Diversity in Early Black Communities
Primary Documents
- The Alexander Story
- Mary Barnswell
- John Freemont Smith
- Matilda Alexander
- Hamilton Smith
- Lost Pictures
- Famous Ringo
The newspaper articles above are about Black citizens in the early days of the province. They have been copied into PDF files from microfiche at the BC Archives. The quality of the copies varies. Zoom in if you need to!
From the Royal BC Museum
Learn about Black citizens past and present who have long contributed to this place we now call BC.
Where to Begin Your Research
This guide is intended to help researchers locate material related to the Black community in British Columbia at the BC Archives. It is not meant to be a general research guide on the subject.
Outside Links
These links will take you away from the Learning Portal. Come back soon!
Visit the society website to explore stories, features, articles and more. Look for James Douglas, Joe Fortes, Mifflin Gibbs and Moses Rowe Smith. Learn about Alice Mũrage’s recent publication Worlds Within: Diverse Histories, Identities, and Experiences of Black People of African Ancestry in British Columbia.
Explore this Digital Museums Canada virtual exhibit in English or French.
An article from Library and Archives Canada about the remarkable John Freemont Smith. John Freemont Smith held many posts in local BC government, including alderman for Kamloops City Council, City Assessor, secretary of the Board of Trade, and Indian Agent. He was born in the Danish West Indies, known today as the US Virgin Islands.
Salt Spring Island has had a vibrant Black community since 1859. The Salt Spring Island Archives is a rich resource to explore that history. Read about John Craven Jones, the first Black teacher in the province, and Sylvia Stark, one of the first settlers. Her daughter Emma Stark, a student of Jones’, was the first Black teacher on Vancouver Island.
Special Edition 2024 of Kayak, Canada’s History Magazine for Kids.
Discover more about early Victoria musician and teacher, Selina Francis Smith. Using records from the BC Archives, Christeah D of the Vancouver Island Local History Society tells her story. Learn about Smith’s family, who moved to BC from Ontario in 1858, in the Look section of this pathway.