Article content
Local activists are demanding that the history of the Black community and slavery in Canada be better implemented into Quebec’s high-school history curriculum.
They argue that if Quebecers knew more about the challenges and the discrimination faced by the Black community over the years, there might be a better understanding of systemic racism.
We apologize, but this video has failed to load.
Try refreshing your browser, or Black history must be better taught in high schools, Montreal activists say Back to video
“We feel this subject needs to enter the public dialogue,” said Balarama Holness, the founder of the group Montréal en Action.
Bruns EIC Ally Buchanan | Illustration by Jules Keenan
February marks Black History Month, also called African History Month, a tradition that originated in 1926 and was first acknowledged in Canada in 1978. It was recognized at the federal level in 1995 when Jean Augustine, Canada’s first Black female Member of Parliament, introduced legislation cementing it in Parliamentary consciousness.
Failing to learn and understand Black history is to uphold a system of violence that has oppressed a community of people for hundreds of years. Canada likes to delude itself in saying that it does not have racism ingrained into its history and institutions, often positioning itself as the refuge from the racism of the United States. That is not true; this country was just as much built on slavery, colonialism, and oppression as our neighbours to the South. We don’t learn about it in school – at least, I didn’t – allowing this myth to carry on for those privileged enough to be able t
How a hip hop artist is revealing Quebec s hidden history cbc.ca - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from cbc.ca Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
February 17th, 2021 comments
A variety of events are being held across Canada in February to celebrate the 2021 Black History Month – this year’s theme is “The Future is Now”. For newcomers to Canada unfamiliar with the annual observance, it is celebrated in February every year to honour Black Canadians and heighten awareness about black history.
Slavery not only existed but also thrived in Canada until it was abolished in 1793 – the first known slave to have been brought to Canada in 1628 was Olivier Le Jeune. Canada abolished slavery much before the British Empire in 1833 and in the United States in 1865. Runaway slaves from the United States arrived via the Underground Railroad, which was a secret network of homes and routes that helped guide slaves to safety.
Opinion: Let s stop teaching a censored version of history Premier s vision of universities as places for discussing difficult truths is in marked contrast to Quebec s high school history curriculum.
Author of the article: Joshua Elkin • Special to Montreal Gazette
Publishing date: Feb 15, 2021 • February 15, 2021 • 3 minute read • Multi-media project by Cité Mémoire includes this image of Marie-Josephe Angélique, the 18th-century slave accused of burning down Montreal s Old Port. While Quebec high school history course materials do mention Angélique, the references are far too cursory, Joshua Elkin says. Photo by Peter McCabe /MONTREAL GAZETTE
Article content
On Saturday, Premier François Legault stated that universities “should be places of respectful debates, uncensored debates, and truth seekers, even when truth can shock or provoke.” I agree but it’s hard to have these debates when our high school students are being taught w