The Archives of Ontario continues its efforts to expand whose histories are represented in institutional archives with two exhibitions exploring Black cultural memory and storytelling.
Located on York University’s Keele Campus, the Archives of Ontario is the official repository for records of enduring value in the province, preserving and providing public access to Ontario’s documentary heritage.
But the institution is also rethinking what it means to document history.
“There was an assumption for a long time that if something wasn’t in the archives, it didn’t exist,” said Sean Smith, senior manager of outreach and education at the Archives of Ontario. “That’s not true.”
Historically, institutional archives have often excluded the stories and contributions of marginalized communities. Smith says the Archives of Ontario is working to change that by partnering with community organizations engaged in “memory work” – the preservation of cultural knowledge through oral histories, grassroots initiatives and other non-institutional practices. These efforts not only help fill gaps in the archival record, they also expand the definition of historical knowledge and who has the authority to shape it.
“These exhibitions reflect a broader ecosystem of preserving history, and we want to support that,” says Smith.
The first of the current exhibitions – B’LACK THEN: Muted Melodies, curated by the Canada Black Music Archives (CBMA) – highlights the contributions of 23 Black musicians across 10 genres over the past century in Ontario. The exhibition tells the stories of artists such as Portia White, Canada’s first Black opera singer; rhythm and blues performer Jackie Shane; jazz and blues icon Salome Bey; reggae pioneer Jackie Mittoo; and award-winning artist and writer Motion.
On display are rare archival materials, many being shown publicly for the first time, including photographs, vinyl records, sheet music, musical instruments, performance costumes and community memorabilia. Highlights include a guitar signed by Bo Diddley and a steel pan famously played at Toronto’s inaugural Caribana parade in 1967.
Smith notes that the exhibit is the result of a long-standing relationship with CBMA co-founders Phil Savoie and Donna McCurvin. “We’ve been talking since 2020 about how we can work together to amplify Black musical heritage in Ontario,” he said.
The second exhibition, Black Diasporas Tkaronto-Toronto, is a community-led oral narrative project presented by the Museum of Toronto and afrOURban. It features over 500 stories from 150 contributors across multiple generations of Black Torontonians, representing more than 20 countries. Visitors are invited to engage with a digital storytelling map, audio recordings and commissioned short films capturing memories of neighbourhoods such as Little Jamaica, family traditions and daily life in the city.
“Some traditions rely on elders as the archive,” said Smith. “This exhibit honours those oral traditions and expands how we think about memory, geography and identity.”
The Archives is hosting one version of the project, which is a travelling exhibition, in its reading room. Black Diasporas is also available as a digital map that serves as an archives for 10 commissioned short films and 500+ oral narrative stories made by 150+ Black Torontonians.
Smith hopes the exhibitions draw in visitors from across the University and beyond. “We want to break down barriers to the archives,” he said. “This isn’t our work on display – it’s the work of communities we’re proud to support. If we can spark even a handful of people to see archives as a place for their history, that’s success.”
B’LACK THEN: Muted Melodies and Black Diasporas Tkaronto-Toronto are on view in the Archives of Ontario’s reading room until Feb. 27, 2026. Admission is free and open to the public.