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Telling Black Canadian Stories: A conversation about the importance of sharing our stories and changing the narrative.

With Black History Month upon us in Canada I thought there’s no better time than to facilitate some of the conversations that are important to our community. Welcome to the first conversation in the This Black Girl Reads lineup for February.

Celebrating Black History Month is a tradition. And as traditions go sometimes, the essence of the ‘why’ can get lost. 

Black History Month, originally Negro History Week was founded in 1926 by historian Dr. Carter Woodson, who dedicated his work to the study of Black life in Amerikkka. His work centered on the premise of erasing the racist representation of Black bodies in history and educating Black people about their past without the stereotypes of the white gaze.

In the 1950s, the Canadian Negro Women’s Association introduced the celebration of Black History Month to Toronto. In 1995, the House of Commons officially recognized February as Black History Month, following a motion introduced by the first Black Canadian woman elected to Parliament, the Honourable Jean Augustine. Black History Month was officially observed across Canada for the first time in February 1996.

And while Black History Month in Canada continues to be celebrated, the misrepresentations and negative narratives about Black bodies persist.

The first Panel Discussion focuses on: Telling Black Canadian Stories: A conversation about the importance of sharing our stories and changing the narrative.

The reality is that people of African descent are hugely under-represented in literature and publishing which means that so many stories go untold. For decades, we as a community have grappled with this issue, but have been unable to address the disparity between intent and the reality of limited diversity.

We’ll Discuss:

• The important role sharing Canadian stories play in helping racialized individuals connect to their culture and history. 
• How do the Caribbean and African individuals think about the Black Canadian experience context of their personal and professional lives, and how does sharing contribute to this
• Finding places where these stories can be shared and magnified in the community

Meet the Panelists…

Greg Frankson is the founder and CEO of Voice Share Inc., which provides training, coaching/mentorship, and consulting services focused on transformative organizational change through inclusive leadership and effective communication. Prior to creating Voice Share in 2018, Greg was a teacher, arts educator, event producer, corporate trainer, and anti-discrimination facilitator.

Throughout his career, Greg has used his voice to create social change as an advocate, award-winning literary artist, and media commentator. Artistically, he published four poetry collections, contributed to three anthologies, edited AfriCANthology: Perspectives of Black Canadian Poets (2022), and released four full-length audio recordings, among many other achievements. He was also an on-air poetic commentator on Here and Now Toronto on CBC Radio One.

In the community, his leadership resulted in the overdue commemoration of Robert Sutherland, Canada’s first known university graduate of colour and first Black lawyer, at Queen’s University and across Canada. His words have been published in periodicals and poetry journals on three continents. Greg is a former Canadian national poetry slam champion, an inaugural inductee to the VERSe Ottawa Hall of Honour, and a past poet laureate of the International Initiative for Mental Health Leadership. He served on the boards of Ottawa Community Immigrant Services Organization (OCISO) and Tropicana Community Services (Toronto), currently serves on the Prince’s Trust Canada board of directors, and chairs the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA) Advisory Council at Abilities Centre in Whitby.

Greg has left a lasting impact at his alma mater, Queen’s University, as its first Black student government president, former student senator and ex-officio trustee, and long-serving current member of the University Council. He graduated from Queen’s in 1999 with Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Education degrees, earned concurrently, and is a member of the National Communication Coaching Association, League of Canadian Poets, and the Ontario College of Teachers.

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Dr. Valerie Mason-John M.A (hon) doc, is the co-editor of The Great Black North – Contemporary African Canadian Poetry, which won best education and  Robert Kroetsch poetry book of the year. Award-winning author of 10 books, their latest collection of poetry I am Still Your Negro – An Homage to James Baldwin was selected as one of the best CBC poetry books 2021 and was shortlisted for the Dorothy Livesay and the Gerald Lampert Memorial Award. Their latest offering is editing Afrikan Wisdom New Voices Speak Black Liberation, Buddhism, and Beyond.

They are one of the founding facilitators of Dr. Gabor Mate’s Compassionate Inquiry, and they are a public speaker in the field of trauma, and mindfulness approaches for addiction. www.valeriemason-john.com

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Andrea Thompson is a writer, spoken word artist, educator, and editor, who has been teaching creative writing to students of all ages for over twenty-five years.Thompson has taught through the University of Toronto, OCAD University and Brock University, as well as through community groups and agencies across the
country. In 2005 her spoken word album, One, was nominated for a Canadian Urban Music Award, in 2009 she was the Canadian Festival of Spoken Word’s Poet of Honour, and in 2019 her poetry album, Soulorations earned her the League of Canadian Poets’ Golden Beret Award. Thompson is an editor at Brick Books and Artistic Director of Brick’s online spoken word showcase, Brickyard.

Her work is featured in the anthology, Best Canadian Poetry: 2020, and she is the recipient of the 2021 Leon E. & Ann M. Pavlick Poetry Prize. Thompson’s collection, A Selected History of Soul Speak was published by Frontenac House as a part of their 2021 Quartet series. www.andreathompson.ca

The panel will take place via Instagram Live on Tuesday, February 1 at 7pm EST. Register here to receive updates.