New Black History T-shirt the Focus at TMU’s “Bold, Beautiful and Brilliant Event.”

"Hopefully when you wear this shirt, you start living this shirt.”

by Nikolas Viveiros February 12, 2024

Poster of the t-shirt being promoted — Stoddart’s goal in designing the t-shirt was to “enhance lives by uniting the community for positive transformations. Bold is more than a word, it’s a lifestyle.” (*OTR/*Nikolas Viveiros)

Man and woman sitting down answering questions at an event — Mark Stoddart and Michelle Ford. (Curtis Martin)

People seated and listening — Mark Stoddart and Michelle Ford. (Curtis Martin)

Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) has partnered with Toronto-based artist Mark Stoddart to release a t-shirt to celebrate Black History Month. The shirts will be worn by varsity athletes before games throughout the month and are available for purchase online.

To celebrate the partnership, Stoddart spoke to TMU students and faculty about the inspiration behind the design. The shirt highlights different symbols and words of affirmation, with the back featuring the words “devoted” and “driven” among others.

“Hopefully when you wear this shirt, you start living this shirt,” Stoddart said. “I hope years from now when you see it in your closet you can look at the back and know you’re doing these things.”

Man standing and speaking to the audience with a microphone — Mark Stoddart’s art pays tribute to Black artists, musicians and athletes. (Photo courtesy of Curtis Martin)

“It highlights the power and potential of art as a discussion for us to cultivate Black flourishing at TMU,” said Dr. Tanya De Mello, vice-president of equity and community inclusion at TMU.

Woman standing and speaking to the audience with a microphone — Dr. Tanya De Mello became vice president of equity and community inclusion last January. (Photo courtesy of Curtis Martin)

“We see every month as an opportunity to celebrate Black History.”

“We have put careful thought into the community we want to build,” said Michelle Forde, program manager of equity and community inclusion at TMU.

Woman seated speaking to the audience with a microphone — Michelle Forde has worked for over 15 years in equity and instructional design. (Photo courtesy of Curtis Martin)

Forde said she was thrilled with the turnout and says that successful events like these showcase the school’s growth. “This is not just one event but it is representative of who we are and our investment into learning together.”