Black History Month Blog Series: Oluwaseyifunmi Alabi

By Oluwaseyifunmi Alabi on Feb 27, 2024
Oluwaseyifunmi smiles looking upwards. Her hair falls in long braids over her black dress.

Meet Oluwaseyifunmi Alabi, a second-year Social Work Student at Red Deer Polytechnic. Oluwaseyifunmi hopes for a future where the Black community thrives collectively, with equal opportunities, justice, and solidarity, while fostering a sense of empowerment and unity.

Black Excellence, to me, acknowledges strength, power, courage in adversity, and resilience. It highlights the collective achievement of the Black community while breaking barriers and inspiring positive change in society.

I am an entrepreneur with over ten years of experience in fashion designing and styling and 15 years of experience in American Sign Language. I'm passionate about social justice; I love fashion design and photography. I hope to have my own studio for fashion and photography in Red Deer, where I can tell stories through arts and creative work and teach young people who have the same passion.

Being a member of the Black community holds a deep cultural, historical, and personal significance for me. It represents a sense of belonging to a group that shares common experiences, struggles, and resilience. 

Proudly being part of a Nigerian community in Red Deer means showcasing my cultural identity and embracing and celebrating my African heritage, such as music, food and traditions. It is also about feeling a solid bond with other Black individuals based on shared experiences of discrimination, racism and systemic oppression.

A defining moment for me within the Black community is being able to find strength and empowerment through a collective effort to challenge racism and also finding community support and understanding within the Black community through family, friends and my church. It has shaped my sense of self, values, perspectives, and resilience coping skills, motivating me to pursue my dreams no matter the challenge.

Related News

Rys-Ann wears a black dress with a grey purse on her shoulder. She smiles while running her fingers through her hair. She is standing on concrete steps outside in bright late-day sunshine.
Black History Month Blog Series: Rys-Ann Whyne
Meet Rys-Ann (she/her), a proud graduate of the Social Work Program in 2020. Rys-Ann is from Jamaica, where she lived for 17 years. She then migrated to Canada in 2014 to attend Red Deer Polytechnic. "When I hear Black Excellence, I think about achievements by people of colour being highlighted and negative stereotypes being challenged. Black Excellence speaks volumes and represents the triumph and talents of people of colour. One prominently defining moment in Black History that I am proud of is the establishment of Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the early 1800s in the USA. Historically, people of colour were denied admission into post-secondary institutions. So, these Black Colleges allowed people of colour to be in safe/welcoming spaces while having minds nurtured and educated by people who shared the same experiences. When I think about this accomplishment, I am reminded of the courageousness in pursuing social justice and the right to education with the resilience to overcome racial injustices. I have experienced barriers of racism and discrimination in my journey. Despite that, I continue to be proud of who I am and what I have accomplished by earning my place in Social Work. My commitment is to walk
Zanaib stands in front of a large rock formation, wearing a flowered dress and yellow jacket.
Black History Month Blog Series: Zainab Mohamoud
Meet Zainab Mohamoud (she/her), an alum who completed her Social Work Diploma in 2012 and the collaborative program with U of C majoring in Sociology in 2019. This knowledge prepared her to make a difference in marginalized communities for generations. "As a role model for many Black community members, I ensure that everything I do daily exudes Black Excellence while focusing on how to do better than yesterday. I am proud of my achievements and Black background, and it is my pleasure to actively represent myself and the community in an empowered, positive light. My passions and gifts drive me to focus on people, humanity, the environment, justice, equal rights, advocacy, and doing the right things when no one is watching. In order to help women and their families, I obtained a Social Work Diploma through RDP. Afterwards, I was hired by the Central Alberta Immigrant Women Association. In addition, I founded the Education for Somali Girls and Boys Foundation, which built a school in Somalia (2015) with over 100 students enrolled and raised funds across North America to pay teachers' salaries so that children can attend school without fees. I am one of the current Executive Directors and founders
Fola stands with arms crossed, smiling at the camera. He wears a black shirt.
Black History Month Blog Series: Dr. Fola Oluwasina
Meet Dr. Fola Oluwasina (he/him), a Science Instructor with the Donald School of Business, Science and Computing. He is driven to keep growing and improving in his career as a teacher and researcher. "When I hear the phrase 'Black Excellence,' it makes me think of the amazing things Black people have done, their resilience and the contributions made by black people in various disciplines. It celebrates intellect, talent, and the unwavering spirit that has triumphed over historical hardships. Being part of the Black community is very important to me because of our rich culture and strength, and it reminds us of the power in our shared stories. Celebrating these parts of who I am is an important journey with many parts where I actively add to the story of progress and resilience. I celebrate by honouring the traditions passed down from generation to generation, recognizing the achievements of Black leaders, and noting the problems that were faced and solved. It means getting ideas from the amazing things Black people have done in art, music, literature, science, and every other area of human success. One of the projects close to my heart involves innovations that increase access to high-quality mental health