The BC Black History Awareness Society, based in Victoria, has launched an online exhibit that offers more than a glimpse into the history of Black pioneers in British Columbia, and how they helped shape our province.
BC's Black Pioneers: Their Industry and Character Influenced the Vision of Canada is a robust storytelling platform that offers hours of learning.
You'll learn about Salt Spring Island's Stark family, Barkerville dentist William Jones, early salmon cannery entrepreneur John Sullivan Deas, as well as less-told stories like that of Rebecca Gibbs, who was one of Canada's first Black poets.
Fourteen contributors (historians, authors, photographers and others) pulled from nine archives collections in BC, bringing to life a collection of stories that help "round out the picture of Canada by showing how this group of about 800 invited settlers contributed to the richness of the developing society in the west and were an integral part of its early formation."
Included in the project are "20 stories, 9 videos, and 86 gallery items that include images, photographs, maps, and archival documents."
And the entire project is bilingual, so pass it on to your French-speaking friends.
According to the society, the aim is that it may result in "better outcomes for understanding the advantages of multiculturalism today."
The exhibit is free to access online.
