The 2023 Black History Month theme is “Black Resistance.” The theme explores how Black people have resisted historical and ongoing systemic oppression, especially the racial terrorism of lynching and increased gun violence, since their forced arrival in foreign lands. Black people have resisted racial oppression through movements such as the Underground Railroad in Nova Scotia, the Toronto against racism vigils, the Selma to Montgomery March, the Black Lives Matter movement and the most recent protest of the police beating of unarmed Tyre Nichols in Memphis. Black people continue to advocate for a dignified life in a racially-just society.  

The question remains, when will we move past the condolences and shared grief to doing differently, because actions increase accountability around inclusion, racism, and the systemic barriers that influence us all.

This Black History Month, join in the observances, attend events in your community, read books by Black authors and enjoy music and movies that feature Black artists and actors.

Black people have lived in Canada since the 1600's, and yet very little is known about their lives, challenges, and contributions to Canadian society. The earliest record of a Black person in Canada is that of an enslaved six-year-old boy from Madagascar or Guinea who lived on New France. He was brought there by British traders (Kirk brothers) in 1629 and sold to a Frenchman Olivier le Bailiff who gifted the boy to Guillaume Couillard. The boy was baptized Olivier le Jeune in 1633. We do not know what the boy’s African name was, his real-life experiences, or his contributions to society.

Black history is important because it is interconnected in many ways to the lives and histories of Indigenous Peoples and other Canadians across generations. Despite the 1911 immigration ban on Black people, several early Black settlers in Alberta give testimony of the hospitality and assistance they received from Indigenous Peoples and European settlers.

The CBC documentary “Black on the Prairie” provides insights on how these Black pioneers grappled with racism and segregation and contributed to the Canadian mosaic of diverse races and cultures. Communities like Campsie, Amber Valley, Junkins (Breton) were largely by Black settlers from the US who were specifically placed in these communities by the municipal urban planning policies of that time.

Some of the notable descendants of these Black settlers include Violet King (the first Black woman to graduate in law in 1954) and her brother Ted King who was a trailblazer for human rights advocacy in Calgary in the 1950’s. Oliver Bowen, born in 1942 in Amber Valley, is known for designing the first Calgary CT line, but little is known about his life at Amber Valley or how the 1911 immigration ban systemically led to the depopulation of his hometown.

Calgary is home to over 240 nationalities and ranked third in Canada in terms of diversity. Around 3.5% of Calgarians self-identify as Black, and while this Blackness is a mosaic of different shades of Black, their lived experiences of racial trauma and the perpetual quest to belong in an authentic and dignified way, is the same for all people identifying as Black. This quest to belong as a Human worthy of dignity is not unique to Black people, and can form the commons upon which all Calgarians can come together to celebrate Black history, increase social cohesion, and live the lives that all our fore-parents, across the races, wanted us to live.

Over the past two years, Canadian institutions and leaders have begun to admit to systemic racism in the country. Their statements followed peaceful demonstrations across the country. As well, recent data showed the significant differences in Canada between the Black and the general populations (Houle 2020, p. 31). These gaps were particularly apparent in education, employment, and income.

The data further highlights that Black people born in Canada have less access to education and quality jobs than their counterparts in the general population. Through formal and informal institutional mechanisms, our Canadian society does not offer Black people the same opportunities as other Canadians. This is systemic discrimination, and it must be acknowledged and eliminated by our leaders and citizens to ensure equity for everyone. The impact systemic racism has on the wellbeing and livelihood of Black Canadians is significant enough for recognition of Black History Month in Canada every day and every year.