It is unbelievable how many excellent children’s books that relate to Black Canadian history. For those that are unsure, Mathieu Da Costa was the first person of African descent to arrive in Canada. As far back as 1605, Da Costa arrived in Canada working as a translator for European colonialist like Samuel de Champlain. The Canadian government (no because of lobbying by members of the African Canadian communities) has recently taken an interest in Da Costa organizing a yearly contest. Having gone to school in Scarborough as a youth I had never heard of Da Costa, I was a grown man before I became aware of his historical importance. Check out this short film called Ghost of Da Costa, it really helps fill in the missing pieces of our history. Wish this was made 20 years ago…
