What does Black History Month signify, and why is it important for everyone to acknowledge it? 

Black History Month was intended to be a dedicated time when people come together to share what they have learned about Black history, to talk about the issues that Black communities have been dealing with and to organize to address them. 

The contributions of Black people to American society were actively being erased and downplayed through the perpetuation of white superiority ideals, so the Black thinkers felt that they had to take an active step to disrupt this, to ensure that Black history was documented and preserved, and to ensure that Black people themselves and the wider public and the white mainstream society were being properly educated about that.  

It was started by Dr Carter G. Woodson as Negro History Week, and it grew to be Black History Month. The tradition expanded into Canada by Black Canadians since the Second World War era. It is now acknowledged across the country. 

Who do you consider, out of all the activists and leaders in the past, to be a true source of strength and inspiration for the upcoming generations? 

I feel that the people who were on the ground, doing things on an everyday basis to challenge the systemic barriers that Black people faced, that were educating young people and their communities are great sources of inspiration.  

How can we, as a society and a nation, translate remembrance of the atrocities that the Black people have suffered, into an effort to create an environment that empowers Black people? 

Dr. Woodson said, “Those who have no record of what their forebears have accomplished lose the inspiration which comes from the teaching of biography and history.”  

That remembering is supposed to be coupled with action and activism, and marking BHM should be calling on people to not just hold a celebratory tone, but to move towards some action. —For example, to assess the policies of the different levels of government and organizations to gauge if they advance efforts to improve Black life, to advocate for policy implementation if none exists or if policies that do exist are impeding the ability of Black people to thrive, that they be changed.  

When historically oppressed communities mobilize and agitate for change, truth and reconciliation, and repair, it garners attention and support from the public, including governments and organizations. However, after some time, the tide of the discourse changes around these efforts, and resistance towards efforts that will improve the conditions of oppressed people is seen. This was particularly evident in the protests triggered by the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor in 2020, and the said resistance to efforts was not confined to just the USA but was also seen here in Canada. 

People from all backgrounds, who want to see a society improved in all aspects, must come together and make an effort. I feel that history is an important segue for that, as it plays an important role in informing people, and helps them put forth ideas and remedies to solve problems. 

Remembrance by individuals and masses, and efforts to improve Black lives by Black communities, governments and organizations, must be persistent, consistent, and ongoing. 

Your project, One Too Many, covers the history of enslavement in Ontario. As Canada is seen as a welcoming and warm place, with its history standing in contradiction to this, how can this narrative be changed, and the truth be released and accepted? 

We must recognize our historical origins, as a place that was colonized by the French and by the British, and understand the aims of imperialism and colonialism, which were to extract land and extract labour resources, to the detriment and often eradication of Indigenous peoples in the Americas and Indigenous peoples in Africa and other parts. The institution of racial chattel slavery was part of this endeavour and included the colonies that came to be part of what we now call Canada. 

Our project examines the enslavement of Black people in Upper Canada, now Ontario, who the Black women, men, and children were, what their experiences were like, how they resisted their forced conditions, and the social relations among the enslaved as well as with their enslavers. Because the records of our slave past are fragmented and scattered, I am developing a digital repository to help to address the gap in historical knowledge. 

The presentation of the part of our history in public and in classrooms is important for critical engagement with our history. The portrayal of this aspect of our history must be done with intentionality, and with the understanding that education has an important role to play in breaking the narrative that slavery did not exist here. 

Do you find that when successful and influential Black people are celebrated, their stories are sometimes told in a way that perpetuates the narrative that it only takes a certain level of hard work and determination to rise above the constraints of systemic racism? 

It is important to acknowledge and celebrate prominent figures in the Black community and in its history, but at the same time, it is crucial to critically analyze and examine the systemic barriers that have prevented other Black individuals from succeeding in the past, and even today. When we see that someone is the first Black individual to accomplish something, we can celebrate them, but also take some time to think about why in the 400 years of Black presence in this country, was this the first Black person to do so, and not someone before them. 

The emphasis on Black exceptionalism may propagate a narrative that ignores systemic racism and the barriers faced by Black people, and how long and difficult it was for them to overcome them and live as equal and dignified individuals in society. 

How can we celebrate these people without using their achievements to undermine the significance of the very real systemic barriers that Black people face? 

Black History Month was originally a political project, whose aim was to improve the conditions of the Black people and disrupt white supremacist ideologies. Continued attention to this political aspect is needed, or Black History Month would be left as a mere performative gesture, without any substantive change or action. 

We must find a balance between the celebration of the achievements of Black individuals, and critically analyze the systemic barriers that they, and other Black people must overcome in order to achieve that. 

What do you advise people to do during Black History Month, to better understand the struggle of Black people in the past, and in the present? 

Events organized to commemorate this month are great spaces for people to learn more, and to interact and engage with members of the Black community and communities more broadly. 

People can read more work by Black scholars and writers, enabling them to educate themselves and to raise awareness. 

People should be active in pushing for change. It is important to recognize that the action is not just for Black people to carry out, but for all those who seek justice, truth, and equity. We all have a role to play.