What are the similarities or differences, existing in one of the most iconic Canadian cities? These are some of the questions that Black Diasporas Tkaronto-Toronto an exhibit by the Museum of Toronto in partnership with AfrOURban, tackles. 

Black Diasporas Tkaronto-Toronto presents films and archives told and created by over 100 Black Canadians. More than 500 personal narratives document the rich histories that have shaped the spaces and places of contemporary Toronto. 

The unique histories shared in the exhibit showcase how Toronto has been shaped by the arrival of different peoples to different neighbourhoods and how the values, ideas and strengths of many people have been paramount in creating the city we live in today. 

Davin Henson, Director of Digital Programming & Production and Bria Dietrich, Associate Curator, Public Programs & Learning co-curated the exhibit with five themes: courage, movement, building, relationships and faith. 

Henson shares that many participants’ stories were not initially shared as moments of courage but were easily reframed as such. “[The exhibit] really shines a light on stories that the storytellers themselves might not even appreciate the courage of what they're saying, right?” 

A video of a Black Muslim Canadian plays on a vintage television in the exhibit where he talks about the range of mosques in the city and how they’ve been growing as a space. He describes how some mosques near him are only second floor units in other buildings, and not even their own proper building. A program called ‘Brothers Belong’, was built out of the need for community within the Muslim space. This group cleans the carpets, keeps the books in order, and fosters a sense of belonging. 

Canadian musician Gary Beals is also featured in the exhibit. A short film on his story touches on language that can come from diaspora communities. Beals reflects on the word ‘Scotian’ and how, as a Black man from Nova Scotia, it's interesting how that word has become specific to Black Scotians and not used for his white counterparts. In the film he reminds viewers that Black Scotians “were here long before the country was even founded!” He also touches on having moved to Toronto from Nova Scotia. He now lives in Regent Park, and while he doesn’t feel the areas are similar, he loves Regent Park because there is a sense of community and farmers markets, which remind him of home. But he also points out how the area has been gentrified and lacks Black-owned businesses. 

A film by Ayo Tsalithaba is featured in the exhibit, describing the process of trying to get permanent residency as an ‘extreme sport’. One of the voices highlighted in the film reflects on times of ‘migration regret’ and feeling “set up to fail” through the requirements of the point system. They wonder out loud if immigration is just about paying fees, then giving up and going back home. 

Filmmaker Aisha Fairclough, best known as a television producer with 15 years’ experience made a film based on a compilation of stories. Speakers in the film share that archives change the way people see Black people, the way we see ourselves within community and the best way to access history. By reminding viewers that Black people are more than the oppression they face, the archivists share that they feel the archives preserve Black joy. 

Another film shows the painful side of archives and memory, including a person born to a Jamaican mother and Ghanaian father. But when their dad died, they buried that heritage, and leaned more into their mom’s Jamaican culture. The grief was just too much, on top of the shame of not being able to speak their father’s language, Twi. But they also describe a beautiful full circle moment of buying saltfish from a store run by a Ghanaian man who knew their father - a perfect description of the realities of having mixed heritage.

On a lighter note, one diasporic dilemma described is the argument over the origin of Jollof Rice, which one storyteller claims originated in Senegal!

Dietrich says the key takeaway of this exhibit is that all people of Toronto due to diaspora are “all tied together in our eclecticism and our connection to other places”. 

Similarly, Henson adds that this nuance keeps Toronto young. “Toronto's such a young city. It's always in flux. For example, the way we speak, the cultural fabric here, events like Carabana - often people don't appreciate the context of where these nuances came from, or being able to see how those contributions have helped to create or contribute to the flavour.”

The exhibit runs until February 22nd, 2025.

All films and soundbites can be viewed online here: https://www.blackdiasporas.com/