The Coloured Women's Club of Montreal, 1902-1940: African-Canadian Women Confronting Anti-Black Racism

Type of resource
Authors/collaborators
Title
The Coloured Women's Club of Montreal, 1902-1940: African-Canadian Women Confronting Anti-Black Racism
Abstract
The authors point out that there is limited literature documenting contributions of people of African descent to Canadian social welfare history. Based on both secondary and archival sources, they critically explore from anti-Black racism and African-Canadian feminist perspectives, the contributions from 1902 to 1940 of the Coloured Women’s Club of Montreal (CWCM) to the social well-being of Montreal’s Black community. They note that the CWCM played a major role as one of the leading supports for members who encountered harsh challenges in a society where racism prevailed and opportunities for men and women of colour were severely restricted. Club members organized several events that enabled community members to survive in an environment that was hostile to people of African descent, therefore becoming a “pillar of strength” that fostered a stronger sense of community among Blacks living in Montreal. The authors contend that through CWCM contributions during this time period, these African-Canadian women emerged as both key players in the community and as early social welfare practitioners. They argue that it is imperative for social workers to acknowledge the contributions of the women who were involved in the CWCM as a means of interrupting the historical narratives shaping the social welfare workers' profession that have predominantly been told from the perspectives of a hegemonic, white culture.
Publication
Canadian Social Work Review / Revue canadienne de service social
Volume
Vol. 34
Issue
no. 1
Pages
81-99
Date
2017
Language
en
URL
Citation
Este, David C., Christa Sato, and Darcy McKenna. “The Coloured Women’s Club of Montreal, 1902-1940: African-Canadian Women Confronting Anti-Black Racism.” Canadian Social Work Review / Revue canadienne de service social Vol. 34, no. 1 (2017): 81–99. https://www.erudit.org/en/journals/cswr/2017-v34-n1-cswr03182/1040996ar.pdf.
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