Why Black history matters
Last week, I participated in my second Black History Month event of 2024. While I was there, I had a quick, but thought-provoking, conversation with an older Black man who was in attendance. He appreciated the singing, dancing, steel pan artist and panel discussion, but he questioned the need for a single month dedicated to Black people.
We’re a multicultural society — shouldn’t we be celebrating everyone … together?
This thought crosses my mind each February: do we need a Black History Month? Often, it’s a cop out for people, companies, organizations and institutions to trot out Black people and celebrate us and our histories for four weeks and then ignore us for the rest of the year.
If nothing else, Black History Month events give us, Black communities — and others who are interested — the opportunity to learn about our accomplishments and celebrate our wins. It gives us the opportunity to learn more about Black Canadians and how we’ve added to the tapestry of Canada. And that’s important because we are a multicultural society and we’ve all contributed to the country’s history. Canadian school curriculums haven’t included the contributions of many people in this country. So, we do need to celebrate Black people, Indigenous peoples, Asian people, LGBTQ-plus people and people from every community that have played a part in shaping Canada.
I attended high school in Montreal’s suburbs and I didn’t think too much about being a Black kid. I knew I was Black, but being Black held no real meaning for me. But, when I was in Grade 8, one of my teachers said, “Black people contributed nothing to Canada.”
I felt like he was looking directly at me. I was shocked. I wanted to challenge him, but I didn’t have the tools to defend myself or my community — and neither did any of the other Black students in my class. All we could do is sit there and feel uncomfortable and wonder, did Black folks contributed anything to Canada?
The following school year, our school got a Black vice-principal. That year, 1990, our high school celebrated our first Black History Week. My teachers, peers and I started to learn about the contributions of Black Canadians and the indelible mark we’ve made on this country.
For example, Dr. Clement Courtenay Ligoure, defied racial barriers to become Halifax’s first Black doctor and publisher of Nova Scotia’s first African Canadian news magazine. Refused privileges at local hospitals, he started a private practice. In the aftermath of the 1917 Halifax Explosion, he treated up to 180 patients per day, at no cost.
Elijah McCoy, of Colchester, Ont., invented the lubricating oil cup that revolutionized railroad maintenance. His invention lubricated steam engines while they were in motion — a breakthrough that saved considerable time and money.
We’re making history now with Black people like Visions of Science’s Eugenia Duodu Addy, who is bringing STEM to underserved youth, and Fabienne Colas, the founding president of festivals like the Montreal International Black Film Festival, the Halifax Black Film Festival, and the Toronto Black Film Festival.
In 1995, Jean Augustine, the first Black woman elected to Parliament, successfully introduced a motion to recognize February as Black History Month across Canada.
We might not need a Black History Month if Black history — the full history of Black people in Canada, not just the Underground Railroad — was part of our education. Black History Month opens doors to understanding Black Canadians and celebrating the accomplishments of all Canadians. As Augustine said, “Black history is not just for Black people. Black history is Canadian history.”