NBGN blog

The NBGN Blog offers brief articles, essays, poetry, artwork and reflections related to Black Studies and written by graduate students in our network. Blog posts are public, only members can comment on posts.


September 30, 2024

Every Child matters/ Chaque enfant compte

On this National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, The NBGN stands in solidarity with Canada's Indigenous communities. This day is not only a time for reflection, but also a call to action. We must collectively acknowledge the painful legacy of colonialism, residential schools and systemic racism faced by Indigenous Peoples ...


September 4, 2024

Welcome to a brand-new academic year!

Welcome to a brand-new academic year! As you plunge into fresh ideas and shake up the narratives around us, know that the National Black Graduate Network (NBGN) is right by your side throughout your societal and academic journey! ...


July 17, 2024

2023-2024 Annual Report

Below please find a summary of our 2023-2024 academic year. We wish all of the members and friends of the NBGN a wonderful summer season and look forward to the start of a new academic year in September! Leadership team marcus singleton (coordinator) Aayah Amir (membership outreach) rosalind hampton (director) Membership We conclude the academic year with 259 members, a growth of 15 members from previous year. Our membership is based across at least 28 Canadian universities: University of ...


May 31, 2024

On Black Study Groups

marcus singleton For my generation, the formal classroom was never the space for deep critique precisely because it was not a place of love. The classroom was—and still is—a performative space, where faculty and students compete with each other. Through study [reading] groups, we created our own intellectual communities held together by principle and love. . .the political study group was our lifeblood—both on and off campus. — Robin D.G. Kelley Where do we go, what do we say ...


February 5, 2024

Reflecting on Antoinette ‘Bonnie’ Candia-Bailey: Insights from Her Life and Legacy

Breaking Silos, Building Community And Navigating Mental Health Together By marcus singleton I am tired of seeing my colleagues being torn limb from limb both emotionally and professionally. These Black leaders are people first. They have gifts and talents. They have to make hard decisions just like you do and sometimes they make huge mistakes. They are not your tokens, and they deserve an opportunity to lead. They deserve the same grace you give our non-Black colleagues —Jaelyn Scott ...


October 13, 2023

Welcome to the 2023-2024 academic year

Greetings, dear members of the National Black Graduate Network (NBGN)! We, the NBGN staff, wish you all a happy new academic year. We are extending positive energy and thoughts to each and every one of you who are continuing on this journey as academic scholars or graduate students and students of Black Studies in Canada. To our new members, we would like to send a special shout-out welcome to you and let you know that the NBGN is an ...


August 14, 2023

NBGN ANNUAL REPORT, 2022-2023

Peace NBGN members,  The NBGN Leadership Team hopes that 2022-23 was  an amazingly successful academic year for you all. We are excited for you to read the 2022-23 NBGN annual report to highlight some of our events and keep you all updated on what we have been doing over this past school year.   It is important to reiterate that the National Black Graduate Network (NBGN) is an initiative to promote communication and collaboration among Black graduate ...


February 16, 2023

Professor Andrea Davis on Black Studies

by marcus singleton The NBGN is super excited to have Dr. Andrea Davis as our guest for tomorrow’s Chill & Chat. Having Dr. Davis as our guest speaker motivated the NBGN leadership team to go back and rewatch her talk at the 2020 UBC Provost’s Speaker Series on Systemic Racism where the topic was about the potential for Black studies programs in Canada. During this talk, Dr. Davis gave a phenomenal snapshot of Black Studies history and origins. In ...


December 1, 2022

Dr. Evelyn Asiedu: The Good & Bad of Black Grad CBC article reflection

by marcus singleton “Graduate school can be a solitary, isolating experience for many students, but add on top of that the feeling of being the only Black student in your department or faculty, and that experience can become more insulating.” These are the words that begin an outstanding CBC article entitled Black academic experiences in Canadian universities, focus of webinar series. The webinar series the CBC article is referring to is a five-part series called The Good and ...