derstanding of why Blacks respond they way they do and why they experience what they do becomes clearer. There are links too with the current ref-
ugee crisis in Syria. In a discussion with a class, one student made the connection be- tween enslaved Blacks who escaped bondage to be free and the refugees from Syria, which opened up a conversation with the whole class. They understood clearly that people from different backgrounds, from differ- ent parts of the world, who suffer hardships and who are mistreated for who they are, are willing to flee horrible conditions, risk their lives, so they and their families can live bet- ter lives. Links can be made in various ways using different themes. Elements of the ex- periences of Blacks can be applied as need- ed; Black history isn’t limited to just Social Studies or February, Black History Month. In core classes, it is easier to integrate Black history in a cross-curricular manner, but in- cluding the voices and stories of people of
24 ETFO VOICE | SPRING 2016
African descent who’ve contributed and ac- complished so much can also be done when teaching subjects such as math and science.
LB: What would you say to teachers who want to include more Black his- tory in their classrooms?
NH: I would say to teachers who want to be more inclusive of a diversity of voices and want to share the ideals of equity with their students, this can’t truly be achieved in our Canadian context without including African Canadian history. What I mean by this is, people can’t get the full picture of how hu- man rights legislation came to exist in On- tario without learning about the persistent struggles of Blacks to be treated fairly and equally when seeking an education for their children, when applying for a job, when hop- ing to immigrate to Canada, when enlisting in the Canadian military, and when seek- ing service from a business or government agency that serves the public. It’s due to their
efforts to challenge racial discrimination and get laws enacted that support the rights of all that we have a better society today. We tend to rely on American content, but
I’d encourage teachers to use Canadian con- tent as much as possible, to help Canadian students to understand Canadian history. There is more content becoming available all the time. Also, be prepared to be uncomfort- able, as there will be issues raised that require a teacher to learn right along with her stu- dents. Don’t shy away from the discussion; having those conversations is important and beneficial to the students as well as the teacher.
LB: Are there resources you would rec- ommend to your colleagues?
NH: Yes, there are many that I could share, but I’ll only name a few. The Sankofa Black Heritage Collection (
sankofacollection.com) is one of the latest resources. It’s a series of 15 books written for audiences from grades 4-8.
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