Organizations and educational resources on the history of Black communities in Canada

There are many organizations and educational resources across the country devoted to the promotion and awareness of the history of Black communities in Canada. Below you can find some organizations and insightful resources.

• Organizations
• Educational resources
• Special thanks

Organizations

• Amherstburg Freedom Museum
  Previously known as 'the Black Museum', the Amherstburg Freedom Museum is a community-based, non-profit museum that tells the story of African-Canadians' journey and contributions, by preserving and presenting artifacts that educate and inspire.
• Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia
  The Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia is a museum and library resource centre that focuses on the history and culture of African Nova Scotians, striving to educate and inspire, as well as to protect, preserve, and promote Black culture in Nova Scotia.
• The Round Table on Black History Month
  The Round Table on Black History Month is a non-profit organization that promotes activities highlighting both the history and the contemporary situation of Black communities in Quebec.
• Black History Ottawa
  Black History Ottawa is a registered Canadian charity with a mandate to advance education by increasing the public's knowledge and appreciation of, and by carrying out research in, the history, culture, traditions, and achievements of Canadians of African descent.
• Black Loyalist Heritage Society
  The objectives of the Black Loyalist Heritage Society are to:
  • Develop, preserve, promote, protect and exhibit the history and heritage of the Black Loyalists and their descendants;
  • Promote universal recognition of the ancestry of the Black Loyalist Heritage Society as a nascent Canadian heritage community, having been among the original settlers of Canada, and having had no prior citizenship in any other country;
  • Cultivate and contribute to the economic prosperity of the Black Loyalist community through participation in community development initiatives;
  • Actively participate in Canadian multiculturalism campaigns, projects and other efforts toward social cohesion.

In 2015, the Black Loyalist Centre was created to promote Black Loyalists as an integral part of Canada's heritage and to foster the economic prosperity of the Black Loyalist community.

• British Columbia Black History Awareness Society (BCBHAS)
  The BCBHAS celebrates the historical and contemporary achievements and contributions of Black communities in British Columbia by creating an awareness of their history in this province, stimulating interest in their stories. This website offers a rich learning centre with resources, articles, reports, and videos for everyone including educators, parents, students, families, and researchers.
• Buxton National Historic Site & Museum
  Founded on the original site of the Elgin Settlement that served as a terminus on the Underground Railroad for Black people fleeing oppression, Buxton National Historic Site & Museum's main purpose is to collect, preserve, exhibit, and interpret historical artifacts related to the Elgin Settlement.
• Josiah Henson Museum of African-Canadian History
  The Josiah Henson Museum of African-Canadian History (formerly Uncle Tom’s Cabin) is built on the site of the original property purchased in 1841 by abolitionist Josiah Henson and his supporters to establish a refuge for the many fugitives from slavery in the United States. It consists of an interpretive centre, three historic buildings, two cemeteries and numerous artifacts that were preserved as a legacy to these early pioneers.
• Ontario Black History Society
  The Ontario Black History Society is a non-profit registered Canadian charity dedicated to the study, preservation and promotion of Black history and heritage.
• National Black Coalition of Canada Society (NBCC) – Edmonton Chapter
  The NBCC – Edmonton Chapter is committed to creating positive impacts in the lives of everyone in their community. They encourage youth to realize their full potential, regardless of national origin, and work to foster communication and solidarity among Black Canadians. They collaborate with all Canadians to advance social, racial, cultural, political, and economic harmony across the country and ensure that Black communities fully benefit from and contribute to the shaping of Canada’s future.
• New Brunswick Black History Society (NBBHS)
  The NBBHS is dedicated to the research, analysis, documentation and preservation of New Brunswick's Black History. The NBBHS gathers information concerning New Brunswick's Black residents, past and present, promotes awareness of New Brunswick's Black history, encourages the Black community and the general public to work together and works towards increasing the presence of Black History in New Brunswick's educational system.
• Saskatchewan African Canadian Heritage Museum Inc. (SACHM)
  The SACHM is a provincial organization whose primary purpose is to celebrate, explore, research, document and preserve the history, heritage and contributions of people of African ancestry.
• Shiloh Centre for Multicultural Roots (SCMR)
  Founded in 2010, the SCMR brings to light African-American Western Canadian cultural and educational experiences through the Arts, Education and Social Justice.
• Slavery to Freedom – The Ontario Heritage Trust
  The Ontario Heritage Trust has undertaken a number of initiatives to celebrate Black heritage, and the Slavery to Freedom web resource is one such initiative. The goal of this web resource is to promote Ontario's Black heritage sites and groups, and to provide online information and resources, with a central focus on the province's rich Black history.

Educational resources

• And Still We Rise: A Black Presence in Alberta, late 1800s – 1970s
  A virtual exhibition that explores the formation of Alberta’s Black communities from the late 1800s through to the early 1970s.
• Anti-Slavery Society in Canada – Canadian Encyclopedia
  The Anti-Slavery Society of Canada, formed in 1851, was a society that promoted the global abolition of slavery and provided relief to African American refugees seeking freedom in Canada.
• Black Communities in Alberta – Alberta Labour History Institute
  A collection of interviews with people from Black communities in Alberta curated by the Alberta Labour History Institute (ALHI).
• Black History Canada Portal – Historica Canada
  A guide designed to enhance awareness of and appreciation for the Black Canadian experience.
• Black History in Edmonton
  The City of Edmonton, Africa Centre, Edmonton Community Foundation, and Edmonton Heritage Council partnered to provide resources to amplify and support the efforts of organizations that work to uplift Black communities.
• A Black People’s History of Canada
  A three-year project designed to conduct new research into Canada’s African Canadian heritage. The website also contains learning material.
• Black History in Canada – Canadian Encyclopedia
  The Canadian Encyclopedia plays an essential role in providing Canadians and others with accurate, updated information about Black Canadians and their communities.
• La contribution des personnes d’ascendance africaine dans les communautés ontariennes et canadiennes (available in French only)
  The Centre franco-ontarien de ressources pédagogiques designed a series of resources for students to promote a better understanding of Canadian diversity.
• Mary Ann Shadd Cary – Canadian Encyclopedia
  Learn about Mary Ann Shadd's abolitionist activities and personal life.
• Remember Africville – National Film Board of Canada
  This short film depicts Africville in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Former residents, their descendants and some of the decision makers speak out and, with the help of archival photographs and films, tell the story of that painful relocation.
• Underground Railroad – Historica Canada
  The acclaimed Historica Minutes (and specifically, the Underground Railroad) are one-minute movies that portray exciting and important stories from Canada's past.
• BC's Black Pioneers: Their Industry and Character Influenced the Vision of Canada – Digital Museums Canada
  An exhibit that reveals how a group of 800 educated and skilled Black men and women came to the Colony of British Columbia, at the invitation of its Governor, Sir James Douglas. Discover the stories of determination, achievements and endurance of these intrepid pioneers, who helped lay the foundation of a newly colonized Vancouver Island, while also contributing to Canada's development and diversity.

Special thanks

We would like to give a special thanks to the following organizations for their valuable input and contributions:

• Amherstburg Freedom Museum
• Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia
• Black History Ottawa
• Black Loyalist Heritage Centre
• British Columbia Black History Awareness Society
• Buxton National Historic Site and Museum
• Edmonton Heritage Council
• George Elliott Clarke
• Ontario Black History Society
• Annual Black History Month Celebrations
• Saskatchewan African Canadian Heritage Museum Inc