The grand opening of a pocket gallery, called Hope Meets Action: Echoes Through the Black Continuum took place at the Royal B.C. Museum in partnership with BC Black History Awareness Society on Aug. 14.
The showcase, which will be available for viewing until March 2022, was curated and written by Josh Robertson and designed by graphic artist Rodney Hazard.
“Because Black history has been erased from colonial history records, curation involved digging, finding, and reaching out to the community to get these untold stories and incredible contributions from Black Canadians,” said Robertson in an interview. “It also illustrates a history that has been alienated from our educational systems.”
The artful showcase highlights the contributions of Black leaders throughout history as societies work toward decolonization through diverse art pieces, both visual and auditory.
ALSO READ: New Royal BC Museum pocket gallery exhibition reclaims BC Black history
“The way that the colours and shapes came about is why I was studying a map of the Indigenous territories in B.C., so these are loose interpretations of those maps – tying together the BIPOC community to bring all stories forward,” Hazard said.
The exhibition was also created to tell stories of Black women like Sylvia Stark, a woman born to enslavement in Missouri who later played a vital role in the Black pioneer community on Salt Spring Island.
Also to be found at the exhibit are audio recordings of Black British Columbians who called in from all over the province to share their stories.
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