1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:12,000 For the month of February, YQG In Bloom is going to be dedicating itself to Black History 2 00:00:12,000 --> 00:00:13,000 Month. 3 00:00:13,000 --> 00:00:22,000 At the end of the month, we are going to end it with the very first performance of The 4 00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:23,000 Price of Freedom. 5 00:00:23,000 --> 00:00:29,840 It's put on by Act, the Arts Collective Theater, and it is written by a local writer, Carlos 6 00:00:29,840 --> 00:00:30,840 Anthony. 7 00:00:30,840 --> 00:00:36,640 So, I mean, I'm very excited and then I'm hoping it's going to be played elsewhere as 8 00:00:36,640 --> 00:00:37,640 well. 9 00:00:37,640 --> 00:00:43,980 But today we are in the Amherstburg Freedom Museum and I am with Assistant Curator Irene Moore 10 00:00:43,980 --> 00:00:47,280 Davis and Vice President Barbara Porter. 11 00:00:47,280 --> 00:00:48,280 How you guys doing today? 12 00:00:48,280 --> 00:00:49,680 Great, how are you? 13 00:00:49,680 --> 00:00:50,680 I'm good. 14 00:00:50,680 --> 00:00:54,480 Thank you for coming out in this weather. 15 00:00:54,480 --> 00:00:57,520 Also this is the museum's 50th anniversary. 16 00:00:57,520 --> 00:01:02,040 Honestly, I hate to say this is the first time I've been here, but it is fascinating. 17 00:01:02,040 --> 00:01:03,040 Well, I'm glad. 18 00:01:03,040 --> 00:01:05,720 I hope it's not the last time you're here. 19 00:01:05,720 --> 00:01:06,960 It definitely won't be. 20 00:01:06,960 --> 00:01:07,960 It definitely won't be. 21 00:01:07,960 --> 00:01:10,000 Now, how long have you worked here, Barbara? 22 00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:16,360 I have been on the board since 2016 and vice chair since 2017. 23 00:01:16,360 --> 00:01:18,440 And you are newer to the family? 24 00:01:18,440 --> 00:01:20,760 It's so funny because I'm not actually new. 25 00:01:20,760 --> 00:01:22,560 I mean, I grew up at this museum. 26 00:01:22,560 --> 00:01:26,360 My mom was a founding board member and I was literally the kid that cut the ribbon on 27 00:01:26,360 --> 00:01:28,760 opening day. 28 00:01:28,760 --> 00:01:32,840 But I have only worked here since October 2024. 29 00:01:32,840 --> 00:01:38,120 So it's been a wonderful, full circle moment for me to come back here in that capacity. 30 00:01:38,120 --> 00:01:40,800 Yeah, that would be really nice. 31 00:01:40,800 --> 00:01:47,160 You have the museum and then there's also a cabin and a church as well. 32 00:01:47,160 --> 00:01:52,240 Now that cabin is Taylor log cabin and is that right next door? 33 00:01:52,240 --> 00:01:57,320 So this museum complex consists of Nazrey church and the Taylor log cabin and then 34 00:01:57,320 --> 00:01:59,200 the main building. 35 00:01:59,200 --> 00:02:03,720 And the Taylor log cabin is actually affixed to the front of the museum. 36 00:02:03,720 --> 00:02:07,360 It wasn't originally on this property, but it was moved here to be part of the museum 37 00:02:07,360 --> 00:02:11,960 complex because it's a really great glimpse into what a freedom seeking family would have 38 00:02:11,960 --> 00:02:15,960 been living like in the mid 19th century. 39 00:02:15,960 --> 00:02:22,320 What is the significance between the Underground Railroads and the Taylor log cabin? 40 00:02:22,320 --> 00:02:25,600 Well, I mean, the Underground Railroad is a metaphor, right? 41 00:02:25,600 --> 00:02:30,080 The Underground Railroad was a system of networks to freedom that people took from 42 00:02:30,080 --> 00:02:36,520 all over to get to Canada in this case in order to seek freedom from child slavery. 43 00:02:36,520 --> 00:02:40,840 When slavery was legal in Canada, it also flowed in reverse and people would leave 44 00:02:40,840 --> 00:02:46,880 Canada and head to Michigan or Ohio or other free states and free territories to gain 45 00:02:46,880 --> 00:02:47,880 their freedom. 46 00:02:47,880 --> 00:02:53,120 But the Taylor log cabin was a place that was occupied by the Taylor family and they 47 00:02:53,120 --> 00:02:59,640 were headed by a freedom seeker, Mr. George Taylor, who was originally enslaved in Kentucky. 48 00:02:59,640 --> 00:03:05,480 He had served on the union side in the American Civil War and he settled with his family here 49 00:03:05,480 --> 00:03:11,640 in Amherstburg as of the 1860s and actually generations of that family lived in the cabin 50 00:03:11,640 --> 00:03:13,880 until the 1970s. 51 00:03:13,880 --> 00:03:19,760 And then Max Simpson, our founder of the museum, decided to move it here to this property and 52 00:03:19,760 --> 00:03:23,840 begin the process of stripping it back to its original state so that you can see how 53 00:03:23,840 --> 00:03:26,000 the original cabin was built. 54 00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:30,680 When you go inside it, you can actually see the ax marks in the wood and so on and really 55 00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:34,640 understand what a simple life that was, but also how much it meant people to own their 56 00:03:34,640 --> 00:03:37,640 own property and themselves. 57 00:03:37,640 --> 00:03:41,760 And what got you started in the museum? 58 00:03:41,760 --> 00:03:49,560 Actually I was approached to be a volunteer and I decided to be a bingo volunteer and 59 00:03:49,560 --> 00:03:55,480 then after a while, after a year or so, I was offered the opportunity to be a part of the 60 00:03:55,480 --> 00:03:57,280 board, which I am. 61 00:03:57,280 --> 00:04:02,320 I've carried fundraising chair as well as the vice president. 62 00:04:02,320 --> 00:04:08,160 I've looked around here while you guys were in a meeting and the artifacts and the history 63 00:04:08,160 --> 00:04:11,840 and the culture that is in here is just amazing. 64 00:04:11,840 --> 00:04:17,200 Like 50 years in the making, how do you go about collecting? 65 00:04:17,200 --> 00:04:20,000 Do people just bring the artifacts here or? 66 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:22,400 I'll let Irene answer that. 67 00:04:22,400 --> 00:04:28,320 Well, I mean, when this museum first opened, when this museum first opened, it was in Nazrey 68 00:04:28,320 --> 00:04:35,120 AME Church's adjacent hall and Mack and Betty Simpson established this museum in the church 69 00:04:35,120 --> 00:04:39,760 hall just to kind of tell the story of black families and individuals in Amherstburg through 70 00:04:39,760 --> 00:04:43,560 the generations and particularly the underground railroad history. 71 00:04:43,560 --> 00:04:48,480 So so many people in this region, not just in Amherstburg but throughout Essex County, 72 00:04:48,480 --> 00:04:54,600 were excited to bring their artifacts that represented their families' stories and all 73 00:04:54,600 --> 00:04:59,120 of their ancestors' objects and photos that they had held on to. 74 00:04:59,120 --> 00:05:04,000 Because really until this museum was established, there wasn't an appropriate repository for 75 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:05,960 a lot of that stuff. 76 00:05:05,960 --> 00:05:09,920 People who had been desiring to tell their ancestral stories found themselves turned 77 00:05:09,920 --> 00:05:15,080 away from mainstream museums and archives, but this was a place that really celebrated 78 00:05:15,080 --> 00:05:16,600 black history. 79 00:05:16,600 --> 00:05:21,440 And so a lot of people found it a point of pride to bring their stuff here. 80 00:05:21,440 --> 00:05:25,920 And so we of course have everything that's in the permanent collection, but in our archives 81 00:05:25,920 --> 00:05:31,800 and our holdings downstairs, we have so many wonderful things that really tell the stories 82 00:05:31,800 --> 00:05:36,400 of so many of these families who descend from the original freedom seekers who made their 83 00:05:36,400 --> 00:05:40,800 way to Amherstburg to Windsor to Sandwich and other places nearby. 84 00:05:40,800 --> 00:05:47,840 Now how is the museum able to collaborate and help act put on this play? 85 00:05:47,840 --> 00:05:52,720 Or it would be Carlos writing the script for the play. 86 00:05:52,720 --> 00:06:01,760 Actually I've gone to act's plays, I've donated to act in that, and then I thought of possibly 87 00:06:01,760 --> 00:06:03,120 collaborating with them. 88 00:06:03,120 --> 00:06:09,560 I had an idea in my head about a play, doing something on a smaller scale here at the church 89 00:06:09,560 --> 00:06:12,760 actually and putting on an event with act. 90 00:06:12,760 --> 00:06:17,820 And when I sat down and spoke with Chris and Moya, they thought, well, my idea was good, 91 00:06:17,820 --> 00:06:20,720 but we could put it on a bigger scale. 92 00:06:20,720 --> 00:06:25,840 So that's what we started working on almost a year ago. 93 00:06:25,840 --> 00:06:32,320 And they were able to get Carlos to write the script and we're going from there. 94 00:06:32,320 --> 00:06:35,760 So that's how we connected up with them. 95 00:06:35,760 --> 00:06:36,760 That's wonderful. 96 00:06:36,760 --> 00:06:42,400 And I heard that it's just grown and grown and grown there and telling me last week that 97 00:06:42,400 --> 00:06:44,920 it's like two acts long. 98 00:06:44,920 --> 00:06:45,920 Right. 99 00:06:45,920 --> 00:06:46,920 Yeah. 100 00:06:46,920 --> 00:06:50,840 It's a story and it's the story of John Anderson. 101 00:06:50,840 --> 00:06:54,120 And what was his role? 102 00:06:54,120 --> 00:07:03,880 John Anderson was an actual person that escaped slavery in the United States, but during his 103 00:07:03,880 --> 00:07:07,320 escape his owner caught up with him again. 104 00:07:07,320 --> 00:07:10,520 And they tussled and he ended up killing the owner. 105 00:07:10,520 --> 00:07:17,040 And then from there he escaped into Canada to go on from there. 106 00:07:17,040 --> 00:07:21,320 I don't want to tell too much of the story, but yeah, he escaped into Canada. 107 00:07:21,320 --> 00:07:25,840 He was in the Windsor area at one time, Chatham up to Toronto area. 108 00:07:25,840 --> 00:07:31,480 And he was caught by the, what do you call them? 109 00:07:31,480 --> 00:07:32,480 Bounty hunters. 110 00:07:32,480 --> 00:07:33,480 Yes. 111 00:07:33,480 --> 00:07:37,560 He was caught by the bounty hunters and they wanted to take him back to the States, in 112 00:07:37,560 --> 00:07:40,720 which case Canada at that time didn't recognize slavery in that. 113 00:07:40,720 --> 00:07:45,800 So they ended up having a court case and that's what the play is based on. 114 00:07:45,800 --> 00:07:48,160 Oh, but I didn't give out too much information. 115 00:07:48,160 --> 00:07:49,160 Did I? 116 00:07:49,160 --> 00:07:50,160 I don't think so. 117 00:07:50,160 --> 00:07:53,560 Because now I want to know what's happened next. 118 00:07:53,560 --> 00:07:57,960 And I don't know the story of it and I will definitely be going and seeing the play. 119 00:07:57,960 --> 00:08:00,240 I'm really excited to see that. 120 00:08:00,240 --> 00:08:02,440 I think everybody should go and see the play. 121 00:08:02,440 --> 00:08:06,920 I think they'll be excited and be educated at the same time, but it's going to be very 122 00:08:06,920 --> 00:08:07,920 entertaining. 123 00:08:07,920 --> 00:08:08,920 It will be. 124 00:08:08,920 --> 00:08:15,720 And I know a few of the cast members and they're wonderful people and it's going to be great. 125 00:08:15,720 --> 00:08:19,000 Now what was the significance of the case of John Anderson? 126 00:08:19,000 --> 00:08:23,800 Well, I mean, for a lot of freedom seekers who were living throughout Canada, especially 127 00:08:23,800 --> 00:08:27,840 Ontario, they were really, really nervous about this case. 128 00:08:27,840 --> 00:08:33,200 If John Anderson was sent back to the United States, it could mean that many of them could 129 00:08:33,200 --> 00:08:34,600 be sent back. 130 00:08:34,600 --> 00:08:38,800 And so a lot of people of African descent, as well as those who were against slavery, 131 00:08:38,800 --> 00:08:41,960 were really paying close attention to that case. 132 00:08:41,960 --> 00:08:46,800 They were often gathered around the building where the hearing was happening and really, 133 00:08:46,800 --> 00:08:49,400 really needing to know how it turned out. 134 00:08:49,400 --> 00:08:53,600 It's a very suspenseful and exciting play that Carlos Anthony has written. 135 00:08:53,600 --> 00:08:57,840 And it's not an easy thing to do, writing a play about historical events and keeping 136 00:08:57,840 --> 00:09:03,320 it full of suspense and so interesting, but it's something everybody's got to see. 137 00:09:03,320 --> 00:09:09,240 Now, that did bring up a question for me because there is a section over right behind these 138 00:09:09,240 --> 00:09:11,760 ladies that you guys can't see. 139 00:09:11,760 --> 00:09:16,400 And it's the tradition of service, black military presence in Amesburg. 140 00:09:16,400 --> 00:09:19,780 So we were still a British colony back then. 141 00:09:19,780 --> 00:09:25,800 So when people, the black people came through the Underground Railroad, were they classified 142 00:09:25,800 --> 00:09:29,040 as British colonists once they got here? 143 00:09:29,040 --> 00:09:35,800 Or was there something that they had to go through to in order to become a British citizen? 144 00:09:35,800 --> 00:09:41,200 Basically, once people arrived on British soil, they were free and they were considered 145 00:09:41,200 --> 00:09:45,880 British subjects as long as Britain was in control of these colonies. 146 00:09:45,880 --> 00:09:50,760 It's one of the reasons why when the Upper Canada Rebellion happened, formerly enslaved 147 00:09:50,760 --> 00:09:57,800 men like Josiah Henson and Elijah McCoy's father, George, were so concerned that this 148 00:09:57,800 --> 00:10:02,520 should become part of America, which is what some of the secessionists wanted. 149 00:10:02,520 --> 00:10:07,360 They were very eager to defend this land and make sure that it stayed British. 150 00:10:07,360 --> 00:10:11,280 And that was also true in the War of 1812, where many men of African descent fought on 151 00:10:11,280 --> 00:10:16,880 the British side to make sure that this would remain a free territory for them. 152 00:10:16,880 --> 00:10:18,240 For them for us. 153 00:10:18,240 --> 00:10:23,080 And that way they wouldn't be able to be, say, brought back. 154 00:10:23,080 --> 00:10:24,840 So it was their safety net. 155 00:10:24,840 --> 00:10:25,840 It was their safety net. 156 00:10:25,840 --> 00:10:27,600 And I mean, don't get us wrong. 157 00:10:27,600 --> 00:10:32,360 There were lots of bounty hunters and so-called slave catchers who would come across the border 158 00:10:32,360 --> 00:10:35,560 and try to abduct people and take them back. 159 00:10:35,560 --> 00:10:41,600 But particularly after the 1833 case of Thornton and Lucy Blackburn, which happened in Sandwood 160 00:10:41,600 --> 00:10:47,560 in basically where Mackenzie Hall is now, it was the policy of the British government 161 00:10:47,560 --> 00:10:53,880 that they would, unless there were very strange circumstances, not officially turn people back 162 00:10:53,880 --> 00:10:56,760 over to be re-enslaved in the United States. 163 00:10:56,760 --> 00:10:58,560 We still kind of have that law now. 164 00:10:58,560 --> 00:11:03,560 You can't extradite to a place where they will kill you. 165 00:11:03,560 --> 00:11:04,760 And they have the death sentence. 166 00:11:04,760 --> 00:11:11,320 And that's probably what would happen to them if they were brought back to their owners. 167 00:11:11,320 --> 00:11:16,640 And many legal scholars have certainly indicated that these early cases of freedom seekers 168 00:11:16,640 --> 00:11:20,680 in Canada had a lot to do with shaping our extradition laws. 169 00:11:20,680 --> 00:11:27,400 Now, because it's Black History Month, is there any other significant or historical 170 00:11:27,400 --> 00:11:30,440 areas in the Windsor-Essex County area? 171 00:11:30,440 --> 00:11:33,240 We have such incredible history here in this region. 172 00:11:33,240 --> 00:11:37,320 I mean, in the Detroit River area, this was one of the most important crossing points 173 00:11:37,320 --> 00:11:41,840 for the Underground Railroad because it was a geographically advantageous place for formerly 174 00:11:41,840 --> 00:11:44,800 enslaved people to cross into Canada. 175 00:11:44,800 --> 00:11:46,120 It's not a mountainous region. 176 00:11:46,120 --> 00:11:47,200 There aren't rapids. 177 00:11:47,200 --> 00:11:50,120 It's geographically an advantageous place to cross. 178 00:11:50,120 --> 00:11:53,120 Even though there are no easy Underground Railroad journeys, right? 179 00:11:53,120 --> 00:11:58,160 So there are lots of places in this region where people of African descent settled in 180 00:11:58,160 --> 00:12:00,600 the Underground Railroad era. 181 00:12:00,600 --> 00:12:03,760 And we honor those places in a lot of ways. 182 00:12:03,760 --> 00:12:07,040 Certainly Sandwich First Baptist Church is another great place to visit. 183 00:12:07,040 --> 00:12:10,600 They do offer tours that you can book by appointment. 184 00:12:10,600 --> 00:12:14,000 And they sometimes have special events where you can go in and see the place where they 185 00:12:14,000 --> 00:12:19,880 actually hid formerly enslaved people who were being sought by their enslavers or bounty 186 00:12:19,880 --> 00:12:22,680 hunters under the floorboards of the church. 187 00:12:22,680 --> 00:12:26,880 It's a very special and sacred place to visit for that reason. 188 00:12:26,880 --> 00:12:30,960 We have the Tower of Freedom Underground Railroad monument in downtown Windsor, which holds 189 00:12:30,960 --> 00:12:35,320 Canada's federal historic plaque about the Underground Railroad. 190 00:12:35,320 --> 00:12:39,320 That's how important this region was that the federal historic plaque about the Underground 191 00:12:39,320 --> 00:12:41,840 Railroad is here in Essex County. 192 00:12:41,840 --> 00:12:45,600 Certainly we would encourage people to check out the John and Jane Freeman Walls Historic 193 00:12:45,600 --> 00:12:46,800 Site. 194 00:12:46,800 --> 00:12:50,840 Take a look at the McDougal Street Corridor walking tour that you can find online and 195 00:12:50,840 --> 00:12:55,080 also the Sandwich Black History walking tour, which you can find if you look up across the 196 00:12:55,080 --> 00:12:56,580 River to Freedom. 197 00:12:56,580 --> 00:13:02,120 There's a whole series of public art murals and things that tell the stories of our history, 198 00:13:02,120 --> 00:13:06,520 the Sandwich Black History mural, the McDougal Street Corridor murals near Windsor Eats and 199 00:13:06,520 --> 00:13:13,160 Alton C. Parker Park, and certainly the Reaching Out mural at Wyandotte McDougal. 200 00:13:13,160 --> 00:13:18,200 And you know, there's a new Mary Ann Sadkerrie sculpture at the corner of Tadam and Ferry 201 00:13:18,200 --> 00:13:20,720 that's been there since 2022. 202 00:13:20,720 --> 00:13:25,720 A lot of people don't realize that she started her newspaper here in Windsor and was the 203 00:13:25,720 --> 00:13:30,280 first black woman in North America to start a newspaper and the first woman in Canada 204 00:13:30,280 --> 00:13:33,480 to do so back in 1853. 205 00:13:33,480 --> 00:13:36,920 There's so many places that you can go to learn about this history, so I encourage people 206 00:13:36,920 --> 00:13:38,420 to do that. 207 00:13:38,420 --> 00:13:44,400 Now you guys are celebrating your 50th anniversary, when is the actual date for that? 208 00:13:44,400 --> 00:13:47,120 That will be September 20th of 2025. 209 00:13:47,120 --> 00:13:53,080 Okay, and do you guys have anything special planned for the anniversary? 210 00:13:53,080 --> 00:13:54,920 Nothing solid yet, do you want to? 211 00:13:54,920 --> 00:13:56,520 That's my idea. 212 00:13:56,520 --> 00:14:02,460 Well, I mean, from February right through to September, there will be all kinds of activities 213 00:14:02,460 --> 00:14:07,120 at the museum and around the community that people can engage in as we celebrate, first 214 00:14:07,120 --> 00:14:13,280 of all, Black History Month and then of course, the various ways of celebrating our 50th anniversary. 215 00:14:13,280 --> 00:14:20,640 It's very rare that a black museum like this one or a black heritage society has a bricks 216 00:14:20,640 --> 00:14:27,400 and mortar location that remains in place for 50 years, sustaining itself and having 217 00:14:27,400 --> 00:14:30,600 the opportunity to tell these stories that are so important. 218 00:14:30,600 --> 00:14:34,560 So we really do want to celebrate with the whole community that we're still here still 219 00:14:34,560 --> 00:14:36,040 doing this work. 220 00:14:36,040 --> 00:14:37,240 That's great. 221 00:14:37,240 --> 00:14:42,720 And do you guys, is there anything scheduled for Black History Month? 222 00:14:42,720 --> 00:14:45,480 There are a ton of things scheduled for Black History Month. 223 00:14:45,480 --> 00:14:50,200 I mean, first of all, the Amherstburg Freedom Museum hosts the regional activity schedule 224 00:14:50,200 --> 00:14:55,080 for Black History Month, so anyone who's offering a Black History Month event around Windsor 225 00:14:55,080 --> 00:14:59,920 Essex County is encouraged to submit their details here so that we can make sure we're 226 00:14:59,920 --> 00:15:04,280 amplifying all of those ways that people can go out and learn about our history. 227 00:15:04,280 --> 00:15:09,840 But we start with a kickoff program on January 31st at the Caribbean Center, which is a joint 228 00:15:09,840 --> 00:15:13,040 endeavor with a few different organizations. 229 00:15:13,040 --> 00:15:19,320 We have a wonderful book signing with Craig Shrieve that's happening on February 8th here 230 00:15:19,320 --> 00:15:20,800 at the museum. 231 00:15:20,800 --> 00:15:26,320 We also have the opening of the Artists of Color exhibit here starting on February 8th 232 00:15:26,320 --> 00:15:29,800 in the afternoon, so everyone's encouraged to come to that. 233 00:15:29,800 --> 00:15:34,400 We'll be hosting the Windsor Symphony Orchestra on February 14th in the historic Nazarene 234 00:15:34,400 --> 00:15:40,080 AME Church, which is a historic site, a national historic site on the museum's property. 235 00:15:40,080 --> 00:15:44,720 We'll have quite a number of things going on, children's events and so on, so just check 236 00:15:44,720 --> 00:15:48,560 out our website and as well as our social media, you'll be able to see all of the things 237 00:15:48,560 --> 00:15:50,040 we have going on. 238 00:15:50,040 --> 00:15:53,280 And then there are things happening through the spring, summer and fall as well. 239 00:15:53,280 --> 00:15:56,680 Wow, you guys have a busy schedule going on. 240 00:15:56,680 --> 00:16:04,120 Now, I want to ask you, Barbara, out of all of the wonderful pieces of history, do you 241 00:16:04,120 --> 00:16:06,040 have a favorite in here? 242 00:16:06,040 --> 00:16:07,800 Actually I do. 243 00:16:07,800 --> 00:16:12,720 I don't know if you know anything about me at all, but the number two construction battalion, 244 00:16:12,720 --> 00:16:16,800 which is a large picture right up at the top there. 245 00:16:16,800 --> 00:16:22,400 Okay, so in working with the museum and being on their board, I found out that I had relatives 246 00:16:22,400 --> 00:16:24,040 that were in that. 247 00:16:24,040 --> 00:16:27,960 The number two construction battalion was Canada's biggest secret. 248 00:16:27,960 --> 00:16:32,840 It was the only black battalion that Canada ever had. 249 00:16:32,840 --> 00:16:38,440 Okay, and a couple of years ago, I was able to go to Nova Scotia where Justin Trudeau 250 00:16:38,440 --> 00:16:43,440 gave an official apology for the way the men were treated and stuff like that. 251 00:16:43,440 --> 00:16:45,720 So I was able to do that. 252 00:16:45,720 --> 00:16:51,080 I've gone around and spoke in different places about the number two and educating people 253 00:16:51,080 --> 00:16:57,200 on the number two, but I've also put photos, not that photo, a smaller photo that was shot 254 00:16:57,200 --> 00:17:01,960 here in Windsor of some of the men of the number two construction battalion, and I put 255 00:17:01,960 --> 00:17:05,640 them in most of the legions in Windsor Essex area. 256 00:17:05,640 --> 00:17:07,720 Oh, that's wonderful. 257 00:17:07,720 --> 00:17:12,520 Including the Kingsville Military Museum there. 258 00:17:12,520 --> 00:17:14,760 There was a lot of men in that battalion. 259 00:17:14,760 --> 00:17:17,120 There was over 700 if I'm not mistaken. 260 00:17:17,120 --> 00:17:21,360 There were and about 150 of them signed up in Windsor, so they were largely Windsor 261 00:17:21,360 --> 00:17:26,200 Essex County people and we need to tell that story more for sure. 262 00:17:26,200 --> 00:17:28,200 Definitely, and do you have a favorite? 263 00:17:28,200 --> 00:17:29,920 It's so hard to pick one favorite. 264 00:17:29,920 --> 00:17:31,400 Can I cheat and pick two? 265 00:17:31,400 --> 00:17:32,400 Yes. 266 00:17:32,400 --> 00:17:35,640 I have a couple of these from walking around here. 267 00:17:35,640 --> 00:17:40,280 I love everything in this museum and I really love and look up to all of the people that 268 00:17:40,280 --> 00:17:45,720 we talked about in this museum, but I'm always excited when I get to bring tourists and visitors 269 00:17:45,720 --> 00:17:51,040 over to the picture of Elijah McCoy and share with them that this man that we know as the 270 00:17:51,040 --> 00:17:55,480 real McCoy who's considered one of the most prolific of African American inventors who 271 00:17:55,480 --> 00:18:03,080 had 57 patented inventions was actually from Essex County born in Coldchester in 1844, 272 00:18:03,080 --> 00:18:06,440 the child of two formerly enslaved people from Kentucky. 273 00:18:06,440 --> 00:18:08,640 And that is such a success story. 274 00:18:08,640 --> 00:18:13,720 That's a story of someone who would have grown up in slavery, would have had none of those 275 00:18:13,720 --> 00:18:18,720 educational opportunities, most likely, but because of his parents' brave choice to come 276 00:18:18,720 --> 00:18:23,480 and live in freedom, was able to become a mechanical engineer and ultimately this incredible 277 00:18:23,480 --> 00:18:24,800 inventor. 278 00:18:24,800 --> 00:18:29,560 And the other favorite story that's represented here is of Delos Rogers Davis. 279 00:18:29,560 --> 00:18:34,480 No relation to my husband's Davis as far as I know, but Delos Rogers Davis was born 280 00:18:34,480 --> 00:18:40,920 in slavery in Maryland, came here as a child with his parents on the Underground Railroad 281 00:18:40,920 --> 00:18:47,280 and was wise enough and skilled enough and incredibly smart enough to become a lawyer 282 00:18:47,280 --> 00:18:54,920 and became Canada's third black lawyer, obviously the first freedom seeker to become a lawyer. 283 00:18:54,920 --> 00:18:59,360 And not just any lawyer, he was a brilliant lawyer who did a lot of great work. 284 00:18:59,360 --> 00:19:04,000 He was like the Johnny Cochran of his day around here and became the first black man 285 00:19:04,000 --> 00:19:09,000 in the British Empire, the whole British Empire to receive the designation King's Council. 286 00:19:09,000 --> 00:19:11,920 So we've got his desk over here in the museum. 287 00:19:11,920 --> 00:19:12,920 That's beautiful. 288 00:19:12,920 --> 00:19:13,920 It is. 289 00:19:13,920 --> 00:19:19,680 It is and it has a sign that says, please do not touch it. 290 00:19:19,680 --> 00:19:24,520 Every corner of this museum tells a story of just these incredibly resilient, brave, 291 00:19:24,520 --> 00:19:29,040 intelligent, resourceful people and all of the things that they did to overcome their 292 00:19:29,040 --> 00:19:33,520 circumstances and to really contribute to Canadian society. 293 00:19:33,520 --> 00:19:37,760 So we're so proud of this entire museum and we hope everybody will come and visit this 294 00:19:37,760 --> 00:19:39,960 year of our 50th anniversary. 295 00:19:39,960 --> 00:19:43,960 Now I have to say I have a couple of favorites. 296 00:19:43,960 --> 00:19:47,720 First of all, that piano is beyond gorgeous. 297 00:19:47,720 --> 00:19:52,720 And then you also have a copy of Tom's Cabin? 298 00:19:52,720 --> 00:19:58,120 Well, Josiah Henson was the inspiration for Uncle Tom's Cabin, right? 299 00:19:58,120 --> 00:20:03,800 Josiah Henson was a formerly enslaved person from Maryland who made his way to Canada, 300 00:20:03,800 --> 00:20:08,080 originally settled in Fort Erie initially, came down here, lived in Colchester for a 301 00:20:08,080 --> 00:20:09,080 while. 302 00:20:09,080 --> 00:20:14,120 While he was down in Essex County, he actually commanded a black militia unit that was very 303 00:20:14,120 --> 00:20:20,080 active in the 1837, 1838 rebellion defending Amherstburg specifically. 304 00:20:20,080 --> 00:20:25,760 They were involved in capturing a rebel schooner, the schooner Anne, and were recognized in 305 00:20:25,760 --> 00:20:28,200 the provincial parliament for that. 306 00:20:28,200 --> 00:20:32,040 And then he decided to found the dawn settlement in Dresden. 307 00:20:32,040 --> 00:20:37,040 He wrote his autobiography and Harriet Beecher Stowe, the great American novelist, used it 308 00:20:37,040 --> 00:20:41,000 as her inspiration for Uncle Tom's Cabin, which is a novel that's considered one of 309 00:20:41,000 --> 00:20:43,280 the greatest of the 19th century. 310 00:20:43,280 --> 00:20:46,120 It's been translated into every language almost. 311 00:20:46,120 --> 00:20:49,560 And it really helped a lot of people decide that slavery was wrong. 312 00:20:49,560 --> 00:20:52,380 How old is that copy that you have? 313 00:20:52,380 --> 00:20:58,400 So we have a copy of that book of Uncle Tom's Cabin and it's a reproduction from the 45th 314 00:20:58,400 --> 00:21:01,240 anniversary of the first printing. 315 00:21:01,240 --> 00:21:02,640 So it's from 1897. 316 00:21:02,640 --> 00:21:05,800 The book was published in 1852. 317 00:21:05,800 --> 00:21:09,800 And yeah, a lot of people consider him the real Uncle Tom. 318 00:21:09,800 --> 00:21:15,080 And Josiah Henson actually was able to travel around the United States, Canada, and even 319 00:21:15,080 --> 00:21:21,280 Britain as the real Uncle Tom to raise funds for those who were newly escaping from slavery 320 00:21:21,280 --> 00:21:26,120 and needed a bit of a lift as they arrived, like any refugee often does. 321 00:21:26,120 --> 00:21:32,680 Oh my God, there's so many amazing people that we need to learn more about. 322 00:21:32,680 --> 00:21:34,200 That's just all there is to it. 323 00:21:34,200 --> 00:21:38,960 I am so glad that I was able to come here today and to learn just this small little 324 00:21:38,960 --> 00:21:47,400 piece of the black history in Essex County and Amosburg and actually Canada, because 325 00:21:47,400 --> 00:21:50,160 it's not just from our area. 326 00:21:50,160 --> 00:21:52,360 Now how can people find you? 327 00:21:52,360 --> 00:21:54,080 What is your website? 328 00:21:54,080 --> 00:21:58,280 If people want to look us up online, we're amherstbergfreedom.org. 329 00:21:58,280 --> 00:22:00,920 So amherstbergfreedom.org. 330 00:22:00,920 --> 00:22:06,840 And we also have profiles on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, you name it. 331 00:22:06,840 --> 00:22:10,160 I'll have it all in my description. 332 00:22:10,160 --> 00:22:15,440 And are you guys going to be there for opening night of the press of freedom? 333 00:22:15,440 --> 00:22:16,440 Definitely I will be there. 334 00:22:16,440 --> 00:22:18,320 I'm definitely going to be there too. 335 00:22:18,320 --> 00:22:19,920 I'm so excited. 336 00:22:19,920 --> 00:22:26,000 I appreciate you guys so much for taking the time to sit down and explain just the small 337 00:22:26,000 --> 00:22:31,200 portion of the wonderful things you guys do for the black community of Essex County. 338 00:22:31,200 --> 00:22:34,720 Thank you so much for having us. 339 00:22:34,720 --> 00:22:40,360 Definitely if you are in this area, come on in and take a look because you won't be disappointed. 340 00:22:40,360 --> 00:22:42,240 It is wonderful. 341 00:22:42,240 --> 00:22:46,160 And again, my name is Tracy Martens and thank you for joining me for another episode of 342 00:22:46,160 --> 00:22:47,660 YQG In BLOOM. 343 00:22:47,660 --> 00:22:57,680 You all have a wonderful day.