February is Black History Month (BHM), and there are many Black Canadians who have played a role in Canadian heritage. We focus a spotlight on February, but the conversation lasts all year. The history is rich, diverse, and overflowing with strength. We are sharing snippets to pique your desire to investigate and learn more. Although BHM began in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom also observe. I won’t tell you the theme, it is one of the quiz questions. Oh there’s a quiz. You’ll have to do the research.

This is our first time covering this topic. We are going to go slow and walk with one of our Directors, Roweena Bacchus, as we move through the process of learning our boundaries as an arts council. Our goal is awareness. Content is not exclusive to art, as history is not exclusive to art and interesting people are, well, interesting and we know Gabriolans love interesting.

We put together a quiz. It is not a contest, but we encourage you to take it for a spin. 10/10 would be fantastic, but we hope you know 5 of the answers. If you don’t, maybe take a break from Netflix to do some homework. We’re learning together and hope you’ll join us.

Check the Sounder for the balance of the month for a small look into Black History. Activists, politicians, poets, photographers. The history is rich and we only scratch the surface.

We’d love your feedback. Email us at info@artsgabriola.ca.

Here is the Quiz:

1.) When did the celebration of Black History Month begin?

1. 1963
2. 1923
3. 1926
4. 1957

2.) Which President officially recognized Black History Month?

1. President Gerald Ford
2. President Jimmy Carter
3. President Richard Nixon
4. President Ronald Reagan

3.) What is the 2023 Black History Month theme?

1. Black Resistance
2. The Black Family: Source of Perseverance and Resilience
3. February and Forever: Celebrating Black History today and every day
4. Canadians of African Descent: Going forward, guided by the past

4.) When did Rosa Parks’ bus boycott happen?

1. September 1955
2. January 1958
3. December 1955
4. November 1955

5.) When did Martin Luther King Jr. give his “I Have A Dream Speech”?

1. Sept. 9, 1965
2. Jan. 19, 1963
3. Dec. 21, 1962
4. Aug. 28, 1963

6.) What organization formed Feb. 12, 1909?

1. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
2. The National African American Leadership Summit
3. National Black Chamber of Commerce
4. National Black Women’s Justice Institute

7.) Who wrote the bestselling memoir “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”?

1. Coretta Scott King
2. Alice Walker
3. Maya Angelou
4. Michelle Obama

8.) Before Barack Obama became President (2009-2017), he served as what?

1. Mayor of Chicago
2. U.S. Senator
3. U.S. House of Representative
4. Governor of Illinois

9.) Who was the first African American Major League Baseball player?

1. Ernie Banks
2. Jackie Robinson
3. Larry Doby
4. Frank Robinson

10.) Who was the first African American Nobel Peace Prize winner?

1. Nelson Mandela
2. Ralph Bunche
3. Desmond Tutu
4. Wangari Maathai

Answers BACKWARDS: B, B, B, C, A, D, C, A, A, C