To celebrate Black History Month 2021 we are delighted to share with the world the digital Periodic Table of Canadian Black History in English and en Français!
In 2020, we created a Periodic Table of Canadian Black History that could be installed on a bulletin board in your school building. Complete with QR codes, the original table allowed students, educators, and staff to look up information about any of the Black Canadians on the table with their smart phone. We shared the template for the table with the community, and were overjoyed to see school communities here in Ottawa, across Ontario, and as far away as Vancouver create their own versions.
Joey Ozamiz, a secondary school teacher at Immaculata High School, was “the supervisor for the OCSB Digital Media Committee, a group of 12 students formed after the inaugural Black Student Forum“. He shared that the students at the forum loved our Periodic Table of Canadian Black History, and really wanted a digital version they could access on their devices. Joey then reached out to his sister Isabela Ozamiz, a software developer, who in conjunction with Nicholas Simard created the site. The table is available in English and French, and is accessible on mobile and desktop.
Explore both the original and digital versions of the Periodic Table of Canadian Black History in this video featuring the song “Black is Beautiful” by Chronixx.
In this moment where so many students are learning online, the digital version of the Periodic Table of Canadian Black History is a true gift to learners and educators alike. We thank Ms. Ozamiz, Mr. Simard, Mr. Ozamiz, and Ms. Lemon for recognizing the unmet need and for graciously donating their time in bringing this project to life. Seeing community members uplifting and celebrating Black voices, experiences, dreams, and achievements is how we want to spend every month of the year, not just Black History Month.
How are you using the original and digital versions of the Periodic Table of Canadian Black History in your classroom and in your life? We would love to hear your stories, and if this free resource has inspired you to go further on your personal anti-racist journey, you’re welcome to join us at our webinar on February 20, 2021, “A Roadmap to an Anti-Racist Future”.
This is truly amazing and I am in the process of putting it up in my school! (Hopefully better late than never). I noticed that there is a missed square from the PDF document and there are a few that don’t match what is on the digital version. Is it possible to have an edited version be available.