How did Harry and Valerie Jerome push past anti-Black racism to become Olympians?
In the 1960s, Harry Jerome set 7 world records, including the 100-yard dash, earning him the title of the world’s fastest man. His grandfather, John “Army” Howard, was Canada’s first Black Olympian, running in Stockholm in 1912 against nearly impossible odds. Harry’s sister, Valerie, competed for Canada at the 1960 Rome Olympics.
In her memoir Races, Valerie Jerome reveals the racism they fought along the way—from their community, the press, their country, and even inside their family home.
Join us for a conversation between Valerie Jerome and award-winning author Harrison Mooney.
Valerie Jerome is an Olympian who represented Canada at the 1960 Rome Olympics, the Commonwealth Games, and the Pan American Games. She is the granddaughter of Canada’s first Black Olympian, John “Army” Howard, and her brother Harry was one of the most recognizable Black Canadian athletes in the 1960s. Away from the track, Jerome has represented the Green Party of British Columbia and is a recipient of the 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada Medal and a City of Vancouver Heritage Award for her work in conservation. She has also served as a board member for numerous organizations, including Achilles Track & Field, the Black Educators of BC, the Junior Black Achievement Awards, and Vancouver Youth Theatre.
Harrison Mooney is an associate editor at The Tyee. He is an award-winning author and journalist from Abbotsford, B.C., who won the Rakuten Kobo Emerging Writer Prize for his debut memoir, Invisible Boy. The book was also nominated for two B.C. and Yukon Book Prizes and the prestigious Hurston Wright Legacy Award. His writing has appeared in the Vancouver Sun, National Post, the Guardian, Yahoo and Maclean’s. Harrison was the 2022 Writer in Residence at VPL.
–
Accessibility: VPL is committed to making our programs accessible for all. If you have an access need that we have not addressed here, please email us at programs@vpl.ca.
Elevator access to the Alice MacKay Room in the lower level is available via the atrium (next to the bank machine) or via the underground parkade.
There will be reserved areas for patrons on wheelchairs or mobility devices.
For more information on physical access, view the Accessibility information on the Central Library page.