CHOLTU the founder of Toronto Black Archives

My name is CHOLTU

I’m a film director, cultural worker and founder of Toronto Black Archives

What inspired you to establish the Toronto black archives, how was the journey shaped your understanding of black history in Toronto?

What inspired me to establish TBA is my passion for Black history and stories as well as noticing the massive lack of documented and preserved history of Torontos Black community. I wanted to share our history and stories as well as make the archives accessible for wider audiences. This journey has reinforced how much Black history in this city has faced erasure and the importance of documenting and preserving our presence here.

How does your work as a film director intersect with your passion for chives and cultural preservation?

My work as a film director intersects with my passion for archives and cultural preservation through the stories within the African diaspora that I am inspired to tell, thus preserving our history. In the process of creating the film that I am currently working on, I am using archival imagery to help tell the story.

In your view, how can cultural work and wellness be woven together to support community healing and resilience?

In my view, cultural work and wellness can be woven together to support community healing through harvesting a deeper understanding of ourselves and our ancestors journeys to allow us permission to radically prioritize our wellness once we understand the sacrifices that it took for us to even exist. Also learning about and applying indigenous ways of being is highly beneficial to our holistic wellness.

If you could collaborate with one historical figure or contemporary Artist, who would it be?

I’d probably collaborate with Steve McQueen, I really enjoyed his Small Axe drama series.

WHAT ARE YOUR 5 MOST LISTENED SONGS?

Huh by Doechii

NUEVAYOL by Bad Bunny

Slide by Doechii

Boiled Peanuts by Doechii

Waiting in Vain by Bob Marley