Enriching History, Empowering People: Keisha Cuffie
“Heritage isn’t just about the past, it is about the present. It’s about who gets to shape the future. And when people can see themselves in history, they can see themselves in the future.” Keisha Cuffie
Feature Photo credit: Alina Zherdeva, TRAC (Technology, Research, and Communication)
“I was not interested in history or heritage at all, and you probably couldn’t have found someone who disliked history more than me a few years ago,” laughs Keisha Cuffie when asked about how she got interested in heritage. The best-selling author, educator, curator, and consultant is a leading voice for inclusion in heritage spaces. Her works, including books, exhibits and digital media highlight the contributions of Black peoples in Canada from the 1600s to today.
“I felt like a lot of Black women and mothers out there”, she recalls thinking of the time following George Floyd. In response, in 2022 she published her first book, D is for Dazzling / D pour diamant, a children’s picture book she describes as a “love letter to children and a push back on the prejudices that we see in some stories.” The book explores a rich variety of experiences of Black children and the possibilities that are out there for them.
The book’s affirming messages drew the attention of Upper Canada Village, an 1860’s heritage village in Eastern Ontario. Keisha was invited to take part in a conversation with the Black community organized by Helen Muleme about the ways that Black history was incorporated at the site, a conversation that she says “changed my life trajectory.” Village administration heard the concerns expressed and Keisha was hired as the Black History Program Development Lead, a role dedicated to telling the stories of Upper Canada Village from a Black perspective. As work on the project advanced, rich resources for the history were discovered, including living descendants of Black settlers. “It was phenomenal”, says Keisha about the experience and the permanent exhibits that emerged.
Keisha’s work is focused on addressing the absence of representation of Black experiences in schools, museums and books. There is now a substantial body of academic literature about Black history in Canada – by exceptional researchers like Natasha Henry Dixon, Afua Copper, and others – but this knowledge is not broadly shared.
“For me, it is about reimagining how heritage is created and is shared,” Keisha notes, explaining her drive to make the legacies visible, valued and enduring. “There is just so much work out there and a lot of people aren’t aware of the work that is being done.”
Building connections has become a foundational element of Keisha’s work. In 2022, she became founding President of the national not-for-profit Black Legacy Collective (BLC) as a means to bring together the work of local and regional organizations like Black History Ottawa and the Nunavut Black History Society. Offering programs in both French and English, BLC has a strong focus on broadening representation in the educational curriculum nationwide.
Keisha’s current project is to move the rich stories of Black history in Canada out to the public. The digital project “Voices from the Past, Echoes of the Future: Black History Across Canada” was created in partnership with Capital Heritage Connection in Ottawa. The goal is to create a digital museum showcasing the hidden histories of Black Canadians. Using a range of source materials and interactive technologies, the platform will connect regional Black histories across the country, giving people an opportunity to explore, contribute and connect.
“This project is literally a dream of mine.”
Keisha is completing a master’s degree at Carleton University and plans to continue her studies as a doctoral candidate. Her passion for history, the importance of sharing it, and its ability to empower individuals and build bridges between communities promise to infuse her work for years to come.