Boxes of books by Black authors bring more representation to Victoria-area schools
Each box contains books by four Black authors, and rewards for students who read them
Curated boxes of books by Black authors are on offer to elementary school teachers in greater Victoria to mark Black History Month.
It's a project from the African Art & Cultural Community Contributor Inc. (AACCCS), a Victoria-based community group focused on promoting Black culture in B.C.
Each box contains five copies of four different books, as well as rewards for each student who reads a book.
The rewards are colourful buttons, featuring the faces of different Black figures in history — including Mifflin Gibbs, who was elected to city council in 1866.
There are different boxes for different age groups.
Pulchérie Mboussi, founder and executive director of AACCCS, says the project stems from a needs assessment the group did a few years ago.
One of the concerns they heard was about a lack of representation in education.
She says they knew making changes within the curriculum would be tough, so they started thinking about what they could do on a smaller scale.
"A school system is a system. So things have to go to everywhere before they got approved," said Mboussi. "We were like okay, what can we do? Us?"
The idea was a hit: of the six boxes they have made, all have been claimed by teachers. But the AACCCS has started a waitlist and are hoping to recirculate the books as classrooms finish and return them.
Sarah Baidoo signed up to take a box for her son's class.
Her eldest, in third grade, recently faced racism in the classroom. She said that set her on a mission to see what school districts are doing, and what she can do herself. She said better representation in classrooms — including in books — is one simple step to take.
"I have three beautiful boys and I'd just love to see them represented," said Baidoo.
Fatoumata Bouaré is taking steps to make sure her daughter is represented — by writing her own book.
Her picture book, Princess Jamila and the Kingdom of Dreams, is featured in the boxes.
She says it's her dream to make sure her daughter "sees herself in the book not only as a character, but as a main character, and that allows her to grow up to be confident, beautiful in her skin and appreciate who she is as a person."
Bouaré said she was thrilled when she learned her book would be included in the boxes, and said the project is a small step towards closing the representation gap in schools.
For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.