HISB22H3: Histories of Black Feminism Canada: From ‘Runaway Slaves’ to #BlackLivesMatter

This introductory survey course connects the rich histories of Black radical women’s acts, deeds, and words in Canada. It traces the lives and political thought of Black women and gender-non-conforming people who refused and fled enslavement, took part in individual and collective struggles against segregated labour, education, and immigration practices; providing a historical context for the emergence of the contemporary queer-led #BlackLivesMatter movement. Students will be introduced, through histories of activism, resistance, and refusal, to multiple concepts and currents in Black feminist studies. This includes, for example, theories of power, race, and gender, transnational/diasporic Black feminisms, Black-Indigenous solidarities, abolition and decolonization. Students will participate in experiential learning and engage an interdisciplinary array of key texts and readings including primary and secondary sources, oral histories, and online archives.


Same as WSTB22H3
Canadian Area


1.0 credit at the A-level in any Humanities or Social Science courses
WSTB22H3, WGS340H5
History, Philosophy and Cultural Studies
University-Based Experience