Join us for a hybrid panel discussion in recognition of Black Heritage Month, hosted by the Africa Forum at the Balsillie School of International Affairs in partnership with the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI). This event brings together distinguished scholars to explore how histories of resistance, digital practices, and transnational community life shape Afro‑diasporic identity and intellectual engagement.
The panel blends historical, cultural, and digital perspectives, including reflections on digital storytelling, online activism, and the use of digital platforms for memory, knowledge sharing, resistance, and survivance.
About the Panelists
Dr. Mesele Terecha (St. Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College, Ethiopia) works in medical history and cultural anthropology explores the intersections of health, identity, and tradition. He will reflect on Ethiopia’s legacy of resisting colonialism and how historical memory continues to shape community narratives across digital and social spaces.
Dr. Laura Mae Lindo (University of Waterloo) is an advocate and scholar engaged in anti‑racist education, policy, and community activism. She will connect intersectional activism with digital organizing and platforms, highlighting how technology contributes to political engagement and social justice among Black and racialized communities.
Dr. Ann Marie Beals (Wilfrid Laurier University) works at the intersection of Afro‑Indigenous identity, relational knowledge, and community wellbeing. Her contribution will emphasize digital oral storytelling and the use of digital platforms by Black, Indigenous, and Afro‑Indigenous communities as tools for memory, shared knowledge, and resistance.
As the discussant, Dr. Shaunasea Brown (Wilfrid Laurier University) will weave together panel themes and offer reflections on how the arts, narrative practice, and community care intersect with diasporic identity and digital cultures.
This event is open to BSIA graduate students, faculty, Africa Forum members, and the broader community.
