The ABC’s of Canadian Black History; addressing the missing voices of our history

BY JONELL PANTLITZ

“If you don’t feel that there’s been a place for you, within your particular society, then you will always feel alienated and isolated. And we don’t want young black students growing up with that, sense of things like we might have, in past generations. We want to allow them to have some pride in the contributions of the black community to this country.” Linton Graner

Linton Garner brings decades of community, education development and his passion for history and storytelling to his role in the design and marketing of the ABC’s of Canadian Black History.

The ABC’s of Canadian Black History is a uniquely designed, turnkey resource that helps teachers create engaging lessons and FUN, hands-on learning experiences and enriched, extended, cross-curricular, learning opportunities for elementary through to high school and adult students. This resource was created by Dr. Dorothy Williams a respected community activist, historian, author, and professor and Linton Garner. “Dorothy had the material and I saw the value in putting together a kit.”

Wondering what the ABC in the name stands for? “We take each letter of the alphabet and put a person, place, or an event that was important to Canada and the development of history. It showcases the contributions of the black community.”

One of the goals behind this kit is to make it accessible to schools and the wider community, particularly the black community. 2020 has been a pivotal year in race relations, so the black community must be educated about the black change-makers in history.

Mr.Garner mentioned, “The way history has been written and taught does not address the missing voices of our history. By bringing our kit online, we can ensure that teachers have pedagogically sound, complete resources to teach about the real, historic contributions of black Canadians to Canada, and equip students to think critically about what’s happening today and tomorrow.”

The ABC’s of Canadian Black History has already launched in Quebec and sold many copies to school boards in the province. They have also received the endorsement of the Canadian School Board Association. They are now seeking to connect with the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board and the Peel District School Board.

“If you don’t know where you have been, you don’t know where you’re going.”

Being that the ABC’s of Canadian Black History is one of a kind, the company is campaigning to bring the kit online so students across the country will be able to access it.

The goal for the campaign is $25,000. To date the campaign has accumulated $6,446.

All donations from the campaign will be invested in software development and human resources to bring the ABC’s of Canadian Black History Kit online to the laptops and classrooms of teachers and students across Canada. A team of emerging black educators, technology gurus and creatives are being recruited to bring the program to life!

The ABC’s of Canadian Black History kit contains: 26 lesson plans, student resources and enrichment activities that deliver true stories of black changemakers and the real Canadian political, social, economic challenges they overcame. Overall, it is not just black history but the real history of Canada.

The program’s unique design makes it a valuable cross-curricular resource. It is also available in English and French. For anyone interested in donating visit www.blacbiblio.com