Sport for Life honours Black History Month

Black History Month is an annual opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments of Black Canadian participants in sport and physical activity, and to learn about their impact on Canadian culture. From Barbara Howard becoming the first Black female to represent Canada at an international competition in 1938 to Donovan Bailey winning the gold medal at the 1996 Olympics, these larger-than-life characters are an inspiring part of Canada’s legacy.

Here are some links to learn more about Black Canadian participants throughout history:

• Black Canadian Athletes | The Canadian Encyclopedia
• 10 Black Canadian athletes who made history | CBC
• Black athletes who made Olympic sport history in Canada – Official Olympic Team 

At Sport for Life, we’re committed to creating a quality sport and physical literacy ecosystem that is racism- and discrimination-free. We strive to create a welcoming and inclusive environment  for Black Canadian participants, and implementing a Long-Term Development in Sport and Physical Activity framework will help ensure everyone gets an opportunity to both participate and excel. 

Here are some resources, in no particular order,  that can support  learning and unlearning more about the role of physical literacy in the lives of Black Canadians and the importance of eradicating systemic racism as we work our way towards a more inclusive sport system and society. 

• Social determinants and inequities in health for Black Canadians: A Snapshot – Canada.ca
• Black History Month Resources: Approaches, Identities, Histories, Legacies & Inclusion (facinghistory.org)
• Anti-Racism Resources | AthletesCAN
• The Sporting Experiences of BIPOC Women & Girls in Canada | Canadian Women & Sport (womenandsport.ca)
• Team Canada Athletes Raise their Voices Against Racism – Team Canada – Official Olympic Team Website
• Webinar: Actionable ways to address anti-Black racism & police violence through public health practice | National Collaborating Centre for Determinants of Health (nccdh.ca)
• https://www.mlsefoundation.org/how-we-give/research

In the spirit of Kaizen, Sport for Life works toward learning and unlearning about Black Canadian history and systemic racism in this country. The resources and articles above are a small collection of the valuable information and work being done by so many to help offer insight, perspective and education in this space.