Guest post by Shannon Robinson, Education and Programming team
February is Black History Month. While we should celebrate Black history and excellence every day, this is an opportunity for a focused, intentional and elevated reflection and recognition of Black history and achievement – and the many contributions of Black Canadians, Black British Columbians and Black students, faculty and staff at UBC.
For events happening at UBC, visit the Events Calendar.
As a part of our engagement with Black History month, the Centre has collected some resources to help uplift and contextualize Indigenous and Black solidarity throughout history as well as the present day. The resources explore care and connections between Black and Indigenous peoples and communities – with resources to watch, read, listen or explore.
In this post, we are hoping to provide examples of solidarity and care, but also to address some of the complex histories and intersections in Black and Indigenous identities. In doing so, we also want to uplift the voices and stories of Black-Indigenous/Afro-Indigenous thinkers.
Watch
- This seminar discussion from the Native Arts and Cultures Foundation provides insight into Black-Indigenous/Afro-Indigenous experiences and identities.
- As a part of VUCAVU’s Black Indigenous Solidarity Screenings, watch a video of this panel discussion focusing on kinship, solidarity, and the effects of dispossession and colonial upheaval in Black and Indigenous communities. Or explore the accompanying Black and Indigenous Solidarity Screenings by creating a rental account.
- In this short video, poet Alán Pelaez Lopez discusses centring blackness in the spirit of resistance to oppression.
Read
- “Distinct Histories, Shared Solidarity” by Nickita Longman offers a look at Black and Indigenous solidarity, policing and gender from the point of view of Saulteaux activist Nickita Longman and Philip Dwight Morgan, a Toronto-based writer and poet.
- Read about Jordan Gray’s experiences with discrimination and resilience as a Trinidadian and Mi’kmaw person in the Canadian school system in this POV piece from CBC.
- “Black People are not Settlers” by Anthony Morgan explores the topic of how Black histories are distinct from the settler narrative and experiences, and argues against the assumption that all non-Indigenous people are settlers.
- Following the death of George Floyd, jingle dress dancers held a ceremony to support community grief and encourage healing. Read more about the significance of the Jingle Dress dance and its connection to healing and community care.
- Aiden Jonah interviews organizers of the Afro-Indigenous rising collective during the recent occupation of Nathan Phillips Square.
- This article from Indian Country Today contains insights on what it means to be Black and Indigenous from a multiplicity of perspectives.
Listen
- The Henceforward is a podcast exploring Black and Indigenous life in Canada. Listen to author Robyn Maynard speak on little known stories of Blackness in Canada. In another episode, Dakota scholar Dr. Kim Tallbear, of the University of Alberta Faculty of Native studies, speaks to the ways in which Black and Indigenous identities and kinship have been disrupted. Additionally, Dr. Kyle Mays, a Black and Anishinaabe scholar, discusses the connections he would like to see flourish between Black and Indigenous peoples
- Native America Calling presents this Electronic Talking Circle exploring solidarity between Black and Indigenous communities. Panelists discuss the experiences of Black and Indigenous peoples relating to systemic racism, resistance movements, and imagine ways in which continued solidarity will shape the future.
- Every Day Black History presents a profile of Bessie Coleman, a civil aviator who made history when she received her pilot’s license.
Act
- There are many ways to take action, make your voice heard, and support organizations whose work you believe in!
- Consider making a donation in support of a local organization such as the Vancouver Black Therapy Foundation, or spend some time reviewing their mutual aid resources list. Do some googling to find out which organizations you’d like to support.
- Be vocal on social media! Use your voice to uplift marginalized people
- Remember to take good care of yourself! Check out this meditation from the Henceforward podcast to tie some relaxation into the themes you may have explored through the other resources in this post.
For further resources on anti-racism or social justice work done in institutions like museums, archives and libraries, explore the information in the Centre’s Statement on Anti-Black Racism.