The mainstream media often inundates us with a very U.S.-centric view on Black history, but delving into your history, as well as your struggles and triumphs, is equally important. My family was one of the first 10 Black families to migrate to Saskatchewan from the Oklahoma area in 1910, where they built a community, part of which still stands to this day. While we have many, many issues in Canada, in regards to racial oppression, our strength is something to celebrate. These six books about Canadian Black History and by Canadian authors have helped me celebrate my history as well as my victories in navigating a racial landscape that can at times be difficult. I hope you can glean something from them, too.

1

They Call Me George by Cecil Foster

“My grandfather was a sleeping car porter, when that was the only job on the railway a Black man could get, and kept that job till I was a little girl, some 30 years later. I remember my grandfather telling me stories about his time on the train, and this book gives a great perspective on it.”

2

Out of the Sun by Esi Edugyan

“In the first couple pages she wrote about how sometimes in writing we diminish the difference when it comes to cultures and … how that’s a disservice because our differences make us more interesting and more dynamic—that spoke to me.”

3

Shame On Me by Tessa McWatt

“As a mixed-race woman, this book helped me to find a voice in how I felt being part of two communities and learn how to navigate feeling part of both and also part of neither, simultaneously validating my personal experiences.”

4

Black Writers Matter edited by Whitney French

“This is an anthology of African Canadian writers that speaks to a very Black Canadian experience that was both refreshing and relatable. I loved seeing different writers’ views on the Afro Canadian experience.”

5

I’ve Been Meaning to Tell You by David Chariandy

“This book is an emotional ride through a parent’s worries for his child and having to have the very difficult conversations around race. I recall having similar conversations with my grandparents as a child on how to be safe as a Black person.”

6

They Said This Would Be Fun by Eternity Martis

“I went to a Historic Black University in the U.S. for my last two years of school—there the students are mostly Black and embrace everything about being Black, whereas here all you have is universities that are predominantly White. I think Martis will offer readers insights on race at Canadian institutions.”

Chandra Jestin is co-chair of the Black Employee Initiative at Indigo, where she’s a customer experience leader.