In this talk Dr Afua Cooper (Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia) will be sharing her research on African-Canadian history, with particular reference to the role of Afro-Canadians in the era of slavery and emancipation in the 18th and 19th century Black Atlantic. If time permits, she will also read from her book of poems, Copper Women, published in 2006.

The evening will begin with a short talk by Sean Creighton on ‘Connections between Black British and Black Canadian Histories’.

Dr Afua Cooper is a scholar, historian, poet and commentator on African Canadian culture. She gained her BA and PhD from the University of Toronto and her MA from the Ontario Institute of Education. Since 2011 she has held the James Robinson Johnston Chair in Black Studies at Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia. She is also the founder and chair of the Canadian Black Studies Association. She has conducted research on African-descended people and their culture across Canada, and internationally in Jamaica, France, the United States, Britain, Senegal and Ethiopia.

She is the author of a large number of books and articles on Afro-Canadian history and culture and black studies more generally including My Name is Phillis Wheatley: A Story of Slavery and Freedom (Toronto: Kids Can Press, 2009) and The Hanging of Angelique: The Untold Story of Slavery in Canada and the Burning of Old Montreal (Toronto: Harper Collins, 2006) which was a finalist for the Governor-General’s award for literature.

Sean Creighton is an independent historian who gained his BA at the University of Sheffield and now lives in London where he specialises in British black history, slavery and abolition and local history. He is the author of a number of books and articles including Politics and Culture: Paul Robeson in the UK (London: History and Social Action Publications, 2013)

Attendance is free of charge but registration is required. IMPORTANT NOTE on access to 51 Gordon Square: in order to secure a smooth delivery of the lecture and for ease of logistics, access may be restricted after the start of the event. We will endeavour to accommodate late arrivals within our possibilities, but an early arrival is recommended to avoid disappointment. By the same token, seating is strictly limited, so early registration is recommended.