In February, people in Canada celebrate the achievements and experiences of Black Canadians by highlighting their stories and lives. This year’s theme – February and Forever: Celebrating Black History today and every day – invites us to extend our recognition of Black experiences year-round. You can find this year’s poster here. For an excellent overview of B.C.’s Black history, check out this article.
Events
UBC is recognizing this month by featuring events with Black activists, thinkers, and artists: https://events.ubc.ca/black-history-month/
Students, Staff, and Faculty
In celebration of Black students, staff, and faculty, February is also “an opportunity for a focused, intentional and elevated reflection and recognition of Black history and achievement – and the many historical and contemporary contributions of Black Canadians, Black British Columbians and Black students, faculty and staff at UBC” (Black History Month, 2022).
Grad student profiles: https://www.grad.ubc.ca/black-history-month
A few works by our faculty:
| Reproduction: A Novel (Ian Williams) | Taking Back Control: African Canadian Women Teachers’ Lives and Practice (Annette Henry) | Toward a Global Idea of Race (Denise Ferreira da Silva) |
Books (Non-Fiction)
Interested in learning more about the stories of Black Canadians? Explore a few of UBC Library’s books at Koerner:
| Policing Black Lives | The Skin We’re In | North of the Color Line (Also available online) |
| After Canaan (Also available online) | Black Like Who? (Also available online) | Until We Are Free (Online only, or Okanagan) |
Find more book recommendations in the 2021 Black History Month guide.
Films
Interested in films that feature Black Canadian lives and histories? Canada’s National Film Board (NFB) has a curated playlist of 30 films: Black communities in Canada: A rich history.
Beyond UBC Library
Learn more about Black Canadian history and ongoing work done by these organizations:
