Live at Lunch: Black Histories of British Columbia: Explore-Discover-Learn-Share

Join guest speakers Fran Morrison and Shiren Van Cooten and learn more about the diversity of Black people in BC and Canada. Many people have heard stories of how formerly enslaved people used the Underground Railroad to escape cruel bondage. They assume that’s the route by which all Black Canadians historically arrived. In reality, that is only part of the story. This Live at Lunch provides an overview of some of the resources developed by BC Black History Awareness Society that could help to set the stage for understanding and learning about the histories, realities, and legacies of the many Black incomers and immigrants of African and Caribbean heritage who made and continue to make remarkable achievements in all aspects of society.

About the Speakers:

Fran Morrison has been a Board director of BC Black History Awareness Society since 2010. Providing leadership on matters of Black history and culture, she manages content research and development for the Society’s website. She fosters community partnerships and designs, develops and delivers projects and presentations on early BC Black History. Fran comes from Nova Scotia and is a descendant of Black Loyalists who came to Canada in 1783 and Underground Railroad travelers from Maryland in 1823. Attaining the PMP® designation, she worked as a project manager in the private and public sector for more than 25 years.

Header Image: We Been Here, by BC artist Sade Alexis is dedicated to "the Black folks who I didn’t learn about in school. These Black heroes and their stories remain largely disregarded and untold in the history of this place. Their stories are important in both their extraordinariness and in their ordinariness."