Black History in Canada

Black History Month February 2026

Celebrating 30 Years of Black History Month in Canada at snəw̓eyəɬ leləm̓

The year 2026 marks 30 years of recognizing the contributions, achievements, and experiences of Black communities in Canada. This milestone is reflected in the official theme for this year’s events, “Honouring Black Brilliance Across Generations from Nation Builders to Tomorrow’s Visionaries.”

While this theme celebrates three decades of Black History Month in Canada, it also reminds the Langara college community that Black Canadians have shaped the country’s history since the 1600s. The first recorded Black individual in what is called Canada today was Mathieu da Costa, who arrived in 1608. As a free Black man, he worked as a translator working with the Mi'kmaq peoples and French explorers. More locally, Mifflin Gibbs, one of the first 800 Black settlers to arrive in British Columbia in 1858, was elected to Victoria City Council in 1866, becoming the first Black person to hold public office in the province. For more than 400 years, Black Canadians have continued to contribute to and shape communities across the country.

At Langara, Black History Month is both a reflection of our yearlong commitments to local Black communities, students, and employees, and an opportunity to celebrate Black excellence, joy, and brilliance across generations on campus.

Black History Month at Langara

In collaboration with the Langara Black Student Union, the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion will be tabling in the A Foyer on February 10, 2026, from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm. Visit the tables to grab some Puff-puff and to learn more about the Black Student Union who will be sharing information about their upcoming activities and events that they have planned for Black History Month 2026.

Resources and Events

The Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Office has curated a selection of Black History Month resources as a starting point for learning, engagement, and celebration. Community members are also encouraged to visit the library, which will feature a curated display of borrowable materials throughout the month, as well as their Black History Month Library Guide for additional opportunities for learning. We encourage you to explore these materials and share them with others beyond the college.
This is not an exhaustive list, and we welcome input from the Langara community. If you have suggestions for articles, podcasts, webinars, or events, please contact us at edioffice [at] langara.ca (edioffice[at]langara[dot]ca)
To show solidarity with and support for the local Black community, we encourage you to attend the events hosted by the following organizations:

Suggested Resources

The Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion has curated a list of suggested resources which provide a variety of opportunities for others to learn, engage, support, and celebrate the Black community in Canada.

We are aware this is not an exhaustive list and welcome your input. If you have suggestions for articles, podcasts, webinars, events, etc., we invite you to contact our office at edioffice [at] langara.ca (edioffice[at]langara[dot]ca) .

Black History in BC and Canada and contemporary Black Canadians leading in their communities
The Canadian Encyclopedia: Black History Month in Canada
  • Learn about the origins of Black History Month in Canada and how each province celebrated and acknowledge their Black communities before 1995 when Black History Month would be officially recognized by the Federal Government and celebrated every February. 
Hogan's Alley: Vancouver's Black Community
  • Hogan's Alley was the colloquial name for Park Lane in the Strathcona neighborhood between Main Street and Jackson Avenue. It was home to the Vancouver Black community. However, the population was displaced when the Georgia and Dunsmuir viaducts were built. Read more about the society that is looking to restore the Black community's space. They recently struck an agreement with the municipal government to help start reviving the community. 
     
Salt Spring Island's Black settlers set stage for today's community
  • Salt Spring Island was once home to one of BC's most important Black communities in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Evelyn C. White, a former Salt Spring Island resident briefly explores the island's history in this piece. 
     
Periodic Table of Canadian Black History
  • From entrepreneurs to musicians, writers to activists there is much to be learned from this unique site which provides an interactive and creative representation of Canadian Black History.  
     
12 Black Queer Canadian Artists to Know
  • Out on Screen is highlighting Black Queer Canadian artists to know and provides a list to get you started.
Radio Canada International: Portraits of Black Canadians
  • Radio Canada International has produced a series of vignettes spotlighting some of the Black Canadians that have marked the country’s past, as well as those that are marking Canada’s present.
     
Community Stories - BC's Black Pioneers: Their Industry and Character Influenced and Character the Vision of Canada
  • The BC Black History Awareness Society and Digital Museums Canada offers a wealth of resources including stories, videos, and pictures of some of the first Black people in BC.
     
Black on the Prairies: 2022 “Place” Edition
  • CBC’s Black on the Prairies, Place Edition, places Blackness in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba at the centre of Canada’s story. For more stories about the Black experience in Canada, you can go to Being Black in Canada.
     
Celebrating Black Canadian writers and filmmakers.
  • Curated by the Library, this list features works and resources from our library collections created by Black Canadians.
     
Other stories of interest:
Podcast and Broadcast Show Recommendations
CBC Radio: Part 1 - Canada's slavery secret: The whitewashing of 200 years of enslavement 

“What does it take to erase 200 years of history from the collective consciousness of a nation?” - Charmaine Nelson, McGill Professor of Art History 
 

CBC Radio: Part 2 - Slavery's long shadow: The impact of 200 years of enslavement in Canada

From racial slurs to microaggressions, racism remains entrenched in Canadian society, and its root causes may reach further back than we think. 
 

'Podcast: The History of People of African Descent in Canada

In this podcast, Dr. Isaac Saney discusses and explains the history of people of African descent in Canada and the long struggle for freedom and self-determination. 
 

Podcast: A Seat at the Table – Episode “Hockey's Diversity Problem with Anthony Duclair + Salim Valji”

The NBA, WNBA, Premier League and several other sports leagues have been unequivocal about their support for the Black Lives Matter movement. The NHL, however, has been quieter than most. Martine and Isabelle talk to Ottawa Senators forward Anthony Duclair about what it’s like to be a Black hockey player, and they bring journalist Salim Valji to the table to discuss why racism remains one of hockey’s most taboo topics. 
 

Podcast: The Secret Life of Canada – Episode “The Province of Jamaica”

This episode looks at early Caribbean migration to Canada and reveal which islands could have become Canadian provinces. It also dives into the history of Black railway porters and how they and their wives made Winnipeg a hub of labour activism in Canada. 
 

Podcast: The Secret Life of Canada – Episode “Crash Course on Nora’s Place in Hogan’s Alley”

When vaudeville performer Nora Hendrix ended up in Vancouver in the early 1900s, she became a fixture in Hogan's Alley, the neighborhood at the center of Vancouver's Black community. By the time she died at 100 years old in 1984, she had led the community and raised a large family. This included her grandson who would live with her in Hogan’s Alley from time to time. His name was Jimi Hendrix. 
 

Podcast: The Secret Life of Canada – Episode “Crash Course on Black Nurses”

This Crash Course looks into the surprisingly young history of Black nurses in Canada and why many of these women had to travel to the U.S. for their education. It also takes a look at the story of the Black Cross Nurses and how Black nurses went from shutouts to leaders in a matter of decades. 


Support Black-owned businesses, creators, and artists all year long.

There are a number of ways you can support the community all year long:

  • Borrow or access resources from the Langara Library's Celebrating Black Canadian Creators Guide
  • Donate to mutual aid funds that support local Black communities and non-profits like The Vancouver Black Library, which is looking for funding to establish a public space to start the library.  
  • Try some delicious food from a Black-owned restaurant like The Lion's Den Cafe
  • “Do a quick google search or find a Black-owned business in your area here or in the US and other parts of the world here.
  • The list goes on!

Do you have other ideas? Let us know your thoughts at edioffice [at] langara.ca (edioffice[at]langara[dot]ca) .

Local and national events throughout the month of February and beyond.

2025 Events

Black History Month at VPL
  • The VPL website features many resources and shares multiple events throughout the month of February related to Black History Month. Check it out!
     
The City of Vancouver Honours Black History Month
Create & Connect: Black History Matters - MONOVA
  • Celebrate Black History Month at MONOVA and learn about the rich history, experiences and contributions of Black Canadians. Family-friendly!

Year-Round

Vancouver Black Library
  • Maya Preshyon has created an amazing library filled with books supporting the Black Community, keeping and telling stories from the Vancouver Black Community. They also organize mini concerts, events, and special guests. Check out their Instagram @vanblacklibrary
     
Black Vancouver Club
  • Looking for more inspiration and events from the Vancouver Black Community? You can take a look at the Instagram page, Black Van Club @blackvanclub
     
BC Black History Awareness Society 
African Descent Festival: Celebrating Diversity and Unity in Vancouver
  • The African Descent Festival is intended to celebrate the cultural diversity of people of African Descent within Vancouver, while recognizing and promoting attitudes of oneness among all ethnic groups and communities. This cultural event will allow Canadians, specifically Vancouverites to enjoy and learn about different cultures and countries from Africa, some of which have strong embedded grassroot initiatives and history within the city.