Black History Month
2023 Theme: Ours to Tell
Ours to tell is the theme of Black History Month 2023 in Canada.
This also marks the first year of a formal celebration of Black History Month on our campuses.
Seek out stories
As well you're encouraged to learn more about the history of Black Canada and Canadians. Our history is diverse, from well known stories about former slaves who escaped to Canada to lesser known migration from Oklahoma to Alberta in the early part of the 20th century.
The history makers are also diverse. They include well-known Albertans such as broadcaster Fil Fraser, Hall of Fame goalie Grant Fuhr and cowboy John Ware. Just as important are the less-widely known such as Violet King, the first black person called to the Alberta bar, and Joseph Lewis, fur trader and voyageur. Check the link to Black Albertans You Should Know.
Our 2023 events
| Guest Speaker Dr. Andy Knight. |
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Internationally renowned academic and researcher Andy Knight spoke in Lloydminster. Dr. Knight is a University of Alberta international relations professor. He received that university's distinguished professor honour in 2021. He's currently the 2021-22 Fulbright Distinguished Chair in International and Area Studies at Yale University. See Knight's UAlberta bio as well as more about his more than 30 years of research on his Canadian Network for Research on Terrorism, Security and Society bio. |
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Telling their stories |
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Students shared their experiences at Speakers' Corner. There was also a special event that started with a dinner that included . Cooked by chef. Two panels shared their stories - one of students and another of community members.
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| Movie night on campus |
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Calgarian Cheryl Foggo puts on her filmmaker hat to explore the mythology of John Ware, a Black cowboy who settled in Alberta before it was a province. Foggo, an author, historian, screenwriter and playwright, researches the iconic man and his role in past and present anti-racism. The film is 80 minutes long. Also available free to stream on the NFB site John Ware Reclaimed. |
Messages of support
| From Lakeland's president |
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Hello Lakeland Family, Please join me in recognizing Black History Month. February is a time to reflect on the importance of equity, diversity and inclusiveness, qualities that I support and encourage each and every day at Lakeland College. This is a time to celebrate our African-Canadian heritage and to learn about the many achievements and contributions that Black Canadians have made to this country. Lakeland College strives to cultivate an environment of belongingness, challenging discrimination and making students feel welcome. I want to assure you that all students are provided a safe and inclusive learning environment, that includes student supports and encourages student success. These practices are strongly aligned to the Mission, Vision and Values of Lakeland College. On behalf of Lakeland College staff and faculty, I would like to invite all of you to join me in celebrating Black History Month, and to take time to participate in some of the exciting activities planned for February. Respectfully, |
| From Lakeland's Indigenous Services |
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We are inspired by our colleagues at Lakeland College who are raising awareness with regards to equity, diversity, and inclusivity. February is a month to listen and learn about the importance of Black history within Canada. It is an opportunity to give the floor to those voices who strive to educate and celebrate Black contributions within our society. The Indigenous Student Services team stands beside our colleagues and students and honors their voices through mutual respect and solidarity. Take this important opportunity to listen to the stories of Black people and from that do what you can to support anti-racism and be an advocate for equity and diversity. Again, we are inspired, and we hope you will be too. With respect, |
| AUPE statement |
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Recognizing Black History Month - Honouring and reflecting on the history, achievements and contributions of Black Canadians and Albertans Alberta recognizes Black History Month every February but we experience the contributions of Black Canadians every single day. Like when we celebrate Black trailblazers like Annie Saunders, who embodied the entrepreneurial spirit in the 1800s among settlers on Indigenous territories now known as the province of Alberta. Or when we experience the rich cultural mosaic of Alberta’s African, Caribbean, and Black communities thanks to people like Damion Gallimore. A network analyst in Edmonton, who created resources like JamaicaYEG to promote Jamaican businesses and events across the city. And when we march alongside people like Andrew Parker, a teacher, athlete, and activist committed to community empowerment by working to improve representation, communication, inclusion and networking for Black teachers in Alberta. These contributions – and so many more – have made our province a better place for everyone. But there are many stories of oppression, enslavement, racism and discrimination of Black Canadians that are often underrepresented and unknown. That’s why it’s essential to share these stories – to see the full picture of our province and country's history. Today and every day, AUPE recommits to supporting Black Albertans by sharing their stories and taking action like pushing for decent jobs, fair wages, and safer and inclusive workplaces. Respectfully |
Take a Black History Month QuizTest your knowledge about Black Canadians with a quiz from the Saskatchewan African Heritage Museum.
About Canada's Black population
The first Black person in present day Canada was a navigator for Samuel de Champlain in the early 1600s. Learn more about the diversity and origins of Canada's Black population.
Black Albertans you should know
The University of Calgary profiles 8 Black Albertans from cowboy John Ware to contemporary author Esi Edugyan.
| Historic timeline |
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1600s
1700s
1800s
For more details, see the Canadian Heritage page Significant events in Black Canadian history. |
| Noteworthy figures in Canadian history |
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Heritage Canada lists biographies of over 70 Black Canadians who have made contributions to Canada. They range through:
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| Books to read |
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Fiction - Novels What We All Long For - Dionne Brand Washington Black - Esi Edugyan The Book of Negroes, The Illegal, and Dear Sir, Why I Intend to Burn Your Book - Lawrence Hill Children's Books A Place Inside of Me: A Poem to Heal the Heart - Zetta Elliott with illustrations by Noa Denmon The Blue Road a fable of migration (graphic novel) - text by Wayde Compton and illustrations by April ela Noche Milne Non-Fiction The Skin We're In - Desmond Cole In the Black - B. Denham Jolly, memoir about growing up in Toronto and establishing a business Canada in Africa - Yves Engler, a look at the slave trade and Canada The Hanging of Angélique - Afua Cooper, a slave woman convicted of starting a fire in Montreal North of the Color Line: Migration and Black Resistance in Canada, 1870 - 1955 - Sarah-Jane Mathieu Viola Desmond's Canada - Graham Reynolds, a history of Blacks and racial segregation in Canada
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| National Film Board and other films |
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National Film Board films are available online are free to stream.
Check NFB's Focus on Black filmmakers for more titles On YouTube
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| Provincial and national organizations |
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Most Canadian provinces boast at least one organization that is dedicated Black history. Here are key organizations in Western Canada. Alberta
Saskatchewan
British Columbia Manitoba Canadian Heritage lists a number of organizations and educational resources across Canada |
| Online resources |
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Podcasts
Articles Note: If you subscribe to The Atlantic or New York Times, you'll be able to read these articles. If you don't, the organizations may allow between 1 and 3 free reads per month, or require you to start a free trial. You may be able to access the articles through the Lakeland College libraries.
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| About Black History Month |
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February has been designated Black History Month in Canada since 1995. Jean Augustine, the first black woman to be elected to the House of Commons, presented a motion that was unanimously passed by the House. The Senate adopted a similar motion in 2008. The roots of the awareness month go back 2 decades earlier when the Ontario Black History Society petitioned Toronto to proclaim Black History Month. In 1979 the city did. In 1993 the society successfully petitioned the province of Ontario to proclaim the awareness month. Nova Scotia first observed Black History Month in 1988. In 1996 it was renamed African Heritage Month. Alberta officially proclaimed Black History Month in 2017. In the United Kingdom Black History Month is celebrated in October. It started in 1987. In 1976 during the US bicentennial, President Gerald Ford supported making it an awareness month instead of a week. That week was created in 1926 as Negro History Week. The week included the dates of February 12 and 14, respective birth dates of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. |