Black History Project Launch
Oct 11 at the Stratford Perth Museum

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Broadcast Journalist Garvia Bailey Returns Home to Unearth Untold Black Histories at Stratford Perth Museum — Opening with Aunt Harriet by HAUI™

The Stratford Perth Museum is honoured to announce that award-winning broadcast journalist and storyteller Garvia Bailey has joined its Exhibits Research Committee—bringing her formidable talents and deep ties to Stratford into a growing and collaborative exploration of Black histories in the region.

This partnership builds on the work that began in 2024 with mixed-media artist HAUI™ (Howard J. Davis), whose installation Aunt Harriet will launch the Museum’s evolving Black history exhibit in fall 2025. Created by HAUI™ and featuring Canadian theatre pioneer ahdri zhina mandiela (azm), Aunt Harriet brings forward powerful, intergenerational stories rooted in resistance, love, and legacy.

The launch event for Aunt Harriet will take place Saturday, October 11 at 2:00 PM at the Stratford Perth Museum, and will feature a panel conversation with HAUI™, Garvia Bailey, Michelle Robbins, Curator of Buxton National Historic Site and Museum, Historian Jade Ferguson and ahdri zhina mandiela (azm). Register for free Here

Garvia Bailey, a co-founder of the award-winning podcast and media company Media Girlfriends Inc., is a widely respected voice in Canadian media. Her career spans nearly two decades at CBC and JazzFM, where she worked as a producer, host, and arts columnist. She has guest-hosted CBC’s flagship arts show Q and continues to shape national conversations through her sharp storytelling and deep sense of justice.

Raised in Stratford, Garvia recently returned to her hometown and approached the Museum with a desire to contribute to its Black history initiatives. Her research will support upcoming exhibits and may form the basis for a new audio documentary. She will collaborate closely with the Museum’s General Manager Kelly McIntosh and Education & Exhibits Lead Megan Patterson.

“I’m genuinely humbled that Garvia Bailey—someone I’ve followed with deep admiration for decades—approached the Museum with the desire to help us uncover and share Black histories in Stratford and Perth County,” says McIntosh. “Garvia is a powerhouse of insight, talent, and integrity, and we’re incredibly lucky to have her join our team at this pivotal moment.”

Garvia joins a collaborative project already in motion with HAUI™, whose artistic work bridges history, identity, and futurism. In addition to Aunt Harriet, HAUI™ recently directed Aportia Chryptych: A Black Opera for Portia White, produced by the Canadian Opera Company. Their initial involvement with the Museum began during the 2024 “Truth, Love, and Community” (TLC) seminar series, where they introduced audiences to the importance of reclaiming and reimagining Black identities in the region.

Together, HAUI™, Garvia Bailey, Michelle Robbins, and the Stratford Perth Museum form a creative and community-driven force committed to truth-telling, inclusivity, and the celebration of untold stories in Stratford and Perth County.

More details about Aunt Harriet and the evolving Black History exhibit will be announced in the coming months.

Black History Project Series

We consider this initiative to be a forever project at the museum. Our resolution of learning local Black History is ongoing and we cannot do this without our partners and donors, who are helping us address this deficit within our records. As these stories continually unfold, we ask our community members to impart their Black Heritage that contains local familial and tangible memories to aid us in our celebratory mission of bringing history to life. A principle tenant of preservation is to remind everyone, “Your Story Matters” and it would be our profound privilege to share yours. 

Please submit any related information about your local Black Heritage to yourstory@stratfordperthmuseum.ca to help us with this initiative.

For media inquiries, information, or to support this initiative, please contact:

Kelly McIntosh
General Manager, Stratford Perth Museum
kelly@stratfordperthmuseum.ca | 416-835-1191
www.stratfordperthmuseum.ca
@stratfordperthmuseum on Instagram and Facebook