Black on the Prairies: A CBC project

What does it mean to be Black in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba? The Prairies, like the rest of the country, were gripped by the rallying cry of “Black Lives Matter.” That conversation revealed a mutual desire to share the fullness of Black life on the Prairies. These stories are vital and urgent, especially during what the United Nations has labelled the International Decade for People of African Descent.This project does not position the Prairies as Black ancestral territory or homelands. To be Black on the Prairies is to be part of a colonial legacy that begins on the ancestral lands of the First Nations and Métis people of this region. We aim to recognize Black and Indigenous peoples’ shared histories and affirm our ongoing relationships. Through five themes — Migration, Putting in Work, Black and Indigenous Relations, Politics and Resistance, and Black to the Future — this project places Black people’s experiences at the centre of the Prairie narrative.