Dr. Claudine Bonner is an associate professor in the Department of Sociology at Mount Allison University, specializing in racial justice and African Diaspora migration in Atlantic Canada. Since February 2024, she has also held a Canada Research Chair (CRC) — one of the country’s highest research honours. As CRC Chair, Bonner has been actively advancing the research goals outlined in her CRC application, including organizing the first–ever regional symposium focused on the hidden histories of Black communities in Atlantic Canada. The event, hosted by Dr. Bonner in collaboration with Dr. Isaac Saney, Director of the new Black and African Diaspora Studies Program at Dalhousie University, drew participants from across North America. 

Originally, Bonner had set out to develop a working group of about 15 to 20 colleagues who are doing similar research. The idea quickly gained momentum, evolving into a two–day symposium with over 100 participants. The event brought together experts from different fields, including archeologists, historians, students, archivists, and others.

“Atlantic Canada is home to Black history in Canada. Its presence here is over 400 years,” says Bonner. “But it’s somehow a hidden secret. We don’t talk about it; we don’t know (enough) about it.”

The symposium has also served as an important space for collaboration and networking, something that is especially important to Bonner as a historian and scholar. She notes that there aren’t many students focusing on Black Canadian history, so developing mentoring relationships and legacy building in her field is a priority. This symposium brought about an important connection for Bonner, as she was able to connect with an MA student from Newfoundland researching Black miners in Atlantic Canada — an area that Bonner has also explored in her work. 

Dr. Sylvia D. Hamilton, who received an honorary degree from Mount Allison this year, was a keynote speaker at the event with a presentation titled On the Soil of my Ancestors.

“I think if we can begin to learn about each other and the contributions of African Nova Scotians, African Canadians, it’s very, very significant to the development of this province and this country,” says Hamilton. 

Although this was the first symposium of its kind in Atlantic Canada, it won’t be the last. Plans are already underway for a similar event next year, to be hosted in another Maritime province. 

Bonner has several goals with her research and impact in academia, including advancing a shift in Canadian public education toward a more immersive curriculum in Black studies. She hopes that more thorough curriculum will ignite curiosity and pursuit of expertise in the next generation. Legacy building will remain a priority in Bonner’s work, and events like this symposium will help build the bridges of mentorship, collaboration, and connection in the field of Black studies in Canada. 

Dr. Claudine Bonner has a BSc (Honours) and a Master of Education (Educational Administration) from the University of Toronto, a Master of Arts in Canadian History from Dalhousie University, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Studies-Gender, Equity, and Social Justice from the University of Western Ontario. Her Canada Research Chair Appointment continues through 2028.