:42.721
And I think like the students at the Polytechnic are very curious and humble
00:46:42.721 --> 00:46:46.261
and they always want to learn about different parts of your culture,
00:46:46.541 --> 00:46:49.661
like the Jell-O-Fries and the fashion show as well.
00:46:50.393 --> 00:46:54.713
My favorite thing about the Black History Month in Lepre Polytechnic is like
00:46:54.713 --> 00:46:59.593
being a part of the planning committee because I just get to tell people about
00:46:59.593 --> 00:47:03.693
the event so that they can come and like participate in this event,
00:47:03.953 --> 00:47:05.653
learn about different cultures.
00:47:06.633 --> 00:47:10.773
Yeah, so. Well, and that's really wonderful that you've been part of the planning
00:47:10.773 --> 00:47:13.993
committee because there is really a lot of planning that goes into it.
00:47:14.093 --> 00:47:16.433
I mean, it starts way back in September. Yeah.
00:47:17.353 --> 00:47:22.373
So last question for all of you, if you could leave us with one takeaway about
00:47:22.373 --> 00:47:29.533
what Black History Month means to you as a student in 2026, what would it be?
00:47:29.913 --> 00:47:33.213
Can I begin? Yep, absolutely. Jump in there, Monica. So, of course,
00:47:33.353 --> 00:47:38.673
from history, we know that Black History Month actually originates in the U.S. from Black Americans.
00:47:39.813 --> 00:47:45.553
And after slavery, there was a railway built that led to Halifax,
00:47:45.753 --> 00:47:47.713
Nova Scotia and those communities.
00:47:48.073 --> 00:47:53.173
So Black Americans migrated through those railroads to those communities.
00:47:53.453 --> 00:47:59.613
So there are actually, like, I would say, very, very old Black communities in
00:47:59.613 --> 00:48:06.133
Canada. Not just the immigrants, but actually from back slavery 400 years ago.
00:48:06.353 --> 00:48:13.333
And I think these groups of people have special experiences in the Black context as well.
00:48:14.547 --> 00:48:19.467
And for me as a student and an immigrant, like Black History Month just makes
00:48:19.467 --> 00:48:25.587
me feel seen and belonging because that's where you see every Black person in the school.
00:48:26.027 --> 00:48:29.907
For example, during the opening ceremony, like in the center court,
00:48:30.147 --> 00:48:33.667
there was like so many Black people with different cultural attires.
00:48:33.847 --> 00:48:35.767
And that was very lovely to see.
00:48:36.267 --> 00:48:41.747
Yeah. And I think the opening ceremonies this year was the most kind of energetic
00:48:41.747 --> 00:48:43.787
that I have seen so far. Yeah.
00:48:44.527 --> 00:48:54.407
Black History Month, for me, in 2026, I would say, for me, it means recognition.
00:48:55.427 --> 00:49:02.547
Recognition, like in the real sense, recognition and also advocacy, right?
00:49:02.727 --> 00:49:07.727
Because I get it, 10 years the Polytechnic have been, you know,
00:49:07.847 --> 00:49:08.967
recognizing Black students.
00:49:09.747 --> 00:49:15.167
And that has been successful, I would say. And that has also been a part of
00:49:15.167 --> 00:49:19.287
a lot of the reasons why black students come to Polytechnic.
00:49:20.362 --> 00:49:22.602
Because interacting with Black students, that was the first thing they were
00:49:22.602 --> 00:49:25.902
like, oh, I saw on their Instagram, they do have Black History Month every February.
00:49:26.502 --> 00:49:30.722
And, you know, and that was part of the reasons they chose Lethbridge Polytechnic.
00:49:31.082 --> 00:49:34.982
Just because of, it just kind of, even though you are not here yet,
00:49:35.202 --> 00:49:39.602
it creates that sense of belonging that, okay, if a school at an institution
00:49:39.602 --> 00:49:44.202
level, you know, does this recognition, it makes you feel part of it.
00:49:44.202 --> 00:49:46.662
But it also makes you, you know, being
00:49:46.662 --> 00:49:51.362
able to express yourself and join communities and help out in the way.
00:49:51.762 --> 00:49:57.742
Because I would say if my first experience at the polytechnic wasn't really
00:49:57.742 --> 00:50:01.622
interesting, I don't think I'll be willing to like, you know,
00:50:01.782 --> 00:50:04.282
join the students association or like run for anything.
00:50:04.582 --> 00:50:07.002
I would just want to just come here, do my studies. And, you know,
00:50:07.082 --> 00:50:08.822
after the term, I maybe go back to my country.
00:50:08.822 --> 00:50:12.222
But like even while you are here and learning
00:50:12.222 --> 00:50:15.062
about the different cultures and you're
00:50:15.062 --> 00:50:17.642
also being recognized too you know
00:50:17.642 --> 00:50:20.722
it gives you this sense of belonging this sense of being seen
00:50:20.722 --> 00:50:23.382
this sense of being heard and you may want to
00:50:23.382 --> 00:50:27.102
also join the train and bringing your own perspective from
00:50:27.102 --> 00:50:29.922
your own lived experiences from where you're coming from
00:50:29.922 --> 00:50:32.742
and that also brings about diversity you know
00:50:32.742 --> 00:50:35.622
joining different spaces hearing about oh this is
00:50:35.622 --> 00:50:38.362
how it's been going on here in a western style and i'd be like oh this
00:50:38.362 --> 00:50:41.342
is how it's been going on from you know from where i'm coming from
00:50:41.342 --> 00:50:44.442
and people kind of bringing you know philippines talk
00:50:44.442 --> 00:50:47.862
indians bring their culture their perspective and at the end of the day you
00:50:47.862 --> 00:50:52.342
see different things just same story but like different perspective different
00:50:52.342 --> 00:50:59.142
world views and that kind of teaches you to to be humble and respectful of everybody
00:50:59.142 --> 00:51:02.522
you know and because you don't know why someone is doing that.
00:51:03.213 --> 00:51:08.193
Like, like Mr. Jude said one time, my first semester, I always bowed down to
00:51:08.193 --> 00:51:11.713
greet my instructors and I always called them. Oh, hi, Madam Sandra.
00:51:12.073 --> 00:51:14.973
And my instructor were like, they finally had to suit him. They were like,
00:51:15.113 --> 00:51:18.153
oh, don't call me mad. You make me feel old. I was like, well,
00:51:18.173 --> 00:51:19.973
in my culture, this is a sign of respect.
00:51:20.113 --> 00:51:24.573
Like it took me literally more than two months to really adapt to like,
00:51:24.773 --> 00:51:28.973
oh, because once I see them, like naturally, I would just say, oh, hi, Mrs.
00:51:29.133 --> 00:51:31.913
Sandra or hi, Mr. This or, you know, just say.
00:51:31.913 --> 00:51:34.553
But they were like just call me my name and this is
00:51:34.553 --> 00:51:37.193
something that for more than 20 years of my life back home
00:51:37.193 --> 00:51:40.733
i've never done you know because you you ascribe
00:51:40.733 --> 00:51:43.693
respect to your parents to to
00:51:43.693 --> 00:51:46.573
your elders and everything even to your instructors like you
00:51:46.573 --> 00:51:49.513
call them professor if they have a doctor you call them doctor this
00:51:49.513 --> 00:51:52.233
you don't just call them their name right if not they
00:51:52.233 --> 00:51:55.473
will fail you right but like over here people
00:51:55.473 --> 00:51:58.613
are just very simple and frankly i was like okay but
00:51:58.613 --> 00:52:01.253
like within me wasn't like settling if I kind
00:52:01.253 --> 00:52:04.493
of feel so weird at the beginning because I
00:52:04.493 --> 00:52:07.213
was like I don't know if I call her you know whether she's gonna
00:52:07.213 --> 00:52:11.313
fail me I don't know but she said and most of them were like really like bold
00:52:11.313 --> 00:52:15.493
I was like divine you know what I'm tired of sir ma please just call me my name
00:52:15.493 --> 00:52:19.213
I was like okay I'm learning like the next day they'll be like they'll just
00:52:19.213 --> 00:52:26.013
see me like hey before you say anything my name Sandra Sandra okay and that was how I know I got to.
00:52:26.754 --> 00:52:29.674
Adapt like okay this is how people want to be greeted
00:52:29.674 --> 00:52:33.634
here this is how people want to be you know respected but
00:52:33.634 --> 00:52:37.154
if i go to any black meeting in canada
00:52:37.154 --> 00:52:40.054
to my evil tribe meetings i still call
00:52:40.054 --> 00:52:43.074
them sir and ma because this is how we greet in our culture
00:52:43.074 --> 00:52:46.594
like i respect them but when i come to school i see
00:52:46.594 --> 00:52:49.374
brad i was like oh hi brad but like before it was
00:52:49.374 --> 00:52:52.154
like hi sir brad or hi prof brad or dr
00:52:52.154 --> 00:52:55.074
brad you know and he'll be like nobody has ever called
00:52:55.074 --> 00:52:57.974
him that and he just want to be called this and
00:52:57.974 --> 00:53:01.154
you just respect them because that's what they prefer to be called but when
00:53:01.154 --> 00:53:04.014
you go back to my cultural meetings and whatever we do here
00:53:04.014 --> 00:53:06.914
i still ascribe those respects of how
00:53:06.914 --> 00:53:11.734
we have been you know greeted and have known each other back home so that advocacy
00:53:11.734 --> 00:53:17.674
and recognition is something that is something that in 2026 i would say is really
00:53:17.674 --> 00:53:21.874
i see that happen i see the changes made like from last two years you brought
00:53:21.874 --> 00:53:24.334
us something and that was taken into action.
00:53:24.634 --> 00:53:28.274
And maybe if he's an instructor, that will be removed. And if he's something
00:53:28.274 --> 00:53:31.354
else, if he's something that is willing to be changed, the policy will be changed.
00:53:31.674 --> 00:53:35.874
And you see the inclusion, you know, a lot of pieces have been recognized and
00:53:35.874 --> 00:53:40.574
the school have been the ones supporting funding-wise with the whole Black History Month.
00:53:40.694 --> 00:53:43.574
And that is very much interesting and something that I'm very,
00:53:43.694 --> 00:53:47.394
very much, you know, glad I'm very proud of, Leadbeach Polytechnic.
00:53:47.874 --> 00:53:51.394
Wonderful. Thank you, Devine. You've touched on a lot there. That's amazing.
00:53:52.174 --> 00:53:57.554
Yeah. I want to appreciate Leadbeach Polytechnic for pinpointing Nigeria for
00:53:57.554 --> 00:54:00.674
this Black History Month. Like you said, we are very energetic.
00:54:01.314 --> 00:54:04.874
Yeah. You see when two Nigerians are talking, it will be as if they are fighting,
00:54:04.894 --> 00:54:06.054
but they are not actually fighting.
00:54:07.634 --> 00:54:12.554
Okay. So I want to appreciate Leadbeach Polytechnic. And I also want to take
00:54:12.554 --> 00:54:14.534
a cue from something I learned recently.
00:54:14.994 --> 00:54:16.634
Instead of using Black...
00:54:17.455 --> 00:54:23.135
We can say African descent, because I believe it's one ancestral connection.
00:54:23.655 --> 00:54:28.015
Even if the person is a Jamaican, they have that roots, you know,
00:54:28.075 --> 00:54:30.295
that ancestral connection to Africa.
00:54:30.575 --> 00:54:34.635
So you can say African descent, a person of African descent.
00:54:35.255 --> 00:54:39.015
So I just want to leave us with that thought. That's a great thought. Thank you, Jude.
00:54:39.335 --> 00:54:43.155
And last but certainly not least, Aderike? So for me,
00:54:43.335 --> 00:54:50.315
Black History Month in 2026 means seeing a certain people beyond just their
00:54:50.315 --> 00:54:55.715
skin color and recognizing them and just like making them feel,
00:54:55.875 --> 00:54:57.175
have a sense of belonging.
00:54:58.175 --> 00:55:02.295
Wonderful. Well, thank you again so much. It's been an amazing conversation.
00:55:02.295 --> 00:55:07.415
I'm very excited for your futures and your future nursing careers.
00:55:07.755 --> 00:55:11.975
And best of luck as you continue on your education journey.
00:55:12.935 --> 00:55:15.915
Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you for having us. Thank you.
00:55:16.115 --> 00:55:20.775
This episode featured Donna McLaughlin as host and Monica, Divine,
00:55:21.255 --> 00:55:23.975
Jude, and Adarike as guests.
00:55:24.395 --> 00:55:26.475
Jordana Gagnon was our producer.
00:55:26.975 --> 00:55:32.155
Ryan Robinson was our sound technician and editor. Our podcast is funded by
00:55:32.155 --> 00:55:37.335
Lethbridge Polytechnic and recorded on the traditional lens of the Blackfoot Confederacy.
00:55:38.075 --> 00:55:42.915
For more episodes, head to learninginnovation.ca forward slash podcast.
00:55:43.275 --> 00:55:45.375
Thanks for listening and take care.