What was the initiative?

The history and legacy of Negro Creek – the site of a vibrant Black agricultural community in the 19^th century – was unwritten and erased in collective memory locally. Ben’s Pathy Fellowship brought folks with diverse but profound connections to the land together in community, to organize against that erasure and commemorate a marginalized history. Descendants of the original Black community collectively outlined priorities for the work, which included raising local awareness and building a permanent marker. Concurrently, a knowledge base of archival and oral history was developed by a network of community members, and made accessible through a digital archive. Through the year, community-bridging relationships were forged and strengthened.

What was the community connection?

Ben grew up near Negro Creek – it is the place he calls home – and was completely unaware of the history behind the seemingly racist place name until 2020. That summer, he came to see the name differently. In response to a call to action of the Black Lives Matter movement to challenge systemic racism in one’s own community, Ben produced a collaborative short documentary about the road sign that kept getting vandalized and stolen. By sitting and listening to stories of how people related to this small geographic area, he developed relationships with neighbours and descendants of the original community. These close relationships implicated him in the efforts to counter racial violence and preserve histories – the documentary film wasn’t enough. Ben’s Pathy initiative deepened those relationships, based in reciprocity and the sharing of joy.

How was it innovative?

The initiative worked to undermine present systemic racism and racial violence through the promotion and preservation of local heritage – challenging the notion of what it means to be “from here” in collective imagination. The process was informed by feminist standpoint theory and intersectionality, and utilized reconciliatory and transformative justice frameworks. This means that the initiative recognized the expertise of those with the lived experience and knowledge of local racism, invisibilization, and the struggle for racial justice – principally Black women descendants of Negro Creek who have long preserved and advocated for their history – and made space for their agency to guide the process. At each decision point, the strengthening of intercommunal relationships and local capacity was prioritized, so that the outcomes of the initiative would be sustained through kinship bonds. This meant moving at the speed of trust in relationship-building, relying on local farmers to provide the food for community gatherings, supporting descendant artists in realizing physical commemoration efforts, dedicating as much time for informal bonding as for formal work, and ensuring that the spaces of meeting were able to safely accommodate everyone who needed to be around the circle. Over the course of the year, community members gathered on the land to share stories and history, locally grown meals, and ideas for the future. These gatherings took place on porches, backyards, forests, rivers, and the local community centre, and were a chance for thinking together, celebrating, and building and rekindling relationships. Through these meetings, commemorations, celebrations, historical remembrances, and a number of radio and newspaper articles centering marginalized voices, Ben’s Pathy project had a measurable and tangible effect on public opinion locally.

What is Ben doing now?

Immediately following the Fellowship, Ben travelled across Turtle Island on various work exchanges to continue learning from and with communities. As of Fall 2022, he was working in Taku River Klinget Territory facilitating a youth and Elder camp. He expects to continue practicing community engagement, transformative justice, and bridge-building in his future.