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For the story behind this image, read YWCA Toronto’s blog.
February is Black History Month. We honour and celebrate the legacy and many contributions of Black Canadians and their communities both past and present.
History
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Did you know that Jimi Hendrix’s grandmother lived in Vancouver? Read Vancouver Heritage Foundation’s story about the Black community of Hogan’s Alley.
To learn about early Black settlers in BC, start with this CBC article on Wellington BC.
To go further, try visiting BC Black History Awareness Society.
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Community Stories also has a more comprehensive look at early Black history in BC. Vancouver Public Library has great Black History Month resources too!
For more local history, the Salt Spring Island Archives has put together excellent information on their early farmers including Sylvia Stark, who was born into slavery and migrated as part of the wave of early Black settlers on the island. She lived there for most of the rest of her 104 years!
The qathet Museum and Archives Community History page has an article on Eva Mosely, a Powell River resident who was a well-known volunteer in the community.
Current Events
Looking for current information on being Black in Canada? Check out Black Lives Matter. For an overview of the BLM movement in Canada, go to the Canadian Museum for Human Rights online exhibit.
Read about Canada’s Black Justice Strategy implemented by the federal government.
A Pan-Canadian body, the Federation of Black Canadians seeks to discuss the opportunities, contributions, and challenges that exist for people of African descent nationally.
The Health Care Divide is a podcast that examines the inequities in the Canadian health care system.
Also visit our Anti-Racism page or contact us at info@prpl.ca.
Documentaries
Options for movie buffs include the short movie Secret Victoria: Rush to Freedom.
The National Film Board has a curated film collection called Black Communities in Canada: A Rich History.
CBC Gem is available for free and includes the following documentaries:
- The Skin We’re In chronicles Desmond Cole’s role as an anti-racist activist and the
impact of systemic racism in Canada for the year 2017
- A Conversation for Black History Month: this episode is about mentoring Black girls in hockey
- Who Is Mifflin Gibbs examines the history of the first elected Black official in BC
- The eight part miniseries Black Life: Untold Stories
Books
For a curated list of resources available at PRPL, here’s our Black Authors, Black History Resource Guide.
For more reading suggestions, check out this CBC article on 40 Books by Black Canadian authors.
Further Library resources for adults can be found here . . .
and Library resources for young readers can be found here.