Black community group donates books to schools, libraries in Fort Saskatchewan, Alta.

As February comes to an end, so too does Black History Month.

But one group in Fort Saskatchewan is working to keep the conversation going for kids through books.

"It's really about educating ourselves and educating our community," said Jibs Abitoye, chair of the Fort Black Society. 

"The reason people are racist, or they do the things they do, is out of ignorance. But when you educate yourself, you know better — and when you know better, you do better."

The society, which launched last year to help empower Fort Saskatchewan's Black residents, started a book drive in the city to highlight stories written by Black authors, or about Black historical figures like Rosa Parks and Aretha Franklin.

WATCH | Extending inclusion beyond Black History Month:

The book drive aims to get more books by Black authors into the classroom. The society worked with a local business to donate about 120 books to schools in the community, the library, and to hand out at places like the grocery store. 

Some of the books went to Fort Saskatchewan Christian School. Some members of the society then read the stories with students, and had a conversation about race and people's heritage. 

"It's just nice to see [the kids] really engaged and being interested, and really say, 'No more bullying, the injustice stops right now, we need to do better,'" Abitoye said.

"It was just really, really encouraging for me because it gives me hope for my kids."

Bonnie Matichuk, a Grade 4 teacher at the school, adopted her daughter, Sarah-Marie, from Haiti as a baby. 

As a mother of a Black child in Fort Saskatchewan, she said it was hard to find inclusive books and toys as her daughter grew up. 

"I always had to work hard to find things that represented her," Matichuk said.

Whether it was books at a library, or dolls in the Walmart toy aisle, the available options were predominantly white, she said.