Black History Month

Every February, people in Canada are invited to participate in Black History Month festivities and events that honour the legacy of Black Canadians and their communities. Check out this list of books that celebrate the achievements and explore the experiences of Black people in Canada and elsewhere and get the conversation started.

The Kids Book of Black Canadian History by Rosemary Sadlier

From the first Black person who came to Canada about 400 years ago to the most recent wave of African immigrants, Black Canadians have played an important role in our country’s history. In this informative overview, kids will discover the inspiring stories and events of a people who fought oppression as they searched for a place to call their own.

Featuring fact boxes, mini-profiles, a timeline and more, this book in the acclaimed Kids Book of series offers a glimpse into an often-overlooked part of Canadian history.

Black Women Who Dared by Naomi Meyer

Inspirational stories of ten Black women and women’s collectives from Canadian and American history. Included are leaders and groundbreakers who were anti-slavery activists, business women, health-care activists, civic organizers and educators. Celebrate these remarkable women, some of whom you may be hearing about for the first time, and the profound impacts they’ve made.

 

 

 

 

 

Black Boy Joy edited by Kwame Mbalia

From seventeen acclaimed Black male and nonbinary authors comes a vibrant collection of stories, comics, and poems about the power of joy and the wonders of Black boyhood.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Black Girls by Nicole Shanice

Dear Black Girls is a letter to all Black girls. Every single day poet and educator Shanice Nicole is reminded of how special Black girls are and of how lucky she is to be one. Illustrations by Kezna Dalz support the book’s message that no two Black girls are the same but they are all special–that to be a Black girl is a true gift. In this celebratory poem, Kezna and Shanice remind young readers that despite differences, they all deserve to be loved just the way they are.

If a Bus Could Talk by Faith Ringgold

From a Caldecott Honor Award and Coretta Scott King Award–winning illustrator comes a bright and offbeat picture book with a unique perspective on the story of Rosa Parks.

A young girl named Marcie has a magical bus ride where the bus itself tells her the story of the mother of the Civil Rights Movement, Rosa Parks. Because she was black, Rosa had to walk miles to a one-room schoolhouse while white children could take the bus, and as an adult, Rosa could only sit in the back.

But when the day came that Rosa refused to give up her seat, she helped set the wheels in motion for black people to sit where they wanted. Marcie learns all this and more then gets a special surprise at the end of her trip!