Rito Joseph brings Quebec's Black history to Montreal students
A walking tour of Quebec's Black history is making a stop at LaSalle Community Comprehensive High School, bringing the tour to the students.
Rito Joseph commands the room, on this day speaking to Secondary 3 students at the high school.
"What kind of Black history do you guys know about Montreal?" he asked the students, saying his goal is to keep them engaged.
Joseph is a student supervisor there, but he also runs Black Montreal Experiences, his business where he gives walking tours through the Old Montreal and Little Burgundy neighbourhoods.
"We revisit different pieces of history, whether from the 17th, 18th, or 20th century, and we talk about some of the -- what I feel is -- purposely omitted events, historical figures, historical sights, that are still affecting in a lot of ways our current social context," he said.
He details the history of slavery in Quebec, from Olivier Le Jeune to Marie-Joseph Angelique, who was sentenced to death after being convicted of setting her mistress's home on fire, though she maintained her innocence, and the evidence at her trial was said to be circumstantial.
"She was denied justice. She was denied representation in court," he said.
Student Samuel Poupart said he took away new knowledge from the presentation.
"Like Marie-Joseph Angelique, I think that’s a really sad story because she got basically falsely accused because the system was super against her," he said.
There's great value in the presentation, said principal Wusua Mitchell.
"Just fill in those missing pages for our students so that they have a broader perspective of the history," said Mitchell.
Being a history buff runs in Joseph's family: his father always spoke of his roots.
"My father used to teach me about Haitian history at the back of his taxi," he said.
That was the spark, and over the years, Joseph became known as a raconteur.
Five years ago, he was asked to give a presentation – and he’s been sharing his stories ever since.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6964259.1721055817!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
DEVELOPING Motive of man who tried to assassinate Donald Trump remains elusive
Former U.S. president Donald Trump called for unity and resilience after an attempt on his life injected fresh uncertainty into an already tumultuous presidential campaign, while President Joe Biden implored Americans to 'cool it down' in the final stretch and 'resolve our differences at the ballot box.'
The biggest questions the U.S. Secret Service will have to answer, according to a former special agent in charge
A former U.S. Secret Service agent says those involved in Donald Trump's security detail will have some questions to answer following an assassination attempt.
Trump is expected to pick his vice presidential nominee on Monday, the first day of GOP convention
Donald Trump said he plans to announce his vice presidential pick on Monday, the first day of the Republican National Convention.
Corus Entertainment says ongoing job cuts will amount to 25% of full-time positions
Corus Entertainment Inc. says it expects to have slashed 25 per cent of its full-time workforce by the end of next month compared with the beginning of its 2023 fiscal year, as the company continues to "aggressively cut costs."
U.S. judge dismisses Trump classified documents case
The U.S. federal judge presiding over the classified documents case of former president Donald Trump in Florida dismissed the prosecution on Monday, siding with defence lawyers who said the special counsel who filed the charges was illegally appointed.
What to expect from the 2024 Republican National Convention, just days after the Trump rally shooting
The Republican party kicks off its convention to pick its presidential nominee in Milwaukee, Wis., on Monday, just two days after former U.S. president Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania. Here's CTVNews.ca's guide on what to expect.
Ontario accelerates alcohol expansion plans amid ongoing LCBO strike
As the LCBO strike enters its second week, the Ontario government is speeding up its alcohol expansion plans, announcing licensed grocery stores will be able to start selling ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages as of July 18.
Body found on Spanish island during search for missing British teenager Jay Slater
Search teams looking for missing British teenager Jay Slater on the Spanish island of Tenerife have found the body of a young man.
Quebec RCMP seize 63 kilograms of cocaine stashed inside grand piano, arrest four
Quebec RCMP say they seized 62.7 kilograms of cocaine hidden in the walls of a grand piano during searches in the Lanaudière region and the Sherbrooke, Que., area.