Imagine if someone walked up to you and asked to write the story of your life.
That’s what happened to Winnifred Ohwoka, a Nigerian woman living in St. John’s. Ohwoka was at her table at St. John’s Farmers’ Market, where she sells clothing and crafts made from the signature bright-coloured fabric that Nigerian fashion is famous for. One day, another Black woman walked up to her table, drawn in by the beautiful items and by Ohwoka’s radiant energy and thousand-watt smile.
“She bought a lot of things, and she asked for my card,” said Ohwoka. “I didn’t know something great was about to start with that!”
Ohwoka told the woman about finding easy friendships and everyday acceptance in a place she called her “newfound home.” She didn’t realize the woman she was speaking with was an author, or that the story she was telling would soon be shared with the world.
Now Winnie and the Magic Masks is part of a new collection of children’s stories, celebrating black women across Canada. The collection, called Strong Women, Strong Communities, is available to download for free. Hardcover and audiobook versions are also in the works. Author Rachelle Gooden says the stories are especially important to share during Black History Month.
“Some people will think Black History Month is about all the things that happened in the past,” said Gooden. “But it’s really about Black present, Black futures, and about how we need to be seen.”
As for Ohwoka, she says you can’t separate her story from the place that allowed it to flourish — her “newfound home.”
“Newfoundland made it real, made the story come to pass,” said Ohwoka. “When I got to Newfoundland, people here accepted me. When my neighbour said, ‘hello,’ I wondered, ‘Is he talking to me?’ He said, ‘Yes I’m talking to you!’ So if the people here don’t welcome you, it wouldn’t be a story right now.”
Click the video above to meet Winifred Ohwoka and hear the story of Winnie and the Magic Masks.
For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.
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