Programs and Services

Educational Services A BSC objective is to promote the educational development of the Black community. To help meet this objective, the Centre has undertaken a number of important projects over the years. For instance, the 70's saw the collaborative efforts of the BSC and the now-defunct Open Door Society in implementing a psycho-educational program to assist children in need of special education. In June of 1993 the Program for Organizational Literacy and Community Development was launched. The program's principal aim was to assist Black community organizations in the effective and efficient delivery of services. Courses, seminars, and workshops on topics related to organizational growth, administrative, and managerial development were offered as part of the program. Library Services The archives of the BSC contain over 2,000 books on Black Literature. These books are a rich source of information for anyone wishing to know more about the Black experience. What's more, the BSC library has hundreds of important and original documents chronicling the social, political, cultural, and economic evolution of Blacks and their institutions within the province of Quebec. Continued documentation of this development is one of our objectives. Those wishing to add to their knowledge can access our holdings, and to facilitate greater access and use of this information, the centre, with the help of volunteers, is in the process of cataloguing its holdings. Our aim is that individuals, regardless of computer proficiency, will be able to conduct library searches and view our files and documents more efficiently. Research & Referral Services The Centre conducts action-oriented research on a number of issues of interest to the Black community. We have prepared briefs and made presentations to several commissions and public consultations held by the MCCI, CRTC, the City of Montreal and the Protestant School Board of Greater Montreal. Furthermore, we have collected and developed educational materials for use in programming by various organizations. High school teachers and students regularly use these materials for projects and presentations. Based on data from the 1986 Census, the BSC completed a statistical analysis of Blacks in Montreal and made available a wealth of socio-economic and demographic information to the public. This research was conducted in collaboration with Concordia University and was funded by the Secretary of State. We also maintain a collection of brochures, pamphlets, news releases, newspapers, and other information which is available to the general public.For any inquiries or feedback contact the Black Studies Centre at bscinfo@blackstudies.ca.This site last updated by PB June 12, 2002