Media Releases

On Thursday, April 8, The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Heritage announced more than $1 million in funding to Dalhousie for a three-year project led by Dalhousie prof Afua Cooper that aims to fill a gap in African Canadian history education. The new project, called A Black People’s History of Canada, will support leading Black history scholars and organizations to create engaging new classroom-ready learning materials and digital media about the history of Black Canadians.

The project will be led by Dr. Cooper, professor in Dalhousie's Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences who is jointly appointed to the Department of History and the Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology and cross appointed to the Gender and Women's Studies program.

“Black people's history in Canada has languished in the doldrums in spite of the 400-year presence of Blacks in this country,” said Dr. Cooper. “And that is why I am truly excited to receive this wonderful support from Canadian Heritage for A Black People’s History of Canada. Our project will fill the lamentable gap in African Canadian history education. Researching, writing, conceptualizing and teaching Black history in a comprehensive manner will produce a seismic shift in African Canadian knowledge mobilization.”

By empowering educators and Canadians through workshops and conferences, with bilingual materials promoted through social media, the project website, and through a network of professional, community, institutional and government partners, A Black People’s History of Canada could reach millions of young Canadians.

Dr. Cooper has already made immense contributions to the study of Black Canadian culture and Black studies. Dalhousie is eager to see how this generous funding will contribute to the advancement of her work and the impact it will have advancing African Canadian history education and young Canadians.

To read more on Dr. Afua Cooper, her work, and A Black People’s History of Canada, please visit Dal News.

Dr. Cooper is available to speak with media today regarding this recent funding announcement and A Black People’s History of Canada.

-30-

Media Contact:
Lindsay Dowling-Savelle, MA
Communications Advisor - Media Relations
Communications and Marketing
Dalhousie University
902.222-8810 | lindsay.savelle@dal.ca