Broncos Men’s Basketball Coach Speaks for Black History Month
Earlier this month, David Kapinga, Broncos Men's Basketball Head Coach, had the honour of speaking at the Canadian Citizenship Ceremony for more than 90 new Canadians at the Harry Hays Government building. For Black History Month (BHM), organizers wanted a strong representative to speak, and Kapinga was chosen based on his character and all the work he does in the community of Calgary.
Before taking the stage, Kapinga witnessed all 90+ Canadians receive their papers. This was part of what made this special for him, as there were two reasons he gladly accepted the invitation.
"I wanted people to understand the blessing that being a Canadian citizen is," said Kapinga. "I also wanted to see how the citizenship ceremonies are and the smile on everyones' faces since I don't remember my ceremony because I was too young."
During his speech, he talked about the blessing of being a black Canadian, and how his experiences living in other countries such as the USA reinforced this belief. Not every citizenship ceremony has a speaker, and being selected to speak at the ceremony for BHM was a special moment for the Broncos coach.
"I didn't recognize how fortunate we are in Canada until I moved down to the states and witnessed how prevalent racism is down there." said Kapinga. "Being given this opportunity was a blessing to me. It helped me understand that all the mentorship and work I do in the community is being appreciated and impactful."
The Broncos community is fortunate to have coaches who set the standard for our student-athletes and Coach Kapinga, who is wrapping up his first season with the men's basketball team, has done just that.