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An audio clip of "(He Makes Me Feel) So Pretty" by Shirley Matthews. This song was one of her most popular songs. It also encapsulates what is regarded as the "Toronto Sound," which was gritty, had a high danceability, as well as being "Whiter" to…

Lillie Johnson was born in Jamaica in 1922, received training there and in the UK. She came to Canada in 1960, receiving a BScN from the University of Toronto. She became the first Black director of public health in Ontario. The picture shows her…

This advertisement invited Black Nova Scotians to relocate to Sierra Leone, offering them a new start and a chance to escape the systemic discrimination, poverty, and unmet promises that had made their lives in Canada so miserable. Many Black…

an excerpt from a diary detailing the events of the Shelbourne race riots

Dawn Tyler Watson is a Canadian born jazz and blues singer and 2020 Juno music award winner. She put on an amazing performance at the 2025 Festival International de Montreal de Jazz, delivering a captivating set and showing her vocal talent.…

The Pocket Squares performing at Function Bar + Kitchen In Toronto 2024. They host smaller artists and even have open mic nights every week for newer musicians to take to the stage and gain experience performing. These small yet inclusive and safe…

There were no documented Black owned jazz clubs in Toronto from 1920 to 1980 and musicians had limited places to play due to segregated clubs. The Rex was one of those non-segregated clubs but as mentioned, maintained a mainly white audience. Today,…

This is a picture of a few nurses working at the St. Michael’s Hospital. Judy Allen(in the middle), a Jamaican born nurse who came to the hospital in 1972 as a qualified Registered Nurse with hopes of new opportunities in Canada. She recalls her…