Outaouais-owned business looking to ensure Black included in Canadian history lessons

By Eric O'Brien

A Black-owned business with roots in the Outaouais and Montreal wants to help people understand the history of Black Canadians and how they have contributed to the development of Canada.

Blacbiblio.com is looking to get its 'ABC's of Canadian Black History' educational kit into as many schools as possible.

“It's a journey of discovery into Canadian History, because that's what it is; Canadian History, not just black history,” says Linton Garner, Blacbiblio.com co-founder and developer of community and education. ” This is the history that we've all been denied, we've all not had a true picture of Canadian history, because there have been voices that have been missing.”

The kit is for everyone, Garner says, but it is especially catered to teachers. He explains that it's unique to the Canadian school market, as it provides teachers with 26 ready-made lesson plans in Canadian history that highlight important stories in human rights, government, arts and sciences, sports, the military, geography, and innovation. The kit also provides portraits of individuals, events and places, beginning with the arrival of the first slave in Canada in 1628.

“We would certainly like to see it introduced as supplemental information that can be introduced in a class as something most good teachers look for,” Garner says. “If not in the classroom, we believe it should be in school libraries or somewhere as a resource because we believe that theses are important figures in the development of the country.”

So far, he says the kit has been provided to several schools across in Quebec, and more recently, hundreds in Toronto have received their copy. 

Blacbiblio.com Inc. was recently recognized in the Rogers Sports & Media All IN program for having entered schools.

Rogers Sports & Media recently launched the first year of its inclusion and diversity program All IN, which guarantees free advertising and creative services to support their efforts in uplifting under served communities. 

Garner says they are glad to have been recognized by Rogers for the potential impact that the ABC's of Canadian Black History can have on this and future generations, not just for Black history, but for the entire narrative of Canadian history. Now that they have the support and resources of All IN, they intend to expand into schools across the country.

Rogers Sports & Media is the owner of CityNews Ottawa and the Valley.
 

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