MontréaLisons: Rito Josep’s top-four reads
Rito Joseph tries to promote greater knowledge about the history of Montréal’s black communities through his work as a conference speaker and guide. He recommends four works that encourage dialogue on the fight against racism and discrimination.
Rito Joseph’s four must-reads
Le Grain de Sable, by Webster (texte) and ValMo (illustrations)
Éditions du Septentrion, 2019
This illustrated album introduces the reader to Olivier Le Jeune, the first person of African descent to be enslaved in Quebec, but also the first black person to receive an education and face the judicial system in the province. I recommend this outstanding book to children and adults.
La pendaison d’Angélique : l'histoire de l'esclavage au Canada et de l'incendie de Montréal, by Afua Cooper
Éditions de l’Homme, 2007
This book by historian Afua Cooper tells the story of an Afrodescendent from Madeira, Portugal, who finds herself living in servitude in Montréal. Accused of committing arson in Montréal in 1734, she was sentenced to death and executed on the public square.
Fear of a Black Nation : Race, Sex and Security in Sixties Montreal, by David Austin
Éditions Between the lines, 2013
Also available in French under the title Nègres noirs, nègres blancs : race, sexe et politique dans les années 1960 à Montréal, par David Austin, Éditions Lux, 2015
This book tells the story of Montréal’s black communities in the 1960s, explaining how the anti-imperialist, anti-racist and anti-colonialist movements started by Afro-Montrealers played a part in the rise of Quebec nationalist movements.
Les Noirs à Montréal, 1628-1986 : essai de démographie urbaine, by Dorothy Williams
VLB éditeur, 1998
This book traces the demographic development of Montréal’s black community. Gaining an overall understanding of who we are requires that we learn more about the historical evolution of Afro-descendent communities in Montréal, Québec and the rest of Canada.
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