Action: Acknowledge and educate ourselves of the historical image of Black people in history, both locally and beyond
Feb 7: Timeline of Black History in Canada
https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/timeline/black-history
Feb 8: First Black Person in Canada
The first Black person thought to have set foot on Canadian soil was Mathieu Da Costa, a free man who was hired by Europeans to act as a translator.
https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/mathieu-da-costa
Feb 9: British North America’s First Enslaved Peoples Arrive at Jamestown
The first shipload of enslaved Africans to reach British North America landed at Jamestown in 1619.
Feb 10: Code Noir
In 1685, Louis XIV’s Code Noir code permitted slavery for economic purposes only and established strict guidelines for the ownership and treatment of slaves. It was officially limited to the West Indies and, although it was never proclaimed in New France, it was used in customary law. https://s3.wp.wsu.edu/uploads/sites/1205/2016/02/code-noir.pdf
Feb 11: Slaves and Free Persons Reach Nova Scotia
Canada developed a reputation as a safe haven for Blacks during the American Revolution, 1775-1783. The British promised land, freedom and rights to slaves and free Blacks in exchange for services rendered. Some of the Black Loyalists who reached Nova Scotia belonged to the “Company of Negroes” that had left Boston with British troops.
https://ansa.novascotia.ca/community
Feb 12: The Story of Africville – https://humanrights.ca/story/the-story-of-africville
Baptist preacher David George was a Black Loyalist from Virginia. He settled in Shelburne, Nova Scotia in 1784 and began preaching in neighbouring Birchtown. His emotional sermons drew both Black and White Christians. Using only Black community funds, George founded several Black Baptist churches and initiated a “self-help” movement that still exists.
Feb 13: Other historical impact – African Roman Emperor, Septimius Severis;
Shelburne Race Riots | The Canadian Encyclopedia
Other links of interest:
The Underground RailroadCanada’s reputation as a safe haven for Blacks grew substantially during and after the War of 1812. Between 1815 and 1865, tens of thousands of African-Americans sought refuge in Upper and Lower Canada via the legendary Underground Railroad.