Welcome to Afrofest 2023
The African Diaspora Festival (AfroFest) is a monthlong celebration that commemorates the history and work of the African diaspora and the contributions of Black people locally and globally. The year 2023 marks the 8th year of the United Nations Declaration of International Decade for People of African Descent, and February 2023 marks the 18th anniversary. Hence, as AfroFest coordinator, I am committed to making the University of Windsor campus a safe and accepting environment for Black students, and the entire student body.
Given the City of Windsor is of deep historical importance to Black history to Canada and Ontario and this campus has a strong presence of Black students, it is my goal to strengthen this in the minds if students, staff, faculty, and the broader community. As the coordinator of this year’s AfroFest, my main focus will be the Black radical tradition and all of its manifestations in Black life, particularly as they pertain to post-secondary education and other areas of Black life. By utilizing a range of analytical frameworks, including those from academics, activism, scholarships, research, literature, the creative industry, and community organizing. Innovative, moral, and scholarly discussions about anti-racism and resistance are presented by AfroFest in relation to politics, law, immigration, social work, media, and the arts. It accomplishes so by critically examining Blackness at the junctures of gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, self-love, the body, and concepts of belonging.
