Sylvia Hamilton facts for kids

Sylvia D. Hamilton is a Canadian filmmaker, writer, poet, and artist. She lives in Grand Pre, Nova Scotia. Her work explores the lives of people of African descent. She especially focuses on African Nova Scotians and women.

Sylvia Hamilton makes documentary films. She also writes, gives public talks, and teaches. She helps new artists and volunteers a lot in her community. Through her work, she shares stories of struggles and successes of African Canadians. She helps people understand how racism has affected Canada. She also works to create chances for Black and Indigenous youth through education.

Sylvia Hamilton's Early Life

Hamilton grew up in Beechville. This community was started by Black Refugees after the War of 1812. It is located west of Halifax, Nova Scotia. She was one of six children to Gerald and Marie Hamilton. Her father was a labourer, and her mother was a teacher in schools that were only for Black students.

As a child, Sylvia went to a segregated primary school in Beechville. This school was only for Black children. Later, she went to a high school outside her community. This school was not segregated. Hamilton found this new school "very alien." For example, history books did not include the stories of Black people.

She found support in the African Baptist church. Here, she learned and practiced public speaking. She later used these skills to share her own experiences and the stories of others. Sylvia was the first person from Beechville to finish high school. She earned degrees from Acadia University and Dalhousie University. She also has three honorary degrees from Saint Mary's, Dalhousie, and Acadia Universities.

Sylvia Hamilton's Career and Work

Sylvia Hamilton is an independent filmmaker. She produces and directs films through her company, Maroon Films. She is also a professor at the University of King's College's School of Journalism.

She has volunteered on many boards and committees. This includes helping programs at Dalhousie University. These programs support First Nations and African Canadian students. In 1975, Hamilton joined a film group in Halifax. She also worked for the government on race relations.

Hamilton helped create the New Initiatives in Film (NIF) Program. This program gave chances to women of color and First Nations female filmmakers. She has held important positions like the Rogers Chair in Communications. She has also been a member of groups like the Canadian Museum for Human Rights advisory committee.

Her book of poems, Tender, was nominated for the 2023 Pat Lowther Award. In October 2023, she received the Order of Nova Scotia. This award recognized her work in preserving the stories of African Nova Scotians.

The Little Black Schoolhouse Film

The Little Black Schoolhouse is a documentary film from 2007. Sylvia Hamilton wrote, directed, and produced it. The film shares the little-known history of segregation in schools in Ontario and Nova Scotia.

The film shows that separate schools for Black students existed. This was because laws in both provinces allowed it. In Nova Scotia, the law changed in 1954 to end segregation. In Ontario, it stayed until 1964. Most segregated schools in Nova Scotia closed after 1954. The very last one closed in 1983. These laws created separate school districts for Black and white students. In Ontario, the last segregated school closed in 1965.

The film highlights the problems caused by institutional racism. This racism affected Black people then and still does today. For example, many Black students dropped out of high school. This was because non-segregated schools were far away. Also, the racism Black students faced was very hard. However, the film also shows how dedicated teachers and parents were. They worked hard to get equal education for their students. Hamilton has written a lot about these experiences in "Stories from The Little Black School House."

How Sylvia Hamilton Tells Stories

Sylvia Hamilton's documentaries focus on deep research and strong storytelling. She does her own research for her films. She uses old photographs with new video to show how racism has affected generations.

Her films show the pain of the past and the racism that still exists. But her films also have a positive feeling. She says, "where there is sadness in these stories, there is also great resilience." This means that even with sad parts, there is also a lot of strength. For example, in The Little Black Schoolhouse, the music is upbeat jazz. This music creates a feeling of hope and understanding, not sadness.

A friend and fellow activist, Pat Kipping, says Hamilton's films change how people see Nova Scotia. She says that after watching Sylvia's films, people realize Nova Scotia was built by many different groups. This includes Black Nova Scotians, whose history was often hidden. Hamilton's work helps people remember history. It also shines a light on the ongoing "colour line," which shows the divide between races caused by colonialism.

Sylvia Hamilton's Films

• Black Mother Black Daughter (1989)
• Speak It! From the Heart of Black Nova Scotia (1992)
• Portia White: Think on Me (2000)
• The Little Black School House (2007)
• Making Movie History: Sylvia Hamilton (2014)

Sylvia Hamilton's Awards and Recognition

Her films have been shown on TV channels like CBC and TVO. They are also used in schools and universities across Canada. She has won many awards for her work. These include a Gemini Award and the Japan Broadcasting Corporation’s Maeda Prize. She also received the Progress Women of Excellence Award for Arts and Culture. Nova Scotia gave her the Portia White Prize for Excellence. Sylvia Hamilton has shown her films and given talks in Canada, the United States, Europe, Africa, and Jamaica.

• National Film Board Kathleen Shannon Documentary Award (Black Mother Black Daughter), Yorkton Short Film and Video Festival (1990)
• Rex Tasker Award for Best Atlantic Canadian Documentary (Speak It! From the Heart of Black Nova Scotia), Atlantic Film Festival (1993)
• Canada Award (Speak It! From the Heart of Black Nova Scotia), Gemini Award (1994)
• Maeda Prize, 21st Japan Prize, International Educational Program Contest, Japan Broadcasting Corporation (1994)
• Honorary Doctor of Letters, Saint Mary’s University (1995)
• Halifax Progress Women of Excellence Award, Arts and Culture Category (1996)
• Honorary Doctor of Laws, Dalhousie University (2001)
• Nova Scotia Portia White Prize (2003)
• Silver Prize (Little Black Schoolhouse), Africa World Documentary Film Festival (2009)
• Best Film – People's Choice (Little Black Schoolhouse), African Diaspora Film Festival (2009)
• Honorary Doctor of Letters, Acadia University (2010)
• Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012)
• Governor General's History Award for Popular Media (2019)
• Documentary Organization of Canada's DOC Luminary Award (2019)
• Order of Canada (2024)