VICTORIA, BC — On March 20, World Storytelling Day, hear and see stories and histories of British Columbia with the launch of an updated online resource, the BC Archives Black History Research Guide.
A collaborative project between the BC Archives, the BC Black History Awareness Society and the Royal BC Museum, the updated BC Archives Research Guide on Black History records will serve as a resource for researchers and anyone wanting to learn more about BC Black history.
“We greatly appreciate the work BC Black History Awareness Society does to celebrate and safeguard the histories of Black people in BC for future generations,” says Tracey Drake, CEO of the Royal BC Museum. “This longstanding partnership has led to some incredible projects over the years and this guide not only strengthens this important relationship, it helps to increase accessibility to this vital part of British Columbia’s history.”
Over the years, the museum and archives have worked closely with the BC Black History Awareness Society on projects including the Hope Meets Action travelling exhibition and the Black porters story, now on display in the Old Town, New Approach exhibition at the Royal BC Museum.
"Our relationship with the archives at the Royal BC Museum has been, and is one, that is characterized as symbiotic,” says Silvia Mangue Alene, President of the BC Black History Awareness Society project team. “We provide our lived experiences and legacies and they record them for future generations: that is how history is made. The archives help us make history for our communities and for this country."
Capturing important and diverse histories, the updated guide is a significant step towards improving accessibility and inclusive storytelling for a historically under- and misrepresented community.
“Our organization receives continual inquiries from teachers, students, researchers, writers and others seeking information about BC Black history. The guide will be key for that research,” say Fran Morrison and Rachael Otukol, BC Black History Awareness Society representatives for this project. “As well as being a guide to the resources at the BC Archives, it standardizes language and descriptions, and previously undocumented resources have been included. While any guide provides general research tips, this one speaks specifically to researching Black history. It’s a game-changer!”
Hear, see and witness the building blocks of these ordinary and extraordinary stories of Black history in BC through original records, letters, photographs, sound recordings and other sources that are safeguarded by the BC Archives.
Representatives from the BC Black History Awareness Society, the BC Archives and the Royal BC Museum will be on hand to celebrate the launch of the updated guide and pay tribute to the significant partnerships that supported its creation, March 20 at the BC Archives from 7 to 9 PM. The celebration is open to the public, but guests are asked to register for the event. For more information on the event go to: Event Calendar.
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About the Royal BC Museum: The Royal BC Museum explores the province’s human history and natural history, advances new knowledge and understanding of BC, and provides a dynamic forum for discussion and a place for reflection. The museum and archives celebrate culture and history, telling the stories of BC in ways that enlighten, stimulate and inspire. Located in Victoria on the traditional territory of the Lekwungen (Songhees and Xwsepsum Nations), we are a hub of community connections in BC—on-site, off-site and online—taking pride in our collective histories.
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