Emancipation Day events held locally

Hallee Kejick (left) conducts a tour of the Nazrey AME Church last Friday. The Amherstburg Freedom Museum offered free admission that day as part of Emancipation Day celebrations.

Emancipation Day took a bit of a different turn this year but the events surrounding it that mark the anniversary of the day slavery in Canada was abolished still took place.

The Amherstburg Freedom Museum held Emancipation Day events last Friday, with Aug. 1 being the actual day in 1834 that the Slavery Abolition Act came into effect. 

Curator Mary-Katherine Whelan pointed out the museum was open from 12 noon to 8 p.m. last Friday free-of-charge to allow people to come in, view documentary film screenings, have guided tours or just take a look at the exhibits on their own.

Whelan said they had visitors from as far as Kentucky and Trinidad. 

“We’ve been really busy,” said Whelan. “It’s a great day to celebrate and bring awareness. A lot of people may not know about Emancipation Day.”

Events at the museum were part of Emancipation Day events that lasted throughout the Civic Holiday weekend. Many were done in conjunction with the Black Council of Windsor-Essex.

Museum hours were extended to allow people to come in for Emancipation Day, Whelan added.

Emancipation Day is usually the subject of a gala put on by the museum, but with it being the museum’s 50th anniversary, a gala will be held Sept. 20 to celebrate that this year.  Bishop Paul S. Morton will be the keynote speaker that night, with the banquet being held at the Caboto Club in Windsor. 

“We’re expecting long-time supporters of the museum. It’s welcome to everyone and open to the public,” said Whelan. “It’s a celebration of Black history in Amherstburg as well as museum founders Melvin ‘Mac’ Simpson and his wife Betty.”

Whelan added: “Amherstburg became a hub of Underground Railroad activity because of its proximity to the United States. We welcome everyone to come to the museum to discover that history. It’s really important to learn that history. Black history is Canadian history.”

Tickets for the 50th anniversary gala are $500 for VIP, $300 for partners, $175 for supporter level and $125 for general admission. For information, visit www.amherstburgfreedom.org/50th-Gala, e-mail curator@amherstburgfreedom.org or call 519-736-5433.

The museum, the River Bookshop and the Windsor Film Society teamed up for a screening of the movie “12 Years A Slave” in the Hole in the Wall last Wednesday night.

Following the two-hour film, there was a panel discussion featuring museum assistant curator Irene Moore-Davis, founder/CEO of the Windsor International Black Film Festival Queen Amina and Windsor International Black Film Festival president Christie Nelson. 

Moore-Davis said it was “a powerful reminder of what our ancestors experienced” and said that story still needs to be told openly and honestly.

Amina said she grew up in Africa and they were never taught what their ancestors experienced after they arrived in North America. She said the Black film festival is a way to share their stories and Nelson added it is also a way to celebrate the efforts of Black filmmakers.

The festival runs Aug. 15-17 at the Armories Theatre at 353 Freedom Way in Windsor. More information is at www.wibff.com.

Nelson also recalled a trip to Ghana and getting an idea of what it must have been like to have families separated and learning horrific stories of what was experienced during the slave trade era.

Emancipation Day events held locally

By Ron Giofu