Women in the “Promised Land” places African Canadian women’s lived experiences, identities, and histories at the centre of Canada’s past. This collection of original research edited by leading scholars in the field encourages readers to interrogate the idea of Canada as a “Promised Land” by examining the rich and varied history of African Canadian women. The nine chapters span the early 1830’s of slavery through to the late twentieth centuries of activism. This interdisciplinary collection draws on existing research from cultural studies, literary studies, communications, and visual culture to reframe familiar figures in African Canadian women’s history, such as feminist Mary Ann Shadd and civil rights activist Viola Desmond, in the wider African diaspora. This invaluable text sheds light on questions of the past, present, and future in the field, and is best suited for undergraduate courses in women’s studies, African studies, sociology, and history.

Features:

contains interdisciplinary, accessible, and original work that examines African Canadian women’s history through a visual culture lens
includes chapter abstracts, questions for discussion, and a bibliographic appendix
encourages readers to make connections between African Canadian women’s history and emerging scholarship on race, indigeneity, and queer histories