2023 Black History Month Research Panel

Opoku: My topic Writing Girls into African Histories: Female education in the Gold Coast and the Colonial Project makes a case for the relevance of girls as important historical actors whose education was used as a medium to entrench Western values and legitimize colonial rule. Using the Gold Coast as a case study, it demonstrated that although girls, by extension women, were restricted to some spheres in society, their roles were not unimportant to the vision of the colonial government.

Akande: To understand Nigeria, one must first comprehend its origins. In 1900, the British officially took over the administration of what is now known as Nigeria from the Niger Company, and British protectorates were gradually established throughout the territory over the years. The protectorates were merged into one Nigeria in 1914. This presentation went into greater depth about the capitalism that influenced the acquisition of Nigeria. The British government paid 865 000 pounds to take over the territories from the Niger company, a huge sum in 1900 to a company that had exploited the land's resources through unfair trade deals with the Kings and local chiefs of the territories now known as Nigeria. I contend that Nigeria was never intended to be a country that gained independence in 1960; rather, it was a business asset. As a result, the British did not travel halfway around the world to spread democracy, Christianity, or education; rather, Nigeria began as a business transaction between a company and a government. Today, the Niger company still exists under the name Unilever.

Desai: I presented on the interplay of archives, Blackness, and Canadian history in pianist Lou Hooper’s autobiography That Happy Road. He was a talented pianist and Oscar Peterson’s tutor; he worked with Rosa Henderson, Art Gillam, Monette Moore, Maggie Jones, and Ella Fitzgerald; and he lived next to Dr W.E.B. Du Bois in Harlem and remembered the mocking of Marcus Garvey’s United Negro Improvement Association parade. In spite of Hooper’s encounters with racism, That Happy Road illustrates his assertions of dignity. He seeks not only to be remembered for more than what was enacted upon him but to demonstrate all that he did.

Opoku: I began thinking around this topic after doing some research for my Master’s Research Paper. It was interesting to see that although girls (women) in the Gold Coast were limited, in terms of roles, they still wielded some level of influence that the colonial government recognized as useful to their cause. Whether or not girls have always used their roles in favour of the colonial vision is another idea to interrogate. It just seemed like there was so much to learn about the colonial state and processes by centering girls in historical studies.

Akande: The most important election in Nigeria's history took place in February. This is the era in which every Nigerian is aware of our leadership choices and has taken responsibility to vote in the upcoming election. The outcome of this election affected not only Nigeria, but the entire West African region, and thus the rest of the world because Nigeria's resources fuel many countries. It is important to comprehend Nigeria's history and how capitalism has severely impacted the country's economy as a result of the colonial administrative structures that the political elite still adhere to. This presentation hopes to inform Nigerians of the need to vote for actual leaders that would respect Nigeria as the country that it is and not as a business to be exploited for personal gains.

Desai: I began researching this topic in Dr Sean Mills’ graduate seminar on Canadian History, where he introduced me to Hooper’s autobiography. It surprised me. It awoke me. It invigorated my thinking. In my presentation, I sought to focus on Black multiplicity, rather than the idea of the “exceptional” Black Canadian. The “fabric” that made up Hooper’s life in the early- to mid-twentieth century moved far beyond racism and inequality –€“ there was baseball, the military, music, family, and community. All of these elements contribute to the richness of Black life today.

Opoku: My main goal is that my research would lead to a re-examination of some educational practices in present-day Ghana, especially in relation to girls. I recognize that educational policies, especially concerning girls’ education, are very different and have undergone changes but believe that there are others that need to be closely evaluated.

Akande: The colonial history of Nigeria and the Niger company has been omitted from the Nigerian curriculum, possibly to avoid the involvement of Nigeria's local rulers in colonialism. The colonial narrative promoted by Nigerian educators is only on the surface. It is appropriate to understand this origin from the perspectives of perpetrators and victims and to include this study from secondary levels, as this would help the average Nigerian make better political and economic decisions. Incorporating this research into the curriculum allows students to examine Nigeria through the history from above and from below perspectives. God bless Nigeria!

Desai: My work moves beyond the idea of the “exceptional” Black Canadian to show the different histories of Black Canadians, whether it be Hooper living in rooming houses with railway porters, playing shinny on a frozen pond, participating in baseball on an integrated recreational team, or confronting segregation in housing, the military, and entertainment establishments. Hooper’s autobiography alongside other primary sources recorded by Black Canadians should be included in the school curricula for students to learn that Black Canadian history is Canadian history –€“ not just an afterthought or an isolated individual. Lou Hooper’s autobiography in particular places him within the larger history of Canada across the twentieth century, which is how Black Canadian history should be integrated into all school curricula.

Desai: Reading That Happy Road has given me space to ask in what ways can my archival work be both political and restorative. I use “political” not just in the sense of approaching archiving practice as socially transformative or ensuring the archive is reflective of society’s diversity but also in the sense of an intervention in the traditional archive to bring diverse and otherwise marginalised histories to the forefront. I want to encourage everyone – historians and non-historians alike – to consider how they can bring marginalised perspectives into their research and actively support marginalised communities within and beyond this nation we call Canada.This presentation emerges from a chapter I wrote for Sean Mills, Eric Fillion, and Désirée Rochat’s Statesman of the Piano: Jazz, Race, and History in the Life of Lou Hooper (McGill-Queen’s University Press, [forthcoming –€“ Fall 2023]).