Cultural

Posts that pertain to Black history, Indigenous titles and POC.

It Was Dark There All The Time: Sophia Burthen and the Legacy of Slavery in Canada by Andrew Hunter

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Sophia Burthen’s account of her arrival as an enslaved person into what is now Canada sometime in the late 18th century, was recorded by Benjamin Drew in 1855. In It Was Dark There All the Time, writer and curator Andrew Hunter builds on the testimony of Drew’s interview to piece together Burthen’s life, while reckoning with the legacy of whiteness and colonialism in the recording of her story.

Jude and Diana by Sharon Robart-Johnson

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The only mention of Jude in Nova Scotia’s official history relates to her death: a slave-owning family was brought to trial for her murder in 1801. They were acquitted despite overwhelming evidence that they were guilty. Sharon Robart-Johnson pays tribute to such archival glimpses of enslaved people by re-creating the fullness of sisters Jude and Diana’s survival, emphasizing their joys alongside their hardship.

Amazing Black Atlantic Canadians, Words by Lindsay Ruck, Art by James Bentley

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Created primarily for young readers, Amazing Black Atlantic Canadians will enrich and inform audiences of all ages. Written by Dartmouth, NS author Lindsay Ruck and beautifully illustrated by James Bentley, this is truly a collection of “inspiring stories of courage and achievement”.

Brought Down by Simon Constam

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Characterized by the admission of doubt in God’s desire for a better world, and willing to see Jewish tradition as indispensable, Brought Down struggles with daily life as a firm believer and continuing pride in Jewish identity. In the great Jewish tradition of holding God to account, and not relenting in anger towards Him, the themes in this book are universal: faith, religious practice, forgiveness, history, and the relevance of belief.

AfriCANthology edited by A. Gregory Frankson

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Edited with purpose by Greg Frankson, AfriCANthology: Perspectives of Black Canadian Poets brings together some of Canada's most influential dub, page, and spoken word poetic voices and gives them space to speak freely about their personal journeys in piercing verse and unapologetic prose.