Special Issue of the Canadian Journal of History/Annales canadiennes d’histoire
Guest Editor Dr. Cheryl Thompson, Ryerson University
In recent years, Black Canadian creativity has received unprecedented levels of domestic and international recognition. Black writers have won national awards in the literary arts; Black musicians are, today, globally recognized across multiple genres; Black-centred theatre, film and television have captured the unique experiences of Black communities across the country, and large-scale visual arts and performance exhibits have centred Black Canadian narratives across space and time. Yet histories of Black Canadian creativity remain largely invisible and erased from the historical record. In a 2020 Policy Options article, human-rights lawyer and policy consultant Anthony Morgan also pointed to the cascading volume of Black creative programming during Black History Month, but outside of February, he argued, “consistent and prominent displays of Black creative talent and artistic direction are exceedingly rare in Canada.”
Taking into account contemporary triumphs while extending Morgan’s argument, this thematic issue of the Canadian Journal of History/Annales canadiennes d’histoire aims to widen the scope of the Black Canadian experience by examining histories of Black creativity—peoples, projects, and productions. In addition to documenting Black Canadians’ contributions to creative fields, this issue asks: What stories of Black creativity have yet to be told and how do these narratives give life to, and amplify the voices of, Black Canadian creatives—artistically, socially, and politically? Additionally, what creative peoples and/or productions have engaged with questions of space and place? While the CJH/ACH is an academic history journal, we welcome abstracts by those working in creative fields.
For this thematic issue of CJH/ACH, we invite proposals for articles on topics such as:
- histories of Black creative culture(s) in cities, towns, or regional communities;
- archival discussions of the material and visual culture of Black Canadians in the literary arts, visual arts, performance, dance, theatre, or music;
- critical biographies of Black journalists, or film and/or television creatives;
- theoretical or methodological discussions on space and place, and Black expressive culture(s);
- case studies exploring the relationship between Black arts/culture and narratives of belonging and dis-belonging;
- Black LGBTQ2S+ histories of performance, production, and self-expression;
- the “forgotten” histories of Black Canadian creativity before the 1990s, which scholars have generally overlooked in favour of more recent cultural productions;
- examination of Canadian arts and cultural policy (local, provincial, or federal) and the challenges and opportunities facing Black creative talents and artistic productions.
Those interested should send a brief CV and an abstract of 300 words by September 15, 2020 to cjh@utpress.utoronto.ca. Invited authors will be notified in October 2020 and asked to submit a full 10,000-word article by February 15, 2021. Manuscripts for consideration will undergo double-blind peer review, with authors notified about publication decisions in May, and accepted papers appearing in the Winter 2021 (November/December) edition of CJH/ACH.