Skip to main content

Our Projects Aim To Propel Change

At Black Legacy Collective, research is central to preserving Black histories, amplifying voices, and shaping inclusive futures. Our projects document lived experiences, uncover overlooked histories, and provide resources for youth, Institutions, communities, educators, and policymakers.

Current Projects

Voices From the Past, Echoes of the Future: Black History Across Canada

$250,000

National Histories Initiative

Through Digital Museums Canada, in partnership with Capital Heritage Connexion, BLC is collecting and preserving stories from Black Elders and cultural leaders to strengthen intergenerational knowledge and community resilience. This work will strengthen cultural memory, and community involvement in their own histories.

Impact

This project aims to ensure that the wisdom, struggles, and achievements of Black peoples across Canada are celebrated, remembered, and passed down, helping to shape a richer and more inclusive national narrative.

👉🏾 [Learn More]

Digital Archival Preservation

$25,000

Digital Archives Initiative

BLC’s archival initiative is designed to preserve and share Black histories in accessible ways. By gathering oral histories, photographs, documents, and cultural artifacts, we are creating a living archive that ensures these stories are widely available to communities, educators, and future generations.

Impact

This initiative will ensure Black peoples histories in Canada – often overlooked or fragmented in traditional archives – will be preserved and celebrated in an accessible space. By digitizing cultural memory, BLC ensures these legacies remain available to inspire dialogue, research, and cultural pride across Canada and beyond.

Previous Projects

Emancipation Day Event

In 2024, BLC partnered with the St. Lawrence Parks Commission to organize the first-ever Emancipation Day celebration at Upper Canada Village (UCV). This landmark event brought together Black vendors, artists, and cultural workers, creating a vibrant marketplace of food, crafts, and storytelling. It marked a historic step in acknowledging the significance of Emancipation Day within this national heritage site.

Goals

  • Celebrate Emancipation Day with a focus on Black culture, history, and contributions
  • Showcase the new Black History Exhibition at UCV which highlights locals from the 1800s
  • Provide opportunities for Black vendors and entrepreneurs to showcase their work
  • Build community connections by welcoming participants from towns across the region
  • Strengthen partnerships between heritage institutions and Black-led organizations

Impact

The celebration not only honoured the resilience and contributions of Black people in Canada but also fostered economic opportunities for local Black vendors. It brought together community members from across Ontario, affirming the importance of Emancipation Day as a time for remembrance, celebration, and collective joy. This event set the foundation for future annual celebrations, ensuring that Emancipation Day continues to grow in recognition and impact.

Be Social With Us

Land Acknowledgement

Black Legacy Collective recognizes and acknowledges with gratitude the sacred land on which our main office is situated as the traditional and unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishnaabeq Nation. We are cognizant that Canadian contemporary society, beneath a veil of “equality” and “reconciliation”, maintains the long-held colonial tactic to dispossess our Indigenous friends of their traditional lands and livelihoods. We stand in solidarity with these lands’ original peoples. We acknowledge the continued presence and vibrance of these Nations as well as the growing, thriving communities of urban Indigenous peoples. We remain committed to learning how to be better neighbours. A portion of our annual proceeds is donated to Indigenous led causes.

Close Menu