Rebuilding a history, protecting a future: P.E.I.'s Black community telling its stories in a variety of ways
'We're being woven into the fabric of Island life,' moderator says at panel discussion
The Black community on Prince Edward Island is ensuring its written history is preserved in every way it can, whether that's through poetry, song or children's books — and everything in between.
That was the message at a recent panel discussion in Charlottetown called Power of the Pen: Exploring Black Narratives Across Genres, which was held in place of the annual Black History Month Lecture.
One of the panelists, writer Debbie Langston, said it's important to record the history of the province's Black community because a large portion of it has been overlooked.
"There's this whole gap in our history, so I think moving forward, we have to understand how we've come to be at that point and make sure it doesn't happen again," Langston said.
"I also think at this moment when our voices are really [being] silenced, it's even more important that we tell our stories and make sure other people get to hear what it's like to be a Black person in this environment."
P.E.I. has a Black history that dates back to the 1700s. For most of the 19th century and into the 20th, Charlottetown had a neighbourhood with a large Black population, called The Bog and located between Euston and Kent streets.
But it's a history that hasn't been told as much as it should — or one that's often been told through a white narrative.
The purpose of the Power of the Pen panel was to showcase all the ways the community is now recording its past, present and future.
Along with Langston, the discussion at The Guild included children's book author Tumini Jumbo and singer-songwriter-musician Scott Parsons.
Parsons said telling stories of the Black community through song makes learning more entertaining and engaging, especially for the younger generation.
"For a long time, Black history was… not very mainstream," he said. "These days, in the presence of the political climate, we're seeing a lot more inclusivity and... people being able to access publishing companies and people writing about what's important to them."
Parsons said music is "very user-friendly way for students to learn about P.E.I. history and anti-racism. I think that's really important."
We want to make sure that 150, 200 years from now, we still exist.— Tamara Steele, Black Cultural Society of P.E.I.
The theme of this year's Black History Month is "Redefining Success: Empowering Black Artists, Students and Entrepreneurs." It's meant to focus on contemporary work and the community's demographics as they exist today.
Tamara Steele, executive director of the Black Cultural Society of P.E.I. and the panel's moderator, said the fact that Black narratives can be found across so many different genres reflects a growing diversity among the community here on the Island.
"Our history hasn't been preserved, particularly here in P.E.I., very well. We want to make sure that that doesn't continue to happen so that we have a record of all the things that we're doing and the people that are making waves and that are making a difference," Steele said.
"We're being woven into the fabric of Island life, and we want to make sure that 150, 200 years from now, we still exist."
'Removed from history books'
The Black community's history definitely wasn't preserved in the past, but it's still under threat today — both south of the border and in this country.
Over the past few years, calls to remove books from school reading lists and library shelves have been on the rise in the U.S., most notably in states like Florida and Texas. Experts say they're also on an upswing here in Canada.
Many of the challenged books were written by people of colour, including voices from the Black and Indigenous communities, while other relate to themes of sexuality, 2SLGBTQ+ life or gender diversity.
There have also been moves by politicians in the United States to limit which concepts schools can teach students about race.
While these and other factors have combined to embolden some people to share racist beliefs with less abandon, Langston said it's also solidifying the Black community to fight back — in part, through the written word.
"We're seeing stories being removed from history books and things that can't be taught in schools, and so that erodes our understanding," she said. "It's really important to make sure that their stories are still being told and preserved and that history isn't being suppressed."
Black History Month activities continue until the end of February. You can check out the list of events on the Black Cultural Society of P.E.I.'s website.
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.
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