The ADSBC exists to promote arts and cultural awareness and to celebrate the unique heritage and artistic expressions of the African descent community in Canada. Part of our mission is to tell who we were, who we are and who we can become, through an active exploration of our heritage. The history of people of African descent in Canada has the history of heart wrenching in struggle for survival, but also the history of hope and promise. But this history has been marginalised at the best or treated as footnotes to Canadian history. African Descent Festival and parade works to turn adversity to opportunity by bringing diverse communities together to learn and celebrate this history.
Geographically, the ADSBC rooted in Vancouver and Lower Mainland but our mandate and programs extend to the whole of British Columbia. In order to implement our mandate, ADSBC is actively involved in many community heritage community building initiatives, programs and activities (in addition to the annual African Descent Festival).
According to Statistics Canada, in 2011, there were 955,202 citizens that identify themselves as people of African Descent. Out of this number, 707,000 live in Alberta and 47,000 live in British Columbia, two communities to whom that the ADSBC specifically reaches out. In Vancouver, people of African Descent number over 25,000 thousand. People of African Descent arrived in Canada back in 17th Century, and they arrived in BC in 1859 (under the invitation of Sir Douglas who was also a mixed racial of African Descent), yet their history is considered a footnote into Canada. People of African Descent arrived in Vancouver back in 1880’s where they later settled in Hogan’s Alley and the Strathcona area. The African Descent Festival is rooted in this important part of Vancouver’s history — with a goal to bring together Canadians of different communities to better understand and appreciated our unique contribution, in particular to Vancouver and BC.
Our African Descent Heritage and Black Strathcona walking tours are a very popular program, supported by Vancouver Heritage Foundation, United Empire Loyalists of Canada Vancouver, Vancouver Moving Theatre, Playwright Theatre and many others.
ADSBC also seeks to foster tolerance for, promotion of, as well as the preservation of the varieties of African Descent cultures, customs, values, arts, heritage, and ways of life within Canada. We have, in recent years, advocated for activating and acquiring arts and cultural space in Vancouver (an African Descent Cultural Centre – ADCCV) that will serve as a legacy for people of African Descent community in Vancouver. Our long term goal is to acquire a state-of-the-art cultural heritage centre that will meet the needs of people of African Descent in BC.
ADSBC also organizes Black History Month programs and activities in a variety communities in BC each February in collaboration with variety of BC Schools, community organisations and colleges and universities.
ADSBC was also responsible for the restoration and re-opening of Vancouver’s African Fountain Chapel, a former African Descent Church located Jackson and Prior St, founded by Norah Hendrix and Black women in 1918 (subsequently abandoned as a result of the construction of Georgia Viaduct and since then now operating in a temporary Church in Downtown East Side). From this location, ADSBC organizes and offers our African Descent Youth Engagement program for poetry, storytelling and dancing. This well-received community program brings together youth immigrants and refugees, to engage in public and cultural social policies as well as Arts and cultural dance presentations.
ADSBC has created the only African Descent Heritage Traveling Exhibition (showcasing the heritage of people of African descent), that is regularly shown in various parts of community and at social events.
We also offer the ADSBC African food community engagement program, in collaboration with the Vancouver Parks Board and Vancouver sustainable food movement — which works to create a food Kitchen for promoting African Descent food movement. This has been a wonderfully successful project with a new space dedicated for cooking and dancing programs for wider community.
ADSBC is also active in the promotion of the UN’s “International Decade for People of African Descent” program (http://www.un.org/en/events/africandescentdecade/). ADSBC is collaborating with the United Nations Public Affairs in New York USA and United Nations Human Rights Commission in Geneva Switzerland, by distributing special UN promotional/educational materials, as well as hosting speakers coming to Vancouver to speak and promote the Decade.
Currently, ADSBC operates from a space assisted by Playwright Theatre Centre in Vancouver, that we use as a case to carry all of our programs. It includes: office space; a board room; a studio space for performing arts, music and dance drumming workshops and performances; and a kitchen for the African Descent Food Movement program.