York University Research Cluster to Spotlight Black Communities’ Leadership in Public Health Equity
On Saturday, November 29, 2025, York University will host a Community Research Showcase and Gathering at the Second Student Centre, 15 Library Lane, on York’s Keele Campus.
This is a day-long event that brings together scholars, students, and community leaders from across Canada and Africa to mark an important moment of reflection, knowledge exchange, and community engagement in a post-pandemic world. The event is organized by the Overcoming Epidemics: Transnational Black Communities’ Response, Recovery, and Resilience research cluster which is currently led by Profs. Sylvia Bawa and Jeffrey Squire, with Chika Maduaokolam serving as project coordinator.
The event will feature research projects funded by the cluster as well as community-led reflections. As part of the event, Prof. Solomon Boakye-Yiadom’s work in mechanical engineering at York (https://pspp-of-materials.apps01.yorku.ca/about/ ) will be featured, an attestation to the interdisciplinary, collaborative, and global nature of York’s research leadership. The event is a celebration of the Cluster’s on-going research which employs decolonial methodologies in research design, data gathering and knowledge dissemination. The research cluster brings together senior, mid-career and early-career scholars, as well as graduate and undergraduate students, reflecting York’s strong commitment to mentorship and capacity building. Its membership is transdisciplinary, spanning sociology, engineering, global health, social science, public policy, and related fields, and is strengthened by active partnerships with community organizations in both Canada and Africa.
Taking a bold, transnational approach, the Overcoming Epidemics Research Cluster @York investigates public health crises in Black communities in Canada and across the African continent. Projects span a wide range of topics — from vaccine hesitancy in Sierra Leone, to the leadership of Black women in pandemic responses across the Greater Toronto Area — and are informed by deep collaborations with community partners who ensure research questions, methods, and outcomes are grounded in lived realities. “The Overcoming Epidemics research cluster aims to do research differently, placing communities at the centre of its mandate,” says the leadership team. “This is research that engages communities directly, responds to urgent local and global challenges, and promotes justice, equity, collective resilience and we are excited to have participants share their insights on public health equity, resilience, and justice in Black communities”. The cluster is supported through York’s Catalyzing Interdisciplinary Research Clusters (CIRC) program, which exemplifies the University’s commitment to research excellence that centres equity, community partnership, and global health justice.
The cluster’s mission is anchored in mentorship and training the next generation of scholars. Students and emerging researchers work alongside senior academics and community partners to develop research that informs policy, empowers communities, and reframes how resilience and health equity are understood. Our work is premised on the understanding that epidemics in Black communities cannot be fully understood through biomedical indicators alone, they are shaped by structural inequalities — including racism, colonial histories, and unequal access to health resources, noted the leadership team. At the same time, the team highlights that Black communities have long demonstrated innovative, community-driven approaches to disease
prevention, response, and recovery, even as these forms of knowledge remain marginalized in mainstream discourse. “Black people have always demonstrated remarkable resilience, creativity, and leadership in responding to epidemics,” note the cluster leads. “Our work begins from that recognition and seeks to elevate the knowledge systems and community-led solutions that are too often overlooked.” The upcoming showcase provides an opportunity to highlight these insights while centring the voices of community members who have been essential to the cluster’s work. Their lived experience and leadership are vital to producing meaningful, enduring change.
The University community, partners, and the public are invited to attend and take part in a day of learning, reflection, and collective visioning for healthier, more equitable futures.
