Afua Cooper facts for kids

Afua Ava Pamela Cooper (born 8 November 1957) is a Canadian historian, writer, and poet. She was born in Jamaica and later moved to Canada. Afua Cooper has taught about Caribbean culture, history, and Black studies at several universities. She is also a well-known dub poet and has published many poetry books.

About Afua Cooper's Life

Early Life and Family

Afua Cooper was born on November 8, 1957, in Westmoreland, Jamaica. Her parents were Edward and Ruth Campbell Cooper, and she had eight brothers and sisters. Her family has a history connected to slavery in the West Indies. Some of her ancestors were enslaved on a sugar plantation.

When she was young, Afua lived with her aunt in Kingston, Jamaica. She went to St. Michael's All-Age School and Camperdown High School. By the time she finished school in 1975, she had started an African Studies Club. She also became a Rastafarian. After school, she received a teaching certificate in 1976.

Moving to Canada and Education

In 1980, Afua Cooper moved to Toronto, Canada, because of problems in Jamaica. Her first son, Akil, was born the next year.

In 1983, she started studying at the University of Toronto, focusing on African studies. She later earned a Master of Arts degree in Black Canadian history in 1990. In 2000, she completed her PhD in African-Canadian history. Her special areas of study were slavery and how it was ended.

Her PhD paper was about Henry Bibb, an African-American who fought against slavery in the 1800s. He lived in Ontario, Canada. Her work helped the Canadian government recognize Henry Bibb as an important historical figure.

Afua Cooper's Work

Teaching and Academic Leadership

Before coming to Canada, Afua Cooper taught at a high school in Jamaica. In Toronto, she taught at Bickford Park High School.

Starting in 2004, she began teaching African Canadian history and women's history at the University of Toronto.

In 2009, she helped create the Black Canadian Studies Association. This group helps people learn more about Black Canadian history and culture.

In 2011, Afua Cooper became a special professor at Dalhousie University in Black Canadian Studies. In 2016, she helped start a new program at Dalhousie. This program allows students to study Black and African diaspora history.

Poetry and Writing

Afua Cooper's first poetry book, Breaking Chains, was published in 1989.

In 1988, she spent time at the Banff School of Fine Arts. There, she wrote two more poetry books: The Red Caterpillar on College Street (1989) and Memories Have Tongue (1992). Memories Have Tongue was even a finalist for a special award in 1992.

In 1990, Afua Cooper performed her poetry at a big event in Toronto. This event celebrated the release of Nelson Mandela from prison. About 25,000 people were there to hear her. Later that year, she traveled to Senegal and Gambia.

She also co-wrote a book called We're Rooted Here and They Can't Pull Us Up: Essays in African Canadian Women's History (1994). She has also released two albums of her poetry.

In 2002, Afua Cooper helped start the Dub Poets' Collective. This is a special group for poets in Canada.

Her book The Hanging of Angelique, published in 2006, tells the true story of an enslaved African woman named Marie-Joseph Angelique. She was executed in Montreal when Quebec was under French rule. This book was nominated for a major award in 2006.

In 2009, Afua Cooper wrote two historical novels for children. These books were about real historical figures. They are called My Name is Henry Bibb: a story of slavery and freedom and My Name is Phillis Wheatley: a story of slavery and freedom.

From 2018 to 2020, she was the official poet laureate for the city of Halifax. This means she was the city's special poet.

Awards and Recognitions

Afua Cooper has received many awards and honors for her work. These include scholarships and grants for her research and writing.

As a historian and teacher, she has also received awards like the Marta Danylewycz Award for Historical Research (1995) and the Harry Jerome Award for Professional Excellence (2005).

In 2015, she received the Dr. Burnley Allan “Rocky” Jones Award for her work in human rights. In 2020, she was given the Portia White Prize at the Creative Nova Scotia Awards Gala.

In 2024, Afua Cooper was made a Member of the Order of Nova Scotia. This is a very high honor in Nova Scotia.

Books by Afua Cooper

• Breaking Chains (1983)
• Red Caterpillar On College Street (1989)
• Memories Have Tongue: Poetry (1992)
• We're Rooted Here and They Can't Pull Us Up: Essays in African Canadian Women's History, with others (1994)
• Utterances and Incantations: Women, Poetry, and Dub (1999)
• The Underground Railroad: Next Stop, Toronto!, with Adrienne Shadd and Carolyn Smardz Frost (2002)
• The Hanging of Angélique, The Untold Story of Canadian Slavery and the Burning of Old Montréal (2006)
• Copper Woman and Other Poems(2006)
• My Name is Henry Bibb: A Story of Slavery and Freedom (2009)
• My Name is Phillis Wheatley: A Story of Slavery and Freedom (2009)
• "To Learn… Even a Little, The Letters of Solomon Washington," in Hoping for Home, The Stories of Arrival (2011)

Music Albums

• WomanTalk: Women Dub Poets (1984)
• Poetry Is Not a Luxury (1985)
• Your Silence Will Not Protect You (1986)
• Sunshine (1989)
• Worlds of Fire (2002)
• Love and Revolution (2014)