For the month of February, YQG In Bloom is going to be dedicating itself to Black History
Month.
At the end of the month, we are going to end it with the very first performance of The
Price of Freedom.
It's put on by Act, the Arts Collective Theater, and it is written by a local writer, Carlos
Anthony.
So, I mean, I'm very excited and then I'm hoping it's going to be played elsewhere as
well.
But today we are in the Amherstburg Freedom Museum and I am with Assistant Curator Irene Moore
Davis and Vice President Barbara Porter.
How you guys doing today?
Great, how are you?
I'm good.
Thank you for coming out in this weather.
Also this is the museum's 50th anniversary.
Honestly, I hate to say this is the first time I've been here, but it is fascinating.
Well, I'm glad.
I hope it's not the last time you're here.
It definitely won't be.
Now, how long have you worked here, Barbara?
I have been on the board since 2016 and vice chair since 2017.
And you are newer to the family?
It's so funny because I'm not actually new.
I mean, I grew up at this museum.
My mom was a founding board member and I was literally the kid that cut the ribbon on
opening day.
But I have only worked here since October 2024.
So it's been a wonderful, full circle moment for me to come back here in that capacity.
Yeah, that would be really nice.
You have the museum and then there's also a cabin and a church as well.
Now that cabin is Taylor log cabin and is that right next door?
So this museum complex consists of Nazrey church and the Taylor log cabin and then
the main building.
And the Taylor log cabin is actually affixed to the front of the museum.
It wasn't originally on this property, but it was moved here to be part of the museum
complex because it's a really great glimpse into what a freedom seeking family would have
been living like in the mid 19th century.
What is the significance between the Underground Railroads and the Taylor log cabin?
Well, I mean, the Underground Railroad is a metaphor, right?
The Underground Railroad was a system of networks to freedom that people took from
all over to get to Canada in this case in order to seek freedom from child slavery.
When slavery was legal in Canada, it also flowed in reverse and people would leave
Canada and head to Michigan or Ohio or other free states and free territories to gain
their freedom.
But the Taylor log cabin was a place that was occupied by the Taylor family and they
were headed by a freedom seeker, Mr. George Taylor, who was originally enslaved in Kentucky.
He had served on the union side in the American Civil War and he settled with his family here
in Amherstburg as of the 1860s and actually generations of that family lived in the cabin
until the 1970s.
And then Max Simpson, our founder of the museum, decided to move it here to this property and
begin the process of stripping it back to its original state so that you can see how
the original cabin was built.
When you go inside it, you can actually see the ax marks in the wood and so on and really
understand what a simple life that was, but also how much it meant people to own their
own property and themselves.
And what got you started in the museum?
Actually I was approached to be a volunteer and I decided to be a bingo volunteer and
then after a while, after a year or so, I was offered the opportunity to be a part of the
board, which I am.
I've carried fundraising chair as well as the vice president.
I've looked around here while you guys were in a meeting and the artifacts and the history
and the culture that is in here is just amazing.
Like 50 years in the making, how do you go about collecting?
Do people just bring the artifacts here or?
I'll let Irene answer that.
Well, I mean, when this museum first opened, when this museum first opened, it was in Nazrey
AME Church's adjacent hall and Mack and Betty Simpson established this museum in the church
hall just to kind of tell the story of black families and individuals in Amherstburg through
the generations and particularly the underground railroad history.
So so many people in this region, not just in Amherstburg but throughout Essex County,
were excited to bring their artifacts that represented their families' stories and all
of their ancestors' objects and photos that they had held on to.
Because really until this museum was established, there wasn't an appropriate repository for
a lot of that stuff.
People who had been desiring to tell their ancestral stories found themselves turned
away from mainstream museums and archives, but this was a place that really celebrated
black history.
And so a lot of people found it a point of pride to bring their stuff here.
And so we of course have everything that's in the permanent collection, but in our archives
and our holdings downstairs, we have so many wonderful things that really tell the stories
of so many of these families who descend from the original freedom seekers who made their
way to Amherstburg to Windsor to Sandwich and other places nearby.
Now how is the museum able to collaborate and help act put on this play?
Or it would be Carlos writing the script for the play.
Actually I've gone to act's plays, I've donated to act in that, and then I thought of possibly
collaborating with them.
I had an idea in my head about a play, doing something on a smaller scale here at the church
actually and putting on an event with act.
And when I sat down and spoke with Chris and Moya, they thought, well, my idea was good,
but we could put it on a bigger scale.
So that's what we started working on almost a year ago.
And they were able to get Carlos to write the script and we're going from there.
So that's how we connected up with them.
That's wonderful.
And I heard that it's just grown and grown and grown there and telling me last week that
it's like two acts long.
Right.
Yeah.
It's a story and it's the story of John Anderson.
And what was his role?
John Anderson was an actual person that escaped slavery in the United States, but during his
escape his owner caught up with him again.
And they tussled and he ended up killing the owner.
And then from there he escaped into Canada to go on from there.
I don't want to tell too much of the story, but yeah, he escaped into Canada.
He was in the Windsor area at one time, Chatham up to Toronto area.
And he was caught by the, what do you call them?
Bounty hunters.
Yes.
He was caught by the bounty hunters and they wanted to take him back to the States, in
which case Canada at that time didn't recognize slavery in that.
So they ended up having a court case and that's what the play is based on.
Oh, but I didn't give out too much information.
Did I?
I don't think so.
Because now I want to know what's happened next.
And I don't know the story of it and I will definitely be going and seeing the play.
I'm really excited to see that.
I think everybody should go and see the play.
I think they'll be excited and be educated at the same time, but it's going to be very
entertaining.
It will be.
And I know a few of the cast members and they're wonderful people and it's going to be great.
Now what was the significance of the case of John Anderson?
Well, I mean, for a lot of freedom seekers who were living throughout Canada, especially
Ontario, they were really, really nervous about this case.
If John Anderson was sent back to the United States, it could mean that many of them could
be sent back.
And so a lot of people of African descent, as well as those who were against slavery,
were really paying close attention to that case.
They were often gathered around the building where the hearing was happening and really,
really needing to know how it turned out.
It's a very suspenseful and exciting play that Carlos Anthony has written.
And it's not an easy thing to do, writing a play about historical events and keeping
it full of suspense and so interesting, but it's something everybody's got to see.
Now, that did bring up a question for me because there is a section over right behind these
ladies that you guys can't see.
And it's the tradition of service, black military presence in Amesburg.
So we were still a British colony back then.
So when people, the black people came through the Underground Railroad, were they classified
as British colonists once they got here?
Or was there something that they had to go through to in order to become a British citizen?
Basically, once people arrived on British soil, they were free and they were considered
British subjects as long as Britain was in control of these colonies.
It's one of the reasons why when the Upper Canada Rebellion happened, formerly enslaved
men like Josiah Henson and Elijah McCoy's father, George, were so concerned that this
should become part of America, which is what some of the secessionists wanted.
They were very eager to defend this land and make sure that it stayed British.
And that was also true in the War of 1812, where many men of African descent fought on
the British side to make sure that this would remain a free territory for them.
For them for us.
And that way they wouldn't be able to be, say, brought back.
So it was their safety net.
It was their safety net.
And I mean, don't get us wrong.
There were lots of bounty hunters and so-called slave catchers who would come across the border
and try to abduct people and take them back.
But particularly after the 1833 case of Thornton and Lucy Blackburn, which happened in Sandwood
in basically where Mackenzie Hall is now, it was the policy of the British government
that they would, unless there were very strange circumstances, not officially turn people back
over to be re-enslaved in the United States.
We still kind of have that law now.
You can't extradite to a place where they will kill you.
And they have the death sentence.
And that's probably what would happen to them if they were brought back to their owners.
And many legal scholars have certainly indicated that these early cases of freedom seekers
in Canada had a lot to do with shaping our extradition laws.
Now, because it's Black History Month, is there any other significant or historical
areas in the Windsor-Essex County area?
We have such incredible history here in this region.
I mean, in the Detroit River area, this was one of the most important crossing points
for the Underground Railroad because it was a geographically advantageous place for formerly
enslaved people to cross into Canada.
It's not a mountainous region.
There aren't rapids.
It's geographically an advantageous place to cross.
Even though there are no easy Underground Railroad journeys, right?
So there are lots of places in this region where people of African descent settled in
the Underground Railroad era.
And we honor those places in a lot of ways.
Certainly Sandwich First Baptist Church is another great place to visit.
They do offer tours that you can book by appointment.
And they sometimes have special events where you can go in and see the place where they
actually hid formerly enslaved people who were being sought by their enslavers or bounty
hunters under the floorboards of the church.
It's a very special and sacred place to visit for that reason.
We have the Tower of Freedom Underground Railroad monument in downtown Windsor, which holds
Canada's federal historic plaque about the Underground Railroad.
That's how important this region was that the federal historic plaque about the Underground
Railroad is here in Essex County.
Certainly we would encourage people to check out the John and Jane Freeman Walls Historic
Site.
Take a look at the McDougal Street Corridor walking tour that you can find online and
also the Sandwich Black History walking tour, which you can find if you look up across the
River to Freedom.
There's a whole series of public art murals and things that tell the stories of our history,
the Sandwich Black History mural, the McDougal Street Corridor murals near Windsor Eats and
Alton C. Parker Park, and certainly the Reaching Out mural at Wyandotte McDougal.
And you know, there's a new Mary Ann Sadkerrie sculpture at the corner of Tadam and Ferry
that's been there since 2022.
A lot of people don't realize that she started her newspaper here in Windsor and was the
first black woman in North America to start a newspaper and the first woman in Canada
to do so back in 1853.
There's so many places that you can go to learn about this history, so I encourage people
to do that.
Now you guys are celebrating your 50th anniversary, when is the actual date for that?
That will be September 20th of 2025.
Okay, and do you guys have anything special planned for the anniversary?
Nothing solid yet, do you want to?
That's my idea.
Well, I mean, from February right through to September, there will be all kinds of activities
at the museum and around the community that people can engage in as we celebrate, first
of all, Black History Month and then of course, the various ways of celebrating our 50th anniversary.
It's very rare that a black museum like this one or a black heritage society has a bricks
and mortar location that remains in place for 50 years, sustaining itself and having
the opportunity to tell these stories that are so important.
So we really do want to celebrate with the whole community that we're still here still
doing this work.
That's great.
And do you guys, is there anything scheduled for Black History Month?
There are a ton of things scheduled for Black History Month.
I mean, first of all, the Amherstburg Freedom Museum hosts the regional activity schedule
for Black History Month, so anyone who's offering a Black History Month event around Windsor
Essex County is encouraged to submit their details here so that we can make sure we're
amplifying all of those ways that people can go out and learn about our history.
But we start with a kickoff program on January 31st at the Caribbean Center, which is a joint
endeavor with a few different organizations.
We have a wonderful book signing with Craig Shrieve that's happening on February 8th here
at the museum.
We also have the opening of the Artists of Color exhibit here starting on February 8th
in the afternoon, so everyone's encouraged to come to that.
We'll be hosting the Windsor Symphony Orchestra on February 14th in the historic Nazarene
AME Church, which is a historic site, a national historic site on the museum's property.
We'll have quite a number of things going on, children's events and so on, so just check
out our website and as well as our social media, you'll be able to see all of the things
we have going on.
And then there are things happening through the spring, summer and fall as well.
Wow, you guys have a busy schedule going on.
Now, I want to ask you, Barbara, out of all of the wonderful pieces of history, do you
have a favorite in here?
Actually I do.
I don't know if you know anything about me at all, but the number two construction battalion,
which is a large picture right up at the top there.
Okay, so in working with the museum and being on their board, I found out that I had relatives
that were in that.
The number two construction battalion was Canada's biggest secret.
It was the only black battalion that Canada ever had.
Okay, and a couple of years ago, I was able to go to Nova Scotia where Justin Trudeau
gave an official apology for the way the men were treated and stuff like that.
So I was able to do that.
I've gone around and spoke in different places about the number two and educating people
on the number two, but I've also put photos, not that photo, a smaller photo that was shot
here in Windsor of some of the men of the number two construction battalion, and I put
them in most of the legions in Windsor Essex area.
Oh, that's wonderful.
Including the Kingsville Military Museum there.
There was a lot of men in that battalion.
There was over 700 if I'm not mistaken.
There were and about 150 of them signed up in Windsor, so they were largely Windsor
Essex County people and we need to tell that story more for sure.
Definitely, and do you have a favorite?
It's so hard to pick one favorite.
Can I cheat and pick two?
Yes.
I have a couple of these from walking around here.
I love everything in this museum and I really love and look up to all of the people that
we talked about in this museum, but I'm always excited when I get to bring tourists and visitors
over to the picture of Elijah McCoy and share with them that this man that we know as the
real McCoy who's considered one of the most prolific of African American inventors who
had 57 patented inventions was actually from Essex County born in Coldchester in 1844,
the child of two formerly enslaved people from Kentucky.
And that is such a success story.
That's a story of someone who would have grown up in slavery, would have had none of those
educational opportunities, most likely, but because of his parents' brave choice to come
and live in freedom, was able to become a mechanical engineer and ultimately this incredible
inventor.
And the other favorite story that's represented here is of Delos Rogers Davis.
No relation to my husband's Davis as far as I know, but Delos Rogers Davis was born
in slavery in Maryland, came here as a child with his parents on the Underground Railroad
and was wise enough and skilled enough and incredibly smart enough to become a lawyer
and became Canada's third black lawyer, obviously the first freedom seeker to become a lawyer.
And not just any lawyer, he was a brilliant lawyer who did a lot of great work.
He was like the Johnny Cochran of his day around here and became the first black man
in the British Empire, the whole British Empire to receive the designation King's Council.
So we've got his desk over here in the museum.
That's beautiful.
It is.
It is and it has a sign that says, please do not touch it.
Every corner of this museum tells a story of just these incredibly resilient, brave,
intelligent, resourceful people and all of the things that they did to overcome their
circumstances and to really contribute to Canadian society.
So we're so proud of this entire museum and we hope everybody will come and visit this
year of our 50th anniversary.
Now I have to say I have a couple of favorites.
First of all, that piano is beyond gorgeous.
And then you also have a copy of Tom's Cabin?
Well, Josiah Henson was the inspiration for Uncle Tom's Cabin, right?
Josiah Henson was a formerly enslaved person from Maryland who made his way to Canada,
originally settled in Fort Erie initially, came down here, lived in Colchester for a
while.
While he was down in Essex County, he actually commanded a black militia unit that was very
active in the 1837, 1838 rebellion defending Amherstburg specifically.
They were involved in capturing a rebel schooner, the schooner Anne, and were recognized in
the provincial parliament for that.
And then he decided to found the dawn settlement in Dresden.
He wrote his autobiography and Harriet Beecher Stowe, the great American novelist, used it
as her inspiration for Uncle Tom's Cabin, which is a novel that's considered one of
the greatest of the 19th century.
It's been translated into every language almost.
And it really helped a lot of people decide that slavery was wrong.
How old is that copy that you have?
So we have a copy of that book of Uncle Tom's Cabin and it's a reproduction from the 45th
anniversary of the first printing.
So it's from 1897.
The book was published in 1852.
And yeah, a lot of people consider him the real Uncle Tom.
And Josiah Henson actually was able to travel around the United States, Canada, and even
Britain as the real Uncle Tom to raise funds for those who were newly escaping from slavery
and needed a bit of a lift as they arrived, like any refugee often does.
Oh my God, there's so many amazing people that we need to learn more about.
That's just all there is to it.
I am so glad that I was able to come here today and to learn just this small little
piece of the black history in Essex County and Amosburg and actually Canada, because
it's not just from our area.
Now how can people find you?
What is your website?
If people want to look us up online, we're amherstbergfreedom.org.
So amherstbergfreedom.org.
And we also have profiles on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, you name it.
I'll have it all in my description.
And are you guys going to be there for opening night of the press of freedom?
Definitely I will be there.
I'm definitely going to be there too.
I'm so excited.
I appreciate you guys so much for taking the time to sit down and explain just the small
portion of the wonderful things you guys do for the black community of Essex County.
Thank you so much for having us.
Definitely if you are in this area, come on in and take a look because you won't be disappointed.
It is wonderful.
And again, my name is Tracy Martens and thank you for joining me for another episode of
YQG In BLOOM.
You all have a wonderful day.