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NSBE’s U of T Chapter celebrated Black History Month on campus (Photo courtesy of Edmar Mandawe).

It was an evening filled with live marimba music, international cuisine and energetic debate.

To mark the end of this year’s Black History Month on campus, the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) U of T Chapter hosted the first annual ‘Reflect, Unite, Celebrate: A Black History Month Affair’. The event brought together U of T students and alumni to celebrate the heritage, traditions and culture of African-Canadians.

“Every one of us has a very different background – African, Caribbean, British, you name it – and it makes us unique,” said Andrew Brown (MIE 1T3 + PEY), President of NSBE’s U of T Chapter. “Part of Black History Month is to celebrate that uniqueness. We all have something to offer, and it’s something different.”

The evening opened with a trio of marimba players, led by Dimpho Radebe (IndE 1T4 + PEY), NSBE’s Administrative Director, that literally had guests dancing out of their seats. The melodic tones of the marimba, which originated in Zimbabwe, continue to grow in popularity across Canada, she said.

Guests also participated in a lively round-table discussion moderated by biomedical engineering PhD student Mikhail Burke (MSE 1T2). The debate focused on modern-day issues of young engineers in the workplace, including those of different ethnicities, ages, sexual orientation and gender.

“[NSBE] has had a very positive impact on my own perception of black engineers and the influence we can have,” said Burke, “not just on each other, but within the engineering realm and the wider community.”

NSBE’s U of T Chapter also held a series of outreach workshops with students in nearby high-schools for Black History Month. Along with sharing practical advice on time management and study tips, the sessions also allowed teenagers to interact and ask questions of older peers already in university. NSBE is hoping to continue these workshops in May and June.

With over 23,000 members worldwide, NSBE was founded in 1975 and is the largest student-managed organization in the world. Their mission focuses on increasing the number of culturally responsible and professionally successful black engineers, with a strong emphasis on giving back to local communities.

Find out more about NBSE on their website.

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