Children love stories and I was no exception. The kinds of stories that I heard growing up were about trailblazers in my small neighbourhood of Montreal. In schools and community centres, I never learned about national heroes, or great men and women whose exploits made a difference in other parts of the country. No one had a Canadian story about Black people to share with little children who love stories. Yet, growing up, I learned about the greatness of Africa, the kings and queens that built empires and pyramids.
Still, I wanted to know about who came before me and how I stood on the shoulders of our ancestors, here in the Dominion, not just in Africa. As I learned about how Black lives made a difference here and there, I looked for ways to share them. This compilation of stories of Black experiences lived within Canada spans hundreds of years. It is more than just a footnote to the Canadian story of exploration, of conquest and colonialism, of defending and defining borders, of creating a new nation-state in a land of forests, ice, and water. It is a hidden piece of our story. Once you read it, this gift of Canada’s history will be yours.
