Hogan’s Alley has a rich Black history that many people may not know. The unofficial name for it was Park Lane which was an area that ran between Union and Prior Street from about Main Street to Jackson Avenue in Vancouver.
The Hogan’s Alley neighbourhood was a very diverse community comprised of Black, Italian, Chinese and Japanese people. As with many Black communities, church is one of the foundational pillars.
The AME church (African Methodist Episcopal Fountain Chapel) is a predominantly African American Methodist denomination and was the first independent Protestant denomination to be founded by Black people back in 1816, which at the time was the only Black church in Vancouver.
Hogan’s Alley was the only neighbourhood in Vancouver with a predominantly Black population however the residents of the community were displaced around 1970, when construction of the Viaduct began.
The Jimi Hendrix shrine, located on the corner of Union and Main, is a remaining landmark signifying the Black community in Strathcona. Jimi Hendrix’ grandmother, Nora Hendrix, migrated and lived in the Hogan’s Alley area in 1911.
News Segment: Below, CTV’s Melanie Nagy interviews Stephanie Allen of the Hogan’s Alley Society and Dolapo Makinde, a UBC Healthy City Scholar, about the history of Hogan’s Alley and the Black community.
History Lesson: This video is a more indepth look into the history of the thriving Black community in Hogan’s Alley, the influence of the railway porters and why the Black community was displaced.
Reflection: Many people of all races come to Vancouver and one of the first questions they ask is, “Where are all the Black people?”.
Unlike many cities in Canada, our Black population is more dispersed throughout the Lower Mainland which makes it seem like we are few and far between. Often, you’ll see the Black community gathering together on a larger scale at the local Caribbean or African festivals.
Regardless, there is Black history in British Columbia and I hope this helps highlight the legacy of Vancouver’s first Black community.
Albert Earl Jr.
Enjoy and please share as we honour black history… Thank you!!!