Lethbridge creatives launch photo zine to highlight Black lives, Black artists and Black joy

"Oh, there are Black people in Lethbridge?"

It is a question journalist and photographer Oseremen Irete said he hears a lot, when he tells people where he lives.

It was also the catalyst for an upcoming publication called We're Here Too, a collaborative zine that brims with photography, poetry and short stories submitted by Black creatives that will be released Saturday at Analog Books in Lethbridge.

And from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. on Feb. 27, the creative team behind the zine —  Irete, Bariyaa Ipaa and Mystique Muhoza, as well as a few contributors — will be at the bookstore to talk about it.

Irete told the Calgary Eyeopener on Thursday that the project is intended to document the Black experience in the southern Alberta city while celebrating its Black artists.

"We really just wanted to take this opportunity to show that, yes, we are [here too] — and there's a growing and vibrant community in the city," Irete said.

The joy and the vibrancy

When Irete arrived in Lethbridge in 2012, he said the joke among his friends was that there wasn't a Black person you didn't know — the community was that small.

But over time, he said it has become increasingly vibrant and diverse.

"It's great to see," he said. "But it also means that … some people, for the first time, are now confronting diversity. And there's great things about that — but there's also tensions."

When he first moved to the city, Irete said he heard the stories — white people turning on their heels to avoid Black people in hallways.

Black friends accosted in the parking garages of their own homes while teaching someone to drive — and being told they were making someone feel unsafe "just for existing in the space," Irete said.

But Irete said that while it is important to acknowledge moments like these as part of the Black experience, they are not the focus of We're Here Too. And that is a deliberate choice.

"Whenever we speak about Blackness, I find a lot of the focus is on trauma, it's on suffering, especially in Black History Month … [and] I think it's important for people to see everyday Black lives, and to see Black joy," Irete said.

"It's important for people to understand what communities face in terms of racism, in terms of discrimination — but also, just to showcase the joy, the vibrancy of the community. And I think this can be a very important way to build connections, to build bridges."

Hopes, dreams, ambitions, fears

An aspect of We're Here Too, Irete said, is to allow an intimate — but also ordinary — look at Black lives that allows people to see beyond stereotypes.

"Black people have hopes, have dreams, have ambitions, have fears," he said. "Just like anyone else."

It also aims to alleviate the work that Black people are often burdened with to speak on behalf of their race.

While Irete is adamant that Black people should not have to do that work, he acknowledges it is a responsibility that is often thrust upon them.

It can be tiring and grating and even damaging, Irete said.

"Myself, and many of my friends, have been the first Black person that someone has ever met. So, we end up unofficially becoming some kind of ambassador for Blackness," Irete said.

"And so, we thought it was important to have a publication that showcased all those experiences, so that people can have a glimpse into it — and not just build their ideas of Blackness on stereotypes."

A safe space to grow

Finally, in canvassing artists in Lethbridge to contribute their photography and writing, Irete said the project is a way to showcase the work that Black creatives are doing, and can do.

The amount of submissions surpassed what the creators of We're Here Too anticipated, and was fantastic to see, he said.

Now the hope is that the project can grow, and into mediums such as audio and video work, to cultivate and expose Black talent.

"Right now, we're in the space of possibility … but where we want to go is [to] build on this, and give Black creatives the opportunity to showcase their skills, but also through subsequent projects," he said.

"And to give maybe young Black people — high school students, middle school students, or anyone who might necessarily want to get these skills — a chance to try their hand at it, and a safe space to kind of grow."

For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.