From cemetery tours to keynote speakers, there is something for everyone this Black History Month
Photo via BC Black History Awareness Society.
February is Black History Month, and 2026 marks the 30th anniversary of its celebration in Canada. This year, you can learn more about Black history and culture in Victoria and beyond with these five events.
Black Hair Salon: The Story of Our Crowns
Moderated and facilitated by Assetou Coulibaly, “Black Hair Salon: The Story of Our Crowns” is a panel bringing together Black women with diverse expertise, histories, and lived experiences to explore hair, identity, and legacy.
According to the event website, this panel “will reflect on hair as a site of growth and transformation, a vessel of legacy passed through generations, and a space where hard truths (such as hair loss, alopecia, and medical realities) are often carried quietly.”
Panellists include Kerice Richards, Yolande Johnston, and Katie Brynjolfson. This event takes place on Friday, Feb. 20, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Royal BC Museum. Tickets are available online for $25.
Guided Black History Cemetery Tour
Join the BC Black History Awareness Society and the Old Cemeteries Society of Victoria to learn about the over 50 Black pioneers and their descendants buried in the Ross Bay Cemetery. This guided tour takes visitors to the graves of these Black pioneers and other people connected to the migration of Black people to the former British colony. Tickets are available for $5 at the start of the tour, which will take place on Sunday, Feb. 22, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Between Weight and Witness: An In-Conversation Event with Junie Desil and Shane Book
On Wednesday, Feb. 25, Word Vancouver is welcoming acclaimed poet and UVic writing professor Shane Book in conversation with author and current UVic writing graduate student Junie Désil.
Book and Désil will discuss their writing practices, explore the intersections of and connections between art and activism, and “what it means to tell Black stories in the current moment.”
Following their discussion, the event invites audience members to engage with the authors in a Q&A. This free online event will be held on Zoom from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
BC Black History Awareness Society Keynote
On Friday, Feb. 27, BC Black History Awareness Society welcomes author and writing graduate student Junie Désil in conversation with author and UVic writing professor Wayde Compton. Hosted by Compton, the evening will begin with a chat with the author, followed by a book reading, audience Q&A, and book signing.
The event will also feature an acoustic performance by musician Caleb Hart. It is free and open to the public, but registration in advance is required.
Black History Month Closing Gala
To celebrate Black History Month, the African Arts & Culture Community Contributor Society ISSAMBA Centre is hosting a closing dinner with authentic African and Caribbean dishes to honour the achievements and contributions of Black leaders, artists, and community builders working across Canada. The event will also feature a performance by two internationally acclaimed musicians, Senny Camara and Zal Sissokho.
The organizers describe the performance as “a living dialogue between past and present, honouring griot traditions, celebrating heritage, and carrying forward the power of African storytelling through sound.” Tickets for the dinner and concert are $70, but there is also the option to attend just the musical performance for $35.
Black Pioneers on the Saanich Peninsula
Until Feb. 28, visit the Sidney Museum to view their display in partnership with BC Black History Awareness Society and learn about the Black pioneers who resided in Sidney, the Saanich Peninsula, and Salt Spring Island. The display centres Jennie (née Anderson) and Frederick Clanton, descendants of early Black pioneers. The couple lived in Sidney in the early 1900s, where they raised eight children and were active members of their community.
1858: Black Routes, Black Roots
Curious about the early immigration of Black peoples to BC? The Maritime Museum of British Columbia has created a special exhibition in partnership with BC Black History Awareness Society to share the stories of the first Black immigrants to come to Vancouver Island in 1858. Visitors can learn about the journey of the “Pioneer Committee” from San Francisco on the steamship Commodore through to their lasting legacy on Vancouver Island. This exhibition is on until April 25, 2026, and students receive a discounted admission of $8.
