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Black Women In Canada Case Study

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The rich histories of Black communities in British North America are often overlooked in Canadian history. A close study of Black communities in British North America would lead to an in depth understanding of Black Canadians’ identities and their lives in Canada. Between 1830s and 1850s, there is a noticeable settlement of Blacks to the north. During mid-19th century, the hope for a new beginning in Canada without prejudice and marginalization promoted the world north of America as a shelter for the oppressed. Although they were not enslaved, the reality of this new world dismayed many. Black communities were confronted with the challenges between the dominant gender ideal and reality in British North America. In pursuance of a critical approach …show more content…

If employment was proven to be a failure in competition with other Canadians, then self-operated small businesses seemed a way out for success. For instance, “Mrs.Duval [of Collingwood, Ontario] ran a dressmaking shop out of her home” in which helped build family fortunes, establishing social and financial prominence in the community. The case of Mrs. Duval revealed that Black Canadian women met the challenge of gender restriction with optimism. Even though Black women were disadvantaged in the employment sector, they nevertheless believed that “this was a haven for escaped slaves. Slaves came here and made a life for themselves.” Despite the fact that these women are limited in employment opportunities, it seemed hopeful to some that advancement was …show more content…

The opposition between the hope for equality, the reality for Black women, and the Canadian society’s “dominant notions of ‘true womanhood’” through “the nurturance of a moral home” collided with Black women’s active participation in their community and formations of various organizations. It was a challenging process to mediate in between when these organizations and education were not funded and supported by the Canadian government. For instance, being marginalized by their community, Black women “were assigned with the task of raising money for their churches and schools, and clothing impoverished members of their community.” Not surprisingly, their active engagement publicly in their community was also frowned upon as it failed to meet the expectations of “true” womanhood. In the Red River Colony, there are some representations of Black women’s mimicry of middle class white women because of the “restrained sexuality as a category for social and cultural inclusion or exclusion, [in which] emerged as a form of social engineering fought around who could pass for White.” This disclosed Black women’s struggle to achieve the ideal of White Canadians when also in maintenance of their own distinctive identity. The daunting task to cope with society’s discrimination and at the same time,

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