Amherstburg Freedom Museum reviews last year at community meeting

The board of directors of the Amherstburg Freedom Museum went over its most recent year as part of their annual community meeting.

The Amherstburg Freedom Museum went over a busy 2025 operating year at its recent community meeting.

The museum’s board of directors gathered in the top floor of the museum building where they went over their annual business, with much of the meeting reviewing the last year. Board chair Monty Logan said part of the meeting was to reflect on what the museum did in the last 12 months.

“Last year was a great year,” said Logan. “We celebrated our 50^th anniversary.”

Logan pointed out they partnered with the Arts Collective Theatre (ACT) at the Capitol Theatre in Windsor on the production of “The Price of Freedom.” While their revenue was not quite what was hoped, it was still deemed a worthwhile project.

“If you don’t try, you don’t succeed,” he said.

The Nathaniel Dett Chorale was well received, Logan added, and put on an “extraordinary performance that inspired audiences and highlighted the enduring connection between music, culture and heritage.”

The 2025 edition of Ribs & Ragtime also featured the official designation by the Town of Amherstburg of a portion of King St. as Mac Simpson Way. That stretch is where the museum is located, between Simcoe St. and Gore St., with Logan stating that “serves as a lasting reminder of the vision, leadership and dedication of our founder, Melvin ‘Mac’ Simpson.”

The Walter Perry Emancipation Golf Classic featured a full slate of golfers, Logan added, and was so popular that people had to be turned away. This year’s golf tournament is Aug. 8 at Coachwood Golf & Country Club in McGregor with a shotgun start of 10 a.m.

A major highlight from last year was the 50^th anniversary gala. Logan said it was an outstanding evening and featured over 300 people in attendance at the Caboto Club in Windsor. He recalled the speech from keynote speaker Bishop Paul S. Morton and how everyone was focused on it.

The Freedom Achievers series continued, including a talk from Kingsville Mayor Dennis Rogers. Scholarships were also presented to deserving students and they totalled over $9,000.

Partnerships with the Windsor Express basketball club were highlighted as were partnerships with local schools and community groups. 

Vice chair Barbara Porter and director Dr. Brenda McCurdy went through fundraising efforts, noting a campaign held during Black History Month. They also pointed out projects such as “The Price of Freedom” and bringing in the Nathaniel Dett Chorale, as well as a shopping bus trip to St. Jacobs Market that saw two filled buses and a portion of the proceeds go to the museum.

Ribs & Ragtime was also highlighted, as was the golf tournament and gala, with McCurdy also noting the “Crossings & Crossroads” discussion and musical demonstration from Vaughan Klugh and Christian Vegh. The latter performed at this year’s Ribs & Ragtime.

Christmas at the Museum was another event held to raise funds for the museum.

Curator Mary-Katherine Whelan thanked members, supporters, donors and volunteers, also pointing out 50^th anniversary celebrations. 

“Collaborations were central to the year’s success, including the hosting of ‘The Never-Ending Quest for Inclusion,” an exhibition of the Artists of Colour, a soul-stirring performance by the Nathaniel Dett Chorale and the debut of ‘The Price of Freedom,’ an original play produced with Arts Collective Theatre that dramatized the resilience of freedom seekers,” she stated.

Whelan also pointed out the museum’s participation in the Amherstburg Art Crawl, including a mural by Jermaine Baylis featuring prominent Black contributors to town such as Mac and Betty Simpson, Wayne Hurst and Donald Harris. She also highlighted “Crossings & Crossroads,” Ribs & Ragtime, the Walter Perry golf tournament and Christmas at the Museum.

The museum was also part of the Jane’s Walk Festival, she continued, and they also hired student staff through the Canada Summer Jobs program. 

The “A View from the Past – A Vision for the Future” exhibit featured photos from the museum’s 50-year history, Whelan noted, and they also received funding from the Shaanti Family to refresh an exhibit on Elijah McCoy.

Assistant curator Irene Moore Davis went over the museum’s social media, noting they are active on Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. She said “a wide array of content” addressing local Black history is posted, as well as the museum’s events including presenting their history during 50^th anniversary celebrations.

The Amherstburg Freedom Museum also has a virtual Black history series that can be viewed on YouTube. There were also in-person educational events including guest speakers and authors.

“We finished the year with 8,444 Facebook followers, 3,601 Instagram followers, 2,957 on TikTok and 2,596 X followers,” she said. “By the end of December 2025, our social media followers across all platforms equalled 17,974. Overall, this represented a 4.98 per cent increase over our 2024 audience.”

The Amherstburg Freedom Museum is at 277 King St. Their phone number is 519-736-5433 and their website is located at www.amherstburgfreedom.org. 

Amherstburg Freedom Museum reviews last year at community meeting

By Ron Giofu