On this page:

  • General Parent/Caregiver Resources
  • Pride
  • Black History

Resources for families to educate and celebrate at home, every month.

General Parent/Caregiver Resources

Pride

Resources for Kids

WATCH

READ

Gr 3-12

Other Resources

Black History
Resources for Kids

READ

WATCH

DO

  • Support black-owned local businesses(not just for BHM but every day of the year 🙂 )
  • Activity: Read aloud story and conversation starters:
  • Little People, Big World – Rosa Parks
    If you’re up for it, here are a few ideas for questions you might ask to begin some discussions:
  • How do you think Rosa felt when people told her to give up her seat on the bus?
  • Do you think it was fair that people told Rosa to give up her seat?
  • Would you have helped Rosa? Do you think it would have been scary?
  • Do you think Rosa was brave? Why?
  • What do you think you would have done if you had been on the bus?
  • Spread kindness
    “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou

Remembering Black Histories and Celebrating Black Futures

  • The visionary thinking behind Black History Month – This Black History Month, start at the beginning. In this article for the Boston Globe, Associate Professor Jarvis R. Givens pays tribute to Black history with a book written almost a century ago by Black History Month founder and academic, Carter G. Woodson.
  • Black Soul (9 mins) – Martine Chartrand’s animated short from the National Film Board of Canada dives into the heart of Black culture with an exhilarating trip through history. Watch as a young boy traces his roots through the stories his grandmother shares with him about the events that shaped their cultural heritage.
  • If your child asks, Why isn’t there a white history month? – Instagram influencer and educator Britt Hawthorne (@BrittHawthorne) provides accessible language and tactics on how to (re)educate your children and yourself about racial identities, white supremacy and why BHM isn’t only about historical perspectives. Hawthorne provides support for free but welcomes donations of a few dollars for her work.
  • Meleko Mokgosi: Imaging Imaginations –  The Art Gallery of York University presents artist Meleko Mokgosi’s first solo exhibition in Canada. On view until June 10, this exhibition debuts a new body of paintings and prints by Mokgosi, who is well known for his imposing and vivid multi-panel paintings that feature hyper-realistic depictions of Black figures within narrative scenes.
  • White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack – This 1989 article by Peggy McIntosh is a seminal piece on recognizing white privilege. If you identify as white and it’s been a while since you’ve read it (or if you haven’t read it before), it’s an important message to revisit.
  • Toronto Black Film Festival – Running February 15–20, the Toronto Black Film Festival is a platform for Black artists to share their creative voices. Watch more than 125 films from 20 countries.
  • 32 Movies About Black History That Should Be On Your Must-Watch List

Celebrate the Beautiful Kaleidoscope of Afrofuturism

For the uninitiated, Afrofuturism is a fluid ideology shaped by generations of artists, musicians, scholars, and activists whose aim is to reconstruct “Blackness” in the culture. You’ve seen Afrofuturism represented in music and fashion (George Clinton and Janelle Monáe), in film (Black Panther and A Wrinkle in Time) and in literature (science-fiction writer Octavia E. Butler). Explore and celebrate further the beautiful kaleidoscope that is Afrofuturism through the below resources.

  • Afrofuturism Has Always Looked Forward – This Architectural Digest article explores Afrofuturism and provides “notes on the future” by asking, How can the ideology serve as a blueprint for cultural growth?
  • Meet Artist Quentin VerCetty – Montreal artist Quentin VerCetty is a multiple award-winning multidisciplinary storyteller, educator, and Afrofuturist. In this Carnegie Hall interview, they talk about their work as one of the world’s leading Afrofuturist artists.
  • Black is King – This film/visual album by Beyonce reimagines the lessons from The Lion King: The Gift for today’s youth in search of their own crowns. It is an Afrobeat-infused collection of musical vignettes that features many Afrofuturistic images.
  • Experience the music of AfrotroniX – AfrotroniX merges electronic music with African rhythms and electric Touareg blues. Created by the Chadian guitarist Caleb Rimtobaye, AfrotroniX live shows mix an electro DJ, live instruments, African urban dance performances and digital art. Listen to the music and watch the mesmerizing videos.
  • Afrofuturism Inspires – Carnegie Hall presented this citywide Afrofuturism festival in February and March 2022 and although the festival itself is over, you can still explore a myriad of carefully curated online resources on the ever-expansive aesthetic and practice of Afrofuturism.