This is Juneteenth in the United States, the celebration of the end of the scourge of slavery. While the Emancipation Proclamation officially ended slavery in January 1863i wasn't until this date in 1865 that it was enacted in every state. Juneteenth is now a federal holiday in America although this year there is a pall over the event because of the government's efforts to expunge recognition of Black history in many spheres. This is blatantly racist yet marches on. Meanwhile, many feckless corporations such as Amazon have withdrawn support from events to appease the administration.
While this is an American holiday there is a connection between Canada and the United States in terms of slavery. The British Empire and Canada abolished slavery decades before the Civil War and so many enslaved people escaped bondage and made the dangerous journey northward.
When we were in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, last week we came upon several plaques and memorials serving as reminders that many Blacks, including Underground Railroad icon Harriet Tubman. settled in different communities in southwestern Ontario.
Voices of Freedom Memorial, Niagara on the Lake
Downtown NOTL tends toward lovely businesses and homes from another era but there is now a modern and striking memorial to this Black history called Voices of Freedom. One of the panels is dedicated to the North Star, used as a navigation tool for those who were making their way north.
While cycling we came upon a small Black Baptist cemetery dating back nearly two centuries. One of the graves is for a man killed while trying to protect another from being returned to slavery in the US.
We all need to look to our moral compass in these uncertain times. We can keep in mind that Christian faith was essential for so many of the courageous Black people who came to this country, including Tubman.
2 comments:
And, in the mean time, trump has removed the bust of MLK from the oval Office !
I saw this as well and thought that it must be "fake news." Then I thought of who is in the Oval Office. Thanks Judy.
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