Laurier expert alert: Black History Month

Jan. 29, 2024
For Immediate Release

WATERLOO — Every February, Black History Month commemorates the legacy of Black Canadians and events tied to the history of the African diaspora. Wilfrid Laurier University has experts available to comment on topics related to Black History Month, including African history, immigration, culture, spirituality, identity and achievements. 

The following list includes Laurier experts who are available to speak at this time but does not represent the full breadth of expertise that exists at the institution. For a comprehensive inventory of Laurier’s faculty researchers, please consult the Experts at Laurier database.

Also view Laurier’s Black History Month feature, which celebrates Black History Month and the university’s thriving Black community.

Karen Cyrus is an assistant professor of Ethnomusicology. Cyrus’s areas of expertise include Afrodiasporic community music-making practices, pan-African children’s music repertoires and social justice in music education. Contact: kcyrus@wlu.ca  

Florence Juma is an associate professional faculty member at Martin Luther University College in the department of Spiritual Care and Psychotherapy. Juma’s graduate research focused on historical theology specializing in church history and dogma. She is the author of Recapturing the Oral Tradition of Storytelling in Spiritual Conversations with Older Adults: An Afro-Indigenous Approach.  Contact: fjuma@luther.wlu.ca

John Laband is a professor emeritus of History at Laurier and a research associate at the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa. His expertise includes the history of war and society in Africa during the colonial era, with a particular emphasis on the Zulu Kingdom. Contact: jlaband@wlu.ca 

Magnus Mfoafo-M’Carthy, a professor in the Faculty of Social Work, examines mental illness, disability and stigma among immigrant communities, as well as African ideals of family. He is also interested in postcolonial and critical race theories, social justice and anti-oppressive practice. Mfoafo-M’Carthy is a research fellow with Laurier’s Tshepo Institute for the Study of Contemporary Africa and Centre for Leading Research in Education. Contact: mmfoafomcarthy@wlu.ca

Edward Shizha, a professor in the Faculty of Liberal Arts, is an expert on topics including Black African immigrants in Ontario, the settlement experiences of African immigrants in Canada, discrimination in education and schools, education and postcolonial theory, and migration and transnationalism. Shizha is a research fellow with the Tshepo Institute for the Study of Contemporary Africa. Contact: eshizha@wlu.ca 

Dalon P. Taylor is a professor in the Faculty of Social Work. Among her areas of expertise are migration, immigration, skilled migration, race, racism, anti-Black racism, community engagement, health inequities and social justice. Contact: dptaylor@wlu.ca

Dana Elizabeth Weiner, associate professor in Laurier’s Department of History, is an expert on race and rights in the 19^th-century United States. Weiner specializes in African American history, rights and activism in the American midwest and west, as well as the anti-slavery movement. She teaches about slavery, the U.S. Civil War and its aftermath, citizenship, and rights movements. Weiner’s current research focuses on race, property, identity and citizenship claims among free people of African descent in 19^th-century California. Contact: dweiner@wlu.ca

Ciann L. Wilson, associate professor in Laurier’s Department of Psychology, centres her work within intersectional and anti-colonial theories. Wilson engages in community-based health and well-being research with Black, Indigenous and racialized communities around topics including education, sexual and reproductive health, mental health, social determinants of health and well-being. Her areas of expertise also include equity in the education and health sectors. In 2021, Wilson was honoured with the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations’ Status of Women and Equity Award of Distinction for her dedication to community transformation and racial justice. Since 2016, she has been a part of the Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty Association’s Diversity and Equity Committee. Contact: ciwilson@wlu.ca