This page is a resource for people who…
– Care about racial equality and social justice
– Have a desire to learn about racial inequality in Canada’s past and present
– Are an advocate for the elimination of systematic racism for people from all socioeconomic levels
-Above, 1000’s of Londoners gather in Victoria Park in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. June 6, 2020
Click the section headings to read full articles on Black History
The Underground Railroad was a secret network of people who wanted to abolish slavery called abolitionists. Although Canada had abolished slavery (1834), some States of America still practiced enslavement. That meant that there were abolitionists that helped African enslaved people escape from the American South to free Northern states or to Canada.
Underground Railroad stations in Canada (Southwestern Ontario) :
It may not be well known, but London Ontario is home to a fugitive slave chapel. Located at 275 Thames Street, the historic building was slated for demolition in order to be replaced by parking. This caused groups of concerned citizens to protest and combat the order because they remembered the history and importance of the building: a Fugitive Slave Chapel.
Michaëlle Jean is Canada’s first black woman to be appointed as Governor General of Canada. She served from 2005 to 2010. Jean was a refugee from Haiti when she came to Canada in 1968 and was raised in Thetford Mines, Quebec. She is a Canadian stateswoman and former journalist who is the third and current Secretary-General of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie and is the first woman to hold the position. Click the header to read about more influential Black Canadians.
What is racial segregation? It’s an important term to understand and is defined as the separation of people or groups of people, based on race in everyday life. In fact, Canada has a history full of examples of Black people being segregated, excluded from, or denied equal access to opportunities andservices such as education, employment, housing, transportation, health care and commercial establishments. This segregation was historically enforced through laws, court decisions and social norms in Canada.
Click the section headings to read full articles on Indigenous History
When European explorers started to travel to North America during the 14-1500s, they were known to capture Indigenous peoples that they saw and would take them back to Europe as slaves or as exhibits of the “exotic” peoples of the New World. The Quebec region had 4,185 slaves according to record, 2,683 of which were Indigenous people and 1,443 of which were Black people and 59 were of unknown origin.
Canada’s first residential school was first opened and accepted its first students in 1831. It was called The Mohawk Institute in Brantford, Ontario. The two primary objectives of the residential school system were to remove and isolate children from the influence of their homes, families, traditions, cultures and to assimilate them to Euro-Canadian culture; “to kill the Indian in the child” as the infamous quote says.
The Chippewas of the Thames First Nation call themselves Anishinabek and are known as the Ojibway, which are a part of the Algonquin language family. They are located on the Thames River north bank, 20km southwest of London, Ontario. The land is 3,331 hectares of unceded land in Southwestern Ontario.
Enfranchisement was a legal process used by the government to have indigenous people lose or resign their cultural identities and rights as indigenous people. Through enfranchisement, they would lose their Indian Status under the Indian Act. The goal of enfranchisement was to erase indigenous culture permanently.
Elsie Marie Knott (1922-1995) became the first female chief of a First Nation in Canada when she was elected to lead the Anishinaabe Curve Lake First Nation in 1954 near Peterborough, Ontario. She held the position for 16 years. This happened three years after the Indian Act was amended to give First Nations women the right to vote and hold positions in band governments. Click on the ‘Part 1’ or ‘Part 2’ in the section heading to read about more influential indigenous people.
Svend Robinson was a British Columbia Member of Parliament from 1979 to 2004. In 1988 he publicly announced he was gay during a TV interview and became the first member of Parliament to openly identify as gay. In and outside of Parliament, Robinson has advocated for environmental protection, LGBTQ2 rights and mental health.
While particularly renowned for its acoustic/live music presentations, the Aeolian is a versatile facility and can also host conferences and fundraisers.
The Aeolian relies heavily upon a strong base of community support that benefits many projects and events. All contributions, whether small or large, make a huge difference and will help sustain The Aeolian Musical Arts Association’s mission and future.
