NOW Toronto: 10 Things you may not know about black history in Canada

10 Things you may not know about black history in Canada
By Enzo Di Matteo


1. Black Loyalists from Nova Scotia set sail in a convoy of 15 ships across the Atlantic to found a colony of free blacks, appropriately named Freetown, in Sierra Leone in 1792. It’s a mere 30 kilometres from the notorious slave transit point Bance Island.

2. Blacks fought against American invaders in the War of 1812 as part of the Coloured Corps, founded by Richard Pierpoint, a native African sold into slavery and who won his freedom fighting with the British in the American Revolutionary War. The wrinkle: in this inspirational tale: the Corps was commanded by a white man, Captain Robert Runchey.

3. It wasn’t until 1979, more than five decades after its origins as Negro History Week in the U.S., that a Canadian city proclaimed Black History Month. No surprise it was Toronto.

4. Toronto was not only a haven for slaves escaping the U.S., but was ahead of its time in protecting the human rights of black citizens. In July 1843, city council, responding to concerns raised by blacks, refused to let a circus perform without assurances that it would not sing songs or perform acts that would be insulting to the city’s “gentlemen of colour.”

5. The Toronto Police Services swore in its first black officer in 1960. He was Jamaica-born Larry McLarty, who started on the railroad shining shoes when he first immigrated to Canada. McLarty served 32 years on the force.

6. Many African-American slaves who made their way north via the Underground Railroad had to leave children behind. Vigilance committees were sometimes enlisted stateside to abduct children to reunite them with their parents. ..........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.nowtoronto.com/news/story.cfm?content=173536

As the subject of her grade 6 biography project. When researching the project at our local library, one the librarians was almost brought to tears when my daughter explained why she chose Tubman. Turns out the librarian was from the southern US, so the story of Harrier Tubman was particularly meaningful.

Sid

Who knew?

:shrug:

found freedom in Canada.

Sid

:sarcasm:

Sid

We Americans, however, had to have a 1861-1865 bloodbath to achieve the same result. It really speaks to our character as a nation, IMHO.