Black Health Researchers’ Hub opens to support Black researchers

Black health researchers now have a new space on Dalhousie’s campus that’s dedicated to promoting mentorship and collaboration.

On Feb. 24, faculty, alumni, and students celebrated the opening of the Black Health Researchers’ Hub, a shared space for Black researchers. 

The hub is co-led by Dalhousie professors OmiSoore Dryden and Barbara Hamilton-Hinch. 

For Hamilton-Hinch, the creation of the hub was inspired by her experiences in academic settings. 

“Throughout my journey both as a student, as a faculty member, and as an administrator, I don’t see Black people reflected enough on the campus, given the history of people of African descent in Nova Scotia, and in Canada,” said Hamilton-Hinch in an interview with The Signal at the event. 

The ceremony began with the crowd being led through the new space by an African Nova Scotian drummer, and for health faculty dean Brenda Merritt, it was moving. 

“To hear that drum lead us into something new, it was pretty emotional,” said Merritt in a video call with The Signal. 

Dentistry faculty dean Ben Davis says the hub will help uncover reasons for health disparities in the community. 

“I think that this hub is going to actually help answer some of those big questions and then allow us to formulate strategies to improve health outcomes,” said Davis in a video call with The Signal. 

Dryden and Hamilton-Hinch want Black people to be included in medical research. 

“We’re strong advocates for wanting this and it made sense to try and have a space where we could collaborate and do a better job of that,” said Hamilton-Hinch. 

Both co-leads, along with attendees, spoke about the hub’s importance, and the impact they hoped it would have, comments that meant a lot to Merritt. 

“Really hearing from the students when they spoke about the importance of this space, it drove home how important this is,” said Merritt. 

One of the hub’s goals is to facilitate mentorship. 

For Hamilton-Hinch, it is important for students to have role models in important positions. 

“Students just seeing us in these leadership roles, it helps them to realize that it’s possible for them, right? So I think just us being present on this campus is a form of mentorship,” said Hamilton-Hinch. 

The hub responds to a campus-wide need for more spaces that serve people of colour. 

“You’ll see a lot of support on campus that tends to primarily serve white people. In order to attempt to balance that, I would say there at least needs to be one or two other infrastructure pieces on campus in order to support the population here,” said Dryden in an interview with The Signal at the event. 

The hub is located in the Collaborative Health Education Building at the corner of University Avenue and Summer Street.

Davis said he was impressed by the space. 

“I mean, what a remarkable facility. It’s just bright, welcoming, culturally safe, and appropriate.”