TLDR;
This video features a discussion about the "Black Diasporas Tkaronto-Toronto" exhibit at the Museum of Toronto. The exhibit showcases an oral archive of over 500 stories from 100 Black Canadians, exploring themes of courage, faith, community building, and racial discrimination. The exhibit uses a world map where visitors can pin their birthplaces, homes, and global ties, and includes short films based on the archived stories. The goal is to provide a platform for Black voices to share their experiences and to highlight the diverse contributions of Black communities to Toronto's identity.
- The exhibit features over 400 stories from the Black Diaspora across the GTA, curated along 5 themes and including films.
- The process of gathering the archives involved selecting 25 interviewers representing diverse Black communities across Toronto, who then nominated two people to interview.
- The exhibit focuses on oral storytelling to allow Black voices to tell their own stories, addressing themes like racial discrimination and community building.
Exhibit Origin and Content [0:30]
In late 2023, Afro urban approached the Museum of Toronto to develop an archive of stories representing the Black Diaspora in the greater Toronto area. The resulting exhibition includes over 400 stories from across the GTA, curated around five themes and incorporating films to create a dynamic experience. Visitors are greeted with a world map where they can mark their birthplaces, current homes, and global connections using different colored pins. The Caribbean is heavily represented on the map, along with Africa, Russia, and Greenland, reflecting the diverse origins of Toronto's Black communities.
Gathering the Archives [1:58]
The process of gathering the archives began with the selection of 25 interviewers who represented the diverse Black communities across Toronto. These interviewers were tasked with nominating two people from the community to interview, with a focus on ensuring a wide representation of age, location, occupation, and sex. This approach aimed to capture a broad range of perspectives. From these nominations, 50 interviews were conducted, each lasting 19 minutes and focusing on significant spaces and moments in the interviewees' lives. Eight to ten stories were then identified from each interview to form the foundation of the archive. Ten filmmakers were invited to engage with the archive, select stories that resonated with them, and create short films based on these narratives.
Focus on Oral Storytelling [4:15]
The exhibit emphasizes oral storytelling to ensure that Black voices are heard directly, sharing their own experiences. One audio clip highlights the story of an entrepreneur who had to conceal that her business was Black-owned due to racial discrimination. This focus on oral narratives allows for a deeper understanding of personal experiences and historical contexts. The stories are categorized into five thematic sections: courage, faith, building, movement, and relationships. Recurring themes include community building, particularly in relation to the Black Diaspora, and experiences of racial discrimination.
Ensuring Representation and Selecting Films [4:53]
To ensure representation, the selection process for interviewers and interviewees prioritized factors such as age, location, and occupation. This approach aimed to capture a wide range of experiences within Toronto's Black communities. The selection of the 12 short films involved inviting filmmakers with diverse backgrounds and experience levels, from seasoned professionals to multidisciplinary artists. These filmmakers created a range of films, including AI-generated pieces, documentaries, and animated works, all based on stories from the archive.
Impact and Relatability of the Stories [8:52]
Many stories in the archive are relatable to anyone living in Toronto, while others highlight experiences unique to Black individuals. This balance is crucial for providing a comprehensive view of Black life in the city. The exhibit takes seriously the responsibility of sharing these personal stories and ensures that they are portrayed in a way that honors the narrators' experiences. Participants in the stories and filmmakers were consulted to confirm that the final products accurately represented their narratives.
Personal Connections and Future of the Archive [12:05]
The creators of the exhibit found personal connections to the stories, recognizing elements of their own families and experiences. The exhibit highlights the long history of Black communities in Toronto, dating back hundreds of years, and emphasizes the importance of these stories as integral parts of the city's history. One favorite story involves Rosemary, whose family's roots in Canada trace back to Black loyalists in the 1700s, illustrating the deep historical presence of Black people in the region. Another highlight is the film "Third Class Citizen," which uses music and pacing to enhance a story about the challenges of navigating the immigration system. The archive will be accessible online through a geolocated map, ensuring that these stories and films can be accessed indefinitely. The goal is to contribute to the Museum of Toronto's mission of creating and sharing digital stories about the city, making them accessible to all.
