Celebrating the achievements of the Canadian Black Nurses Alliance – McMaster
Nurturing unity and support since 2020, the Canadian Black Nurses Alliance-McMaster continues to inspire
The Canadian Black Nurses Alliance – McMaster (CBNA-McMaster) was co-founded by students Ezinwa Agokei and Abena Owusu in July 2020. The two students identified the need for a community that fosters connections among Black nursing students, inspired by the positive impact of diversity programs on academic performance and a sense of belonging on campus.
“During my initial years in nursing school, I was fortunate to connect with most of my classmates. However, I noticed that there were only a handful of Black students in my program and we all appeared to be distant and spread around the different sites & levels. I appreciated that creating a space where we could connect Black students and other students of colour could positively impact my student experience and that of my peers” says Agokei.
CBNA-Mac launched an online platform in August 2020 to share informative and encouraging content. By September that year, CBNA-Mac held its first event, “Black Voices in Health Care,” culminating in the Black Voices in Nursing (BVIN) series. This event inspired further events such as a “Resource Night,” consisting of an end of the semester study session, as well as “New Grad Live”, where new Black nursing graduates presented in a panel to current students.
In February 2021, CBNA-Mac took a substantial stride by launching a website featuring the “Ask CBNA Mac” tool—an anonymous forum for Black students to seek advice and share experiences related to nursing. Executives responded to entries, addressing questions ranging from campus involvement to handling discrimination.
CBNA-Mac’s impact was recognized in April 2021 when it became ratified within the McMaster Students Union, strengthening its identity as a hub for Black nursing students with over 25 active members. Kemi Oshin, a third-year MoMac BScN student and the current Social Media Coordinator for CBNA-Mac, expressed gratitude for the group’s role in creating a space for connection and support. “Joining CBNA in 2021 when I first started my nursing degree was honestly the best thing I could have ever done. CBNA gave me the opportunity to meet so many new people and gave me a space of comfort and love filled with people who were rooting for me while I got to uplift and celebrate Black nurses” says Oshin.
The year 2022 saw CBNA-Mac’s active participation in university events. Three students proudly represented the club and the growing community of Black nursing students at the annual May @ Mac event, an open house for high school students who are interested in attending McMaster University. They also attended Welcome Week, where they emphasized being Black-focused but not exclusive. Later in September 2022, CBNA-Mac organized its first in-person mixer at the Black Student Success Centre (BSSC), allowing students to connect face-to-face after a period of online interactions during the pandemic.
In November 2022, two members presented the first student-led guest lecture in a course taught by School of Nursing Associate Professor, Olive Wahoush. Joaness Ahumibe, CBNA-Mac Treasurer (2022/2023), and Tsinat Semagn, CBNA-Mac President (2021-2023), presented a lecture titled “Nursing Through the Lens of Black Students,” which aimed to raise awareness about racial biases in healthcare and implications of implicit biases to Black patient outcomes through a Nursing perspective.
“Like many students, I often doubted the impact I could make as a student. I am grateful for CBNA for helping me realize that you can make change at any age. Dr. Olive Wahoush has been a consistent and avid supporter of CBNA-Mac, and when learning of the team’s interest in improving the SDoH curriculum, was eager to get us involved. After several months of preparation, Joaness and I finally delivered our lecture live to 650 first-year students from all sites and streams of the BScN consortium. This experience was truly life-changing for the both of us” says Semagn.
January 2023 marked a significant month as CBNA-Mac received funding through the Strategic Alignment Fund for the Faculty of Health Sciences. They were able to launch the Black Nurses and Students Allied for Success (BNSAS) mentorship program. The group celebrated a successful end to the first cohort in July 2023. “The implementation of a mentorship program within CBNA-Mac has opened so many opportunities for myself and my peers, additional to the other opportunities created by CBNA-Mac. Hearing from other Black nurses that have been in my shoes, made it through and are taking the time to support the upcoming generation has been very beneficial. Being around like-minded people who are aiming to support students that look like me and create a welcoming space has been something I will always be grateful for” says Yehoda Cudjoe, a third-year BScN student and the current CBNA-Mac Event Coordinator.
The executive team for the 2023-2024 academic year is being led by third-year Co-Mac BScN student, Lily Brown. As president, she expressed the honor of continuing the positive impact on Black nursing students. “It has been an honour to be trusted with such a large role in CBNA-Mac. Being a part of the club for 2 years, I clearly saw the positive impact that CBNA-Mac had on myself and my peers – proof of the hard work laid out by the presidents before me. Naturally, I wanted to keep the ball rolling and hoped that we could find ways to increase the positive impacts for Black nursing students” says Brown.
CBNA-Mac has most recently partnered with other Black-focused and nursing-centered clubs, such as McMaster University Nursing Student Society (MUNSS), the McMaster Chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) and Black Aspiring Physicians – McMaster (BAP-MAC). These collaborations led to an invitation at the iRISE Conference hosted by BAP-MAC. Executive members led a workshop on performing a head-to-toe assessment, receiving positive feedback for providing practical skills.
As CBNA-Mac moves forward into 2024, their dedication to fostering diversity, support, and unity within the nursing community at McMaster University continues to thrive.
Community, Students