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“You cannot paint white on white, black on black.  

Each needs the other to be. “

African proverb

In February 2020, as every year, Radio-Canada marks Black History Month with a varied program on all platforms.
This site includes exclusive content and recent archives on the realities facing our black fellow citizens. Learn more

Portraits of Black Canadians

Find out more about black Canadians who contributed to the building of Canada and who are making their mark every day. From our archives Danger, hardship, heroism and tragedy. All are features of black immigration to Canada in the nineteenth century. The story of black immigration to Canada began 400 years ago with the arrival of the French at Port Royal. John Graves Simcoe, the Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada, signed

About Black History Month

The first Black person in Canada, Mathieu Da Costa, arrived on the country’s East Coast in 1605. He’d sailed with Samuel de Champlain, hired as a valued interpreter. But for the many Blacks who arrived after him, the experience was very different. Black history in North America, unlike “White” history, must take into account the hundreds of thousands of Africans who were brought to this continent against their will. The

ARTS- book :Done With Slavery- author Frank Mackey

Many people might be surprised to learn that slavery did exist in the former French and later British colonies of Lower and Upper Canada. Author Frank Mackey in his Montreal office © courtesy F Mackey It ended well before Canada came into being as a country, but unlike most areas around the world, it did not come to a sudden end, but rather a more gradual one. Attitudes and treatment of slaves,

Canada, apartheid, and Nelson Mandela

The death of South Africa’s Nelson Mandela in December, 2013, sparked a wave of condolences and memories around the world. In Canada, people remembered not only his actions but also his connection to Canada. Canada’s relationship with the apartheid regime in South Africa was sometimes contradictory. Announcing sanctions, but continuing to do business until 1977. In the 1980s, Canada’s Prime Minister Brian Mulroney broke with other western leaders to step

Slavery Remembered

The UN declared 2004 the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle against Slavery and its Abolition. Slavery has existed since time immemorial, but what began in Africa in the 9th century increased dramatically with the discovery of the New World in the 16th century. One of the greatest tragedies of humankind, there is no record of just how many people were violently displaced by slavery, but estimates run from 30

Slavery Laws

The Fugitive Slave Law or Fugitive Slave Act was passed by the United States Congress on September 18, 1850, as part of the Compromise of 1850 between Southern slave holding interests and Northern Free-Soilers.

Anti-Slavery Movement in Canada

Distinguished Black and White Activists campaigned for the abolition of slavery

The Press and the Anti-slavery movement

Several leading Canadian publications advocated freedom from bondage including the forerunner to today’s Globe and Mail newspaper.

Slaves Uprisings in America

Fueled by their longing for freedom, many slaves try to break free from their owners.

Painting speaks of black slavery in Canada

https://www.rcinet.ca/bhm-en/wp-content/uploads/sites/44/2014/02/Interview-Lynn.mp3 A rare portrait of an African woman hanging in a Montreal museum speaks volumes about slavery in Canada, says McGill University art historian Charmaine Nelson. In school, many Canadians are taught about the Underground Railroad but know little about the slavery that existed in the 200 years before that. “Portrait of a Negro Slave” hangs in the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. The Underground Railroad was not an actual

Dispelling the myth that blacks are ill-suited to northern climates

Since 1995 and as a result of a motion in Canada’s parliament, February has been designated Black History Month in Canada. It has been so designated in order to recognize the contribution of black Canadians to this country inclulding such fields as science, business, sport, arts, politics, social justice, and so on. Noted author, and lecturer, George Elliot Clarke, says there are still hurdles for blacks in Canada to overcome.

Canada Post stamps for Black History Month

Canada Post has created two more stamps in its ongoing series commemorating February’s Black History Month in Canada. The two stamps represent two of the earliest black communities in Canada, on opposite sides of the country. A 1958 photo of girls from an Africville bible class is featured on one of the two new stamps to celebrate February’s Black History Month in Canada *** CLICK ON PHOTO FOR FULL VIEW

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RCI • Radio Canada International

Luc Simard – Director of Diversity and Relations. Radio-Canada

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Your opinion on Black History Month

Black History Month is only celebrated in North America and in the UK. Do you think it should be celebrated all over the world?

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