In this episode of the Peter Wall Institute's Ways of Knowing, 2021 Wall Scholar Annette Henry (Language and Literacy Education & the Institute for Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice, UBC) speaks with educator activist Shelley-Anne Vidal about her experiences as a Black woman growing up in and around Vancouver.
To date, documentation of the experiences of contemporary African Canadians tends to focus for the most part, on Eastern Canada. British Columbia has its own richness in history, culture and intellectual traditions as well as challenges.
As part of her work, Dr. Henry has interviewed a range of Black people who have contributed to civic participation in Metro Vancouver in an attempt to understand both the individual and the broader socio-historical context in which they live. Her interviews are not a “who’s who” but rather an attempt at understanding the lives of everyday Black people who share a passion for equity, justice and a love for their black communities.