By: Balqees Jama, SFU Student
Content warning: mentions of systemic racism and displacement.
Union Street is a documentary film highlighting Vancouver’s historic Black neighbourhood located in Strathcona. Known colloquially as Hogan’s Alley, it was systemically disrupted and displaced by the City of Vancouver’s construction of the Georgia Viaduct in the 1970s. Union Street features archival visuals and local Black community members’ current efforts in building Black community spaces. The film was directed by Jamila Pomeroy, a “Kenyan-Canadian writer, director, actor, and producer.” It debuted at the Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) in September and sold out all three showings weeks beforehand. I could feel the lineup for the premiere buzzing with anticipation, and let me tell you — it was worth the hype.
This film is a beautiful blend of history, storytelling, and artistic vision. The high production quality immediately stood out; stunning cinematography conveyed warmth, both visually and metaphorically, and the groovy soundtrack was also very fitting. The interviewees represent some of the diverse range of cultures within Vancouver’s Black community. I enjoyed hearing from people in various sectors making a positive impact through their personal and professional interests via fashion, entertainment, cuisine, government advocacy, and more.
The documentary provides insight regardless of how informed you may be about the history of Hogan’s Alley. It takes audiences through a journey with charisma and a refreshing candidness. Unfortunately, systemic displacement of Black communities in Canada and the United States is common throughout history. In Nova Scotia, a thriving Black community named Africville was also disrupted by their municipal government. We can even find an example closer to home within the SFU microcosm. In 2018, there was an attempt to evict the Black student union, SFU Students of Caribbean and African Ancestry (SOCA), from its space on campus that has been a key community resource since 1994. The student group successfully resisted displacement, albeit with so much harm sustained, but most Black communities in North America do not recover easily (if at all) from systemic displacement.
It’s important for Vancouver to reckon with its ugly realities and redress harms inflicted on the Black/African diaspora here. Canada has only recently started acknowledging that systemic racism is pervasive in this country and is not just an “American problem,” as Canadians like to point fingers down south. However, even discussions about Black communities in Canada tend to focus on Eastern Canada, operating under the assumption that there are few Black people in British Columbia. Union Street reminds us that there was, and still is, a multifaceted Black community here supporting each other while also contributing to wider Canadian society.
It effectively outlines the lasting impact systemic displacement still has on the Black community today, and the barriers still in place on micro and macro levels. Black people in Vancouver resisted the city’s Ku Klux Klan local chapter and faced red-lining, where the municipal government and urban developers deliberately withheld resources from the community. I appreciated how the documentary depicted wins driven by Black mothers at the time, and also recent successes in rebuilding spaces for Black joy and connection.
I think the film could have taken the opportunity to shine a spotlight on more Black youth (under 25) shaping their communities in novel ways, like through arts, advocacy, and science. Youth-driven initiatives today such as the Vancouver Black Library and Daily Dose of Blackness have significantly changed the landscape of what it means to be a young Black person in this city. However, there’s only so much one could fit into 79 minutes. If there’s ever another production about Vancouver’s Black community, I would love to see more inclusion of young change-makers, as youth contributions are often overlooked by society.
I would highly recommend Union Street to everyone. There’s so much to appreciate artistically and educationally. The film serves as a celebration as well as a call for everyone to support Black-led initiatives today, including calls for sustainable funding and physical community spaces. Union Street showcases an important subject relevant to Black and non-Black communities.
