Perth students launch Black history exhibit at local museum, OPP headquarters

A Grade 7 French Immersion class at Perth and District Collegiate Institute (PDCI) is bringing Black Canadian history to the community through a unique student-led exhibit launching this month.

Students have created life-sized cutouts of influential Black Canadians—including Lincoln Alexander, Harriet Tubman, John Ware and Willie O’Ree—which will be displayed at both the Perth Museum and the Ontario Provincial Police East Region Headquarters in Smiths Falls. The cutouts are accompanied by QR codes linking to student-produced podcast episodes telling of each figure’s life and legacy.

The project is part of a year-long exploration of Black history led by teacher Megan Connolly. Students were inspired by the bilingual “ABC’s of Canadian Black History” kit from BlacBiblio, which includes 26 lesson plans highlighting key people, places, and events.

As students worked through the kit, many were surprised by how few names they recognized. That prompted a discussion about how they could share these stories more widely.

“At the start it was us learning about all the historical figures, but over time it became less about simply learning about them, and more about promoting inclusivity in our communities and where we live,” said student Grace Hayward.

The class divided into specialized teams to manage all aspects of the project—including communications, podcast production, event planning, and fundraising. They also reached out to local businesses to support their initiative.

“[This project] was different because we had to do a lot of research and recording, but it was really fun in the end because it wasn’t like we were doing regular schoolwork,” said student Nate McRae.

During a classroom visit, Linton Garner, co-creator of the “ABC’s of Canadian Black History” kit, expressed his admiration for the students’ work. “They’re going to introduce these characters to a lot of people who never knew about them. I’m almost speechless about what they’re doing. Leave it to the creativity of kids to find different ways to do things.”

Connolly says the project has grown well beyond its curriculum roots. “It starts as a history deep dive with rich curriculum connections, but it evolves into real-world learning with very transferrable skills,” she said. “It’s fantastic to see kids come out of their shells and utilize their strengths… There’s space for each student to excel and thrive personally while still learning about history and the value of inclusivity. It’s been a very inspiring project with many opportunities for teamwork, problem solving and more. I’m so proud of them!”

The exhibit officially opens at the Perth Museum on Tuesday, May 14 at 5 p.m. A second version will follow at the OPP East Region Headquarters in Smiths Falls.

“We were honoured to meet with the students, and to talk with them about Black History Month and their projects,” said Inspector Kerlous Tawdrous, Detachment Commander of Lanark. “Their work reflects excellent research skills, and the projects are a wonderful example of how inclusion can be part of everyone’s lives. I’m particularly proud that the project kits were purchased through the Proceeds of Crime Grant that focuses on anti-hate education and the creation of inclusive and safe communities.”

Looking ahead, Connolly says she hopes to build on the success of the project. “I’d love to have the students use the kit as a template to create cards of their own,” she said. “It would be really interesting to see students research more modern Black trailblazers and see what they come up with!”