The objective of the contest was to write a three-page essay on key individuals or contributors to Halton Black History, in addition to crafting a short reflection piece.
“It is such an immense privilege to be able to share first place in the Halton Black History Awareness Society essay contest,” Carter says. “I also look forward to reading everyone else’s essays to see their unique approaches and the areas of Halton Black History they focused on in their presentations.”
Through his essay submission, Carter says he took a critical look at how black history influences the world that we live in today. He focused on the founding of Oakville, its significance in the Underground Railroad and how freed slaves and Black Canadians contributed to the economic and social development of Oakville.
“Specifically, I wanted to look at how Black history and culture helped Oakville grow into the thriving municipality it is today,” he says.
Carter credits his International Baccalaureate History teacher for encouragement.
“We have plenty of inquiry-based assignments in our class, but they tend to focus on well documented and well-known events in history. This relatively unexplored part of local history interested me. I am extremely proud of what I managed to find throughout my research and think I contributed to the documentation of both Halton Black History and the history of Oakville.”
Carter says he hopes people who read his essay will learn the importance of studying and
documenting Black history.
“It is such a large area of history that encompasses much of how the world we live in is shaped today. I hope my essay sparks interest from both students and adults to learn more about not only Black history but their local history.”
Dr. Dennis Scott, Chair of the HBHAS, says the essay submissions were very impressive.
“It is exceptional when, especially our youth, appreciate our diverse cultures and Canadian history,” he says. ”We’ve found this encourages individuals to grow and gain confidence in their own histories and genealogies as well as our exquisite Halton community ‒ and the biggest value is self-appreciation and esteem.”
A gala will be held on July 29 in Burlington to recognize the winners. Students will be awarded a small bursary and a signed award by Lawrence Hill, an Order of Canada recipient and acclaimed author.
