Black History Month 2024: Interview with Mary McCarthy

The theme for Black History Month this year is Black Excellence: A Heritage to Celebrate and a Future to Build. This month is about listening, learning, and celebrating the many achievements and contributions of Black Canadians and their communities who, throughout history, have done so much to make Canada a more culturally diverse country. The role of Black people and their communities in Canada has largely been ignored as a key part of Canada’s history.   In this episode, UNB in 30 Host, Kalkidan Burke sits down with Dr. Mary Louise McCarthy, a sixth-generation woman of African descent in New Brunswick and community leader who is committed to telling stories of her ancestors. Dr. Mary Louise McCarthy has received several accolades, she has received the Queen Elizabeth Platinum Jubilee Medal, an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from St. Thomas University, established and became executive director of REACH in NB (Remembering every African Cemeteries History) and received a Doctor of Philosophy from University of Toronto, with a specialty in Social Justice   Dr. McCarthy shares the importance of Black History Month, her family’s ancestral history, her lived experiences with racism and racial profiling and provides tips and tricks in how one can prevent burnout within the activism space.   Black History Month is more than just a month. The Research Commons encourages you to take the time to listen, learn, read, and educate yourself and others about the importance of keeping these stories alive.