BLUESPRINT
In the spring and summer of 1858, 600 blacks moved from San Francisco to the colonies that would eventually become British Columbia. The move was in part initiated by an invitation penned by the governor of the British colonies, James Douglas, who is commonly believed to have had African ancestry, a rumour he neither confirmed nor denied. His appearance was such that he could “pass” for white. By 1871, after swelling to over 1,000, the Black population in BC had dwindled to fewer than 500. But in the late 19th century, and on into the twentieth, Blacks continued to come to BC From the time of the first arrivals, the population and history of BC’s Black community has been always in flux. If there is a unifying characteristic of black identity in BC, it is surely the talent for reinvention and for pioneering new versions of traditional identities that such conditions demand.
Wayde Compton is a Canadian poet, essayist, and novelist. Alongside fellow authors David Chariandy and Karina Vernon, Compton co-founded Commodore Books, the first Black Canadian Literary Press. He is also the co-founder of the Hogan’s Alley Memorial Project, an organization that preserves Vancouver’s Black community history.
Other publications from this author include:
- THE BLUE ROAD (2019)
- THE OUTER HARBOUR (2015)
- The Revolving City: 51 Poems and the Stories Behind Them (2015)
- The Outer Harbour (2015)
- After Canaan: Essays on Race, Writing and Religion (2011)
- PERFORMANCE BOND (2004)
- Bluesprint: Black British Columbian Literature and Orature (2001)
- 49TH PARALLEL PSALM (1999)