Local 196 Celebrates Black History Month
February 2026
Stella Ajuzieogu started her nursing career as a registered nurse/midwife in Nigeria. She arrived in Canada in 2008 as an Internationally Educated nurse. The breadth of her career has been in acute care nursing, emergency care and the Rapid Transfer department. Stella has been involved in mentoring new staff and precepting students.
Stella currently works as a Case Manager in Supportive Living. Stella has been actively involved in union work since she joined UNA in 2008. Stella enjoys spending time with family and friends, travelling, being adventurous, dancing, reading, coaching, learning new ideas, networking, and meeting new people.
Celebrating Black History Month as a Black Nurse, Stella reflects that it reminds her of the resilience, dynamic learning curve, expertise, diversity, and the significant socio-economic contributions Black nurses bring to the workforce and society. Stella believes that cultural sensitivity, awareness, respect, recognition, and integration are vital topics and strives to foster greater understanding of Black nurses in Alberta and Canada.
Chinyere (CC) Okafor began her nursing career in 2004 after graduating from the University of Victoria in British Columbia. She started her practice as a surgical nurse, where she frequently preceptored student nurses, and later worked in a forensic hospital in British Columbia. CC moved to Alberta in 2017 and currently works providing care and support to patients across the community.
CC has been actively involved with the United Nurses of Alberta since arriving in Alberta. Inspired by the welcoming and supportive environment of Local 196, she became an Office Representative in 2019 and later served for two years on the Education Committee. Her union involvement has focused on understanding workplace rights and advocating for fair, safe, and inclusive environments for all nurses, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds.
As a Black nurse in Alberta, CC views Black History Month as an important time to honour the resilience and contributions of Black individuals who paved the way, while also recognizing the ongoing work needed to address systemic inequities in health care. She believes that collective action through union involvement is essential to ensuring diverse voices are heard and respected within the profession.
Mary Ekunwe is an internationally educated registered nurse from Nigeria with more than 30 years of nursing experience across multiple health care settings. She began her nursing journey in Nigeria, where she trained and practised as a registered nurse and midwife, working in the operating room, medical-surgical units, and labour and delivery. Mary was drawn to nursing by the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives during their most vulnerable moments.
Mary and her family moved to Canada in 2000, settling first in Toronto before relocating to Edmonton in 2001. She completed refresher courses and required certifications before successfully writing the Canadian nursing registration exam. While the transition to the Canadian health care system was challenging, it strengthened her clinical knowledge, skills, and confidence as a nurse.
Throughout her career in Canada, Mary has worked in medicine, surgery, the operating room, labour and delivery, long-term care, and case management. Long-term care and her current role as a case manager in supportive living have been particularly meaningful to her, as they allow her to build strong relationships with residents, clients, and families while advocating for their needs.
Mary’s union involvement began after she experienced unfair treatment in the workplace and received support from a local union president. Inspired by that advocacy, she became actively involved in union work, serving as Secretary for Local 117, then President for approximately ten years, before later moving to Local 196. She continues to stay engaged through union meetings and activities, seeing union involvement as essential to staying informed and advocating for nurses.
As a Black nurse in Alberta and Canada, Mary views Black History Month as a time to celebrate and recognize the vital contributions Black nurses make to the health care system, while also acknowledging the challenges that remain. She sees it as an opportunity to uplift, support, and encourage Black nurses who continue to face barriers in the workplace.
Mary believes union involvement is especially important for nurses from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds. She emphasizes that unions help protect nurses’ rights, promote fair working conditions, strengthen patient safety, and provide a collective voice to advocate for equity and protection against discrimination.
United Nurses of Alberta, Local 196 
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