Black History Month Resources

We released our second episode of The Intersection! For this episode we dive into Racism in Canada and address Black History in Canada. If you want to take a listen you can find our episode following this link.

As we near the end of the month and the end of Black history month, we want to remind you all that your learning doesn't need to stop here. There are SO many resources out there available all year round and so many ways you can show support to the Black community outside of Black History month.

Are you an ally, looking to better understand how you can do more? Being an ally means that we have to first begin by recognizing our place of privilege, and then choose to stand with and for marginalized communities. Standing with means that we are taking tangible, ongoing actions to help dismantle systems of oppression- BEYOND just Black history month.

Listen: Take a step back and remember that this is not about you. Listen to those, whose voices have too often been shut down, and learn. Listen with the intent not to respond, but with the intent to gain a new perspective.
Learn: Seek out books, articles, films, music, and so much more to help you learn about the history and current issues being faced by these marginalized groups. Look in your community for local history about the community (it's out there!) and attend the countless virtual anti-oppression trainings available.
Get involved: Follow local groups in your area working with social justice. Join this newsletters and support the work they do in your community
Show support: attend local events and be there to listen & learn
Speak up: don't ignore hateful or hurtful comments you hear. When someone is being ignorant- call them out. Silence is what allows oppression to continue.
Intervene: if you see someone being targeted, intervene- but only with their permission. Focus on supporting the individual rather than engaging with the aggressor
Allow discomfort: learning and growing is uncomfortable. If we experience discomfort, invite it to be with us rather than dismiss it. Sit with this feeling and ask yourself "why" and see this as an opportunity to grow.
Learn from your mistakes: we are all bound to make mistakes. It's a part of growing and changing. When someone calls you out, fight that urge inside of us to get defensive. Listen, apologize, and learn how to change your behavior going forward.
Stay engaged: remember: oppression is something that is constantly happening, and unfortunately people who experience oppression do not have the luxury to just turn it off. Even when the work get difficult, stay engaged. Change does not happen over night, it's something that needs our constant attention and conscious effort.
Donate: support local organizations in your community that work with social justice issues and support local Black businesses in your community by purchasing their items or donating to their causes.

**adapted from ywcahbg.org

With the help of Linda, we have put together some resources for you all to check out as a way to continue you your learning and growing.

Some YEG local businesses to support:

Council of Canadians of African & Caribbean Heritage (CCACH): http://ccach.org/

Food:

Zuhur Restaurant
Island Grill Edmonton
Koultures Afro-Continental Restaurant
Sugarbowl
Walia Ethio Eritrean Restaurant
Bete African Ethiopian Restaurant
African Safari Restaurant
The French Creperie
Paradise Grill and Catering
Banaardiri Xamereey Somali Restaurant
Zembaba 2 Ethiopian Restaurant and Bar
Sinit African Restaurant and Bar
Awash Ethiopian Restaurant
Langano Skies
Narayanni's Restaurant
Sambusa Hut
Blue Nile Authentic Ethiopian
Family Injera Spices and Restaurant
Big Jerkk
Sunset Reggae
Saffron's Caribbean Delight
Fartun Cultural Cuisine
Irie Foods
Tiramisu Bistro
Red Star/The Bower/Lock Stock Coffee
Caribbean Finest
MonAmie Resto
Tastebuds Caribbean BBQ

Salons and Beauty:

Thriving Tress
Zee Beauty
The Melanin Studio
The Lashpertise

Arts:

5 Artists 1 Love
Inkfable Media
Keon the Artist

Health:

La Perle Dental Center
Alberta Black Therapist Network
Absolute Health Incorporated
ABTN
Health Zinergy
Engage Counselling Services
Bridging the Gap

An extensive and up to date list can be found: https://west.afrobiz.ca/Edmonton-AB

Learning & Development:

Edmonton Public Library: https://www.epl.ca/black-history-month/
Amber Valley: One of Alberta's African American communities that dates back to 1910, when families were seeking a life away from segregationist Jim Crow laws. You can learn more at read here
Black Albertans You Should Know: a list of trailblazing Black Albertans, who are often missed in the provincial and Canadian history narratives read here
Alberta Civil Liberties Research Center: founded by 6 women, each member aims to bring their own knowledge of racism and anti-racism activism to the community. Filled with so much information and resources, it's definitely worth the read: read here
Answering white people's most commonly asked questions about the Black Lives Matter movement: a Q & A article for people with privilege who want to learn more- read here
The Intersectionality Wars: an article about Kimberle Crenshaw and intersectionality: read here
50 Reasons you might be more privilege than your coworker (that you're not aware of): an article challenging how privilege impacts our daily lives in multiple ways- read here

Media

Howdy, I'm John Ware: An animated version of the children's book that helps teach the history of John Ware and his ties to Alberta. Can be found here: watch here

Podcasts:

Seeing White podcast: click here
Wait, There's More: click here
Pod Save The People: click here
About Race: click here
Unheard Youth Podcast: click here
The Gifted Gab: click here

Books:

How To Be An Antiracist by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander
White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo, PhD
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Why I No Longer Talk to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge books
Stamped from the Beginning by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi
On the Other Side of Freedom: The Case for Hope By DeRay McKesson
Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson
What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Blacker by Damon Young
The Skin We're In: A Year Of Black Resistance And Power by Desmond Cole
So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
Me And White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change The World, And Become A Good Ancestor by Layla Saad
I'm Still Here: Black Dignity In A World Made For Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown
Policing Black Lives: State Violence In Canada From Slavery To The Present by Robyn Maynard
The good immigrant edited by Nikesh Shula
It’s not about the burqua: Muslim women on faith, feminism, sexuality and race edited by Mariam Khan
Black skin, white masks by Frantz Fanon