Last year the United States entered into an interesting and at times controversial conversation about which woman would be chosen to grace the twenty dollar bill. The twenty currently features Andrew Jackson, the seventh president. Eventually it was Harriet Tubman, the iconic black emancipation figure, a former slave who worked tirelessly for the end of that evil reality of American life who was given the nod for this honour. Tubman was an integral part of the Underground Railroad, the secretive conduit for escaping slaves to make their way north to free states and to Canada.
Recently we've been reminded that Tubman spent time in Canada, actually living in Ontario for a decade. She lived in St. Catherine's, a terminus for the Railroad, along with up to a thousand other black escapees. There is a historic black church in St. Catherine's called Salem, where she worshipped. The congregation is small and the building needs extensive repairs, so a campaign is underway to raise the necessary funds.
Lest we be smug about our Canadian enlightenment, there was a considerable amount of "back of the bus" racism regarding people of colour in the community. They could live as free people but without the freedom and privileges of equality. They were expected to know their place, which was not alongside whites as equals.
This has continued through the decades and we know that the Right Reverend Wilbur Howard, a former United Church moderator, had difficulty finding a congregation to serve in the 1950's because he was an African Canadian.
Tubman's life in Canada is an important part of our history. I hope that the congregation finds the funds for the restoration.
Did you know about Harriet Tubman's years in Canada? Do you know much about Canada's part in the Underground Railroad? I wonder if this part of Black History Month in Ontario schools. I sure didn't hear about it when I was a kid.
Bye the way, the Trump administration is reconsidering taking Jackson off the twenty and replacing him with Tubman. Figures.
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