I'm just back from a few happy days in Kelowna for Black History Week, where I talked to a lot of students about BC's black pioneers. Now I've found, via The Star, Black history at a keystroke. Excerpt:
If you want to take a peek at the history of early black settlers who fled slavery from south of the border to Canada through the Underground Railroad, you can visit the Buxton Museum near Chatham.
To learn about black migration to the Maritimes, you can’t miss the Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia in Dartmouth.
On the Prairies, the Saskatchewan African-Canadian Heritage Museum has a collection that starts with the arrival of Dr. Alfred Schmitz Shadd and reflects the rich black history in the province.
You could travel to see all of these. Or you could sit at home at your computer during this chilly Black History Month and visit all of their key exhibits with a few keystrokes, thanks to the launch of a new online Black History Museum.
“We are three hours from Toronto. We only have 1.5 staff and rely on a volunteer board. We have limited resources for marketing,” said Shannon Prince, curator of the Buxton Museum, where a heritage school, church and barn from the 18th century still stand in the community.
Established in 1967 in the Elgin Settlement, one of four organized black settlements in Canada, the Buxton Museum, among nine other community partners involved in the online project, draws 8,000 visitors a year.
“The virtual museum is a good teaser and offers a sneak preview of what is out here that has helped shape Canada’s mosaic,” said Prince.
I can't find a working link to the Saskatchewan site, but the others are fascinating.
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