As Black History Month comes to a close, one member of the community wants the conversations to continue year-round.

Dieulita Datus is a local activist who wants to encourage discussion and understanding for people of different backgrounds, no matter what month of the year.

She said in order for the dialogue and social narrative to change, conversations need to be inclusive and thoughtful.

"What's most important to me is making sure everyone's voice is heard at the table. To go further into what that means is not excluding any voices on the matter," she said. 

"When people think of Black History Month, what they don't realize is that it means so many different things to so many different people. You have, for example, people who are Africans from the continent itself, there are African Americans, there are people like myself who are from the Caribbean. There are also people from Central and South America. We are all classed as "black", but we do not all have the same history."

She continued," Even the month itself is kind of controversial within the community because there are some people who say, 'I don't need Black History Month - I'm black all year round' and then there are others who don't have the same kind of history that really look forward to this month because this is when conversations are brought out. This is when deep thought goes into what it means to be black for some people."

Datus said some of the ways people can become more aware of what Black History means is to engage in thoughtful, respectful conversations about experiences and interactions. That way, people can learn from one another and gain a better understanding of what it means to be black, to each individual.

"For me, it means looking back home and being present here. When I look back home and think about Black History, it means looking at people like Toussaint Louverture, Jean-Jacques Dessalines, Catherine Flon...people who were instrumental in Haiti's start as a nation. They decided, 'no more'. They are my ancestors and that makes me proud because they stood up and said 'We would rather die than have our children be raised in slavery," Datus said. 

"To me, that means to celebrate their spirit and who they are."

However, Datus said that as she considers Black History Month here at home, it means "Coming together with everybody else. Friends who are from the continent of Africa, friends who are African Americans and friends who are from Central and South America, Black Canadians and also the Indigenous community here because our stories are connected."

She said it's a time to come together, eat good food and share stories of their history and modern experiences.

"There are so many different stories. A black Canadian's story is different than mine."

A common and unfortunate experience for people who are not white is to be asked, "Where are you from?", and when they respond with a Canadian name, they are asked again, "But where are you "from" from?". Datus said this is an incredibly isolating experience because it makes people feel like they are not from here, that they are outsiders, and that they are different. 

"It makes me feel like I'm being "othered"," she said, adding that it's nice when her white friends are able to come to her defense and ask why they weren't asked the question. She said actions like that can help people be an ally to someone who is being singled out for the colour of their skin or physical appearance. 

For people who want to be more educated on issues of race and discrimination, this is Datus' advice: Essentially, if you want to know more about the experience of a person of colour, ask. Don't be afraid to make mistakes, as long as you learn from them. Engage, listen and do not negate that person's experience if you can't see it, or haven't felt it.