Author: Clyde Ledbetter, on behalf of Lukasa Library creators
The Lukasa Library, located at 235 Montreal Road in Ottawa, has one goal — to create a space in the province for community members to learn about and to share knowledge of African world history. Our library is composed of new and used books on African, Caribbean, and Black Canadian History donated by individuals, organizations, and businesses in the Ottawa-Gatineau region.
We named the library after the Lukasa memory board to honour the brilliance of the Luba kingdom’s oral historians, who were responsible for passing on the philosophy and history of their people. These historians were initiated into the Mbudye society and they taught people how to use the Lukasa memory board as a tool to recount and present the oral history of the Kingdom (currently in the Democratic Republic of Congo).
Our goal is to emulate the Mbudye as well as all African historians and community builders by sharing our collection of books in a central space in what we called Afro-Ottawa. The Library hosts classes, seminars, movie nights, and other educational activities designed to uplift the lessons of African world history – to build a stronger and more just community.
I donated the first 100 books from my own collection. Through book drives, social media promotion, and word of mouth, we were able to grow the collection. In seven months, we have collected a total of 568 books on African history and culture from individuals and organizations in the Ottawa-Gatineau region and beyond.
We have established a relationship with the Black-owned bookstore A Different Booklist in Toronto, which allows people wishing to purchase new books to have them sent directly to the library.
Our collection can be viewed here.
In addition, the events and news concerning the Library can be followed on Instagram.