Did you know Barbara Howard was the first Black female athlete to represent Canada in an international competition — the 1938 British Empire Games in Australia? She was also the first person from a visible minority to be hired as an educator by the Vancouver School Board, in 1948.
According to local amateur historian Eric Andersen, the first Black person to settle in 麻豆社国产was Curly Lewis, who came from Barbados.
Lewis came sometime after the First World War and worked in logging and for Mackenzie’s store, doing deliveries for many years. He raised a family on his stump ranch on Mamquam Road, Andersen said, adding the road was called “the trail to Curly Lewis’ place.” His son Roy Lewis was interviewed by Bill Berg in the “Not Just for Seniors” series in the .
February is Black History Month, and while there wasn’t anything official organized around this featuring Sea to Sky Corridor Black historical figures (maybe next year?) that doesn’t mean we can’t learn and reflect.
While it originated in the U.S. in the 1920s, the celebration of important Black residents has been marked in Canada for almost as long. It started as a week and grew to a month in 1976. The month was not officially recognized in the House of Commons until December 1995.
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Most of us did not learn much about important Black figures in Canadian history in school. Given that, most folks still need a primer on the basics.
As the month comes to a close, it isn’t too late to learn more about this rich history.
The federal government has videos, a poster kids can colour and some basic information on early Black pioneers.
All month long, free and online, the Vancouver Public Library presents the concert series
The and the are treasure troves of information and resources.
with a broad range of choices free with your library card.
Back in Vancouver,
There will be a live dance performance on Feb. 27. Dancers will be personifying four Black pioneers, “highlighting their stories through visual storytelling while emphasizing Black joy.”
As important as it is to recognize Black history, there is also a danger of relegating Black excellence there.
“Part of what we tend to do with history we don’t consider significant, like Black history, is put it in a box, as something that exists only in the past,” said
Of course, that is not the case.
B.C.’s The next 2021 census release will show the latest stats, which are sure show an increase in 麻豆社国产and beyond.
While officially, Black History Month ends on Tuesday, March 1, that shouldn’t be the end of our listening and learning.
That is something we can do all year long.
