Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Amherstburg Freedom Museum @amherstburgfreedom.bsky.social · 1d

#OTD, Oct. 10th, 1929 Elijah McCoy passed away in Nankin Township (near Westland), Michigan. Born in Colchester, Ontario to freedom-seekers, the prolific inventor obtained more than 50 patents in his lifetime, most notably for his automatic lubricating cup which improved the efficiency of trains.

1

Amherstburg Freedom Museum @amherstburgfreedom.bsky.social · 2d

#OTD in 1823, Mary Ann Shadd was born in Wilmington, Delaware. She moved to Windsor, ON in 1851, already a seasoned abolitionist, journalist, orator, and teacher. Soon she authored A Plea for Emigration and became North America's the first Black woman to publish a newspaper, The Provincial Freeman.

3 3

Amherstburg Freedom Museum @amherstburgfreedom.bsky.social · 3d

#OTD in 1841 the Amherstburg Regular Missionary Baptist Association, which continues to unite several Ontario Black Baptist congregations today, was founded in Amherstburg. Shown: First Baptist Church Amherstburg, built in 1848-1849; ARMBA delegates at Queen Street Baptist Church, Dresden, 1913.

1 1

Amherstburg Freedom Museum @amherstburgfreedom.bsky.social · 8d

#OTD October 3rd, 1829 James Theodore Holly was born in Washington, D.C. He emigrated to Windsor, Canada West in 1852, assisting the Bibbs with the publication of the Voice of the Fugitive. Eventually he became a priest and the first African American Episcopal Bishop, founding the Diocese of Haiti.

1

Amherstburg Freedom Museum @amherstburgfreedom.bsky.social · 11d

#OTD, Sept. 30th, 1940 Harry Jerome was born in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. The three-time Olympian won the 100 m bronze medal at the 1964 Olympic Games and won gold at the 1966 Commonwealth and 1967 Pan American Games. Jerome leveraged his fame to be an outspoken advocate for the Black community.

Amherstburg Freedom Museum @amherstburgfreedom.bsky.social · 11d

On this National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, we acknowledge the incalculable harm that residential schools inflicted on Indigenous children, families, and communities, we honour the survivors and the children who never returned, and we pledge to keep listening and learning.

1 1

Amherstburg Freedom Museum @amherstburgfreedom.bsky.social · 12d

Thanks to everyone who joined us today for the official opening of A View from the Past, A Vision for the Future. The exhibit, a photographic journey through fifty years of the Amherstburg Freedom Museum, will be available at the museum through December 2025.

Amherstburg Freedom Museum @amherstburgfreedom.bsky.social · 15d

Just in time for the peak of our fiftieth anniversary celebrations, the Town of Amherstburg has installed new "Mac Simpson Way" signs on King Street at both Gore and Simcoe to honour our visionary founder. Be sure to check them out next time you visit the Amherstburg Freedom Museum!

1 1

Amherstburg Freedom Museum @amherstburgfreedom.bsky.social · 23d

175 years ago #OTD Sept. 18, 1850 the Fugitive Slave Act was passed by U.S. Congress. It allowed for the pursuit and capture of enslaved people across the United States, including northern states. As a result, countless African Americans who no longer felt safe in the U.S. sought refuge in Canada.

1

Amherstburg Freedom Museum @amherstburgfreedom.bsky.social · 24d

#OTD September 17, 1849 Harriet Tubman (born Minty Ross) escaped the Maryland plantation where she was enslaved. Two brothers, Ben and Harry, escaped with her, but decided to return. She continued to live in freedom but made multiple trips back to the south to rescue others. Photo: Tubman c. 1868.

1 1

Amherstburg Freedom Museum @amherstburgfreedom.bsky.social · 25d

#OTD Sept. 16, 1923 Kenneth Jacobs was born in Windsor, Ontario. He was the first Black social worker at the Children's Aid Society of Toronto, served in both the Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force, and in 1975 became the first Black Canadian to reach the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel.

1 1

Amherstburg Freedom Museum @amherstburgfreedom.bsky.social · Sep 11

#OTD September 11th, 1851, the three-day North American Convention of Colored Freedman began at Toronto's brand new St. Lawrence Hall. Convened by Essex County residents Henry Bibb and James Theodore Holly in response to the Fugitive Slave Act, it drew 53 delegates and hundreds of participants.

1 1

Amherstburg Freedom Museum @amherstburgfreedom.bsky.social · Sep 10

On this International Makeup Day, we remember Viola Desmond, who long before becoming a civil rights icon and the face on the $10 bill, challenged racial boundaries as a pioneering entrepreneur with her own beauty studio, beauty academy, and cosmetics line for Black women. #InternationalMakeupDay

1

Amherstburg Freedom Museum @amherstburgfreedom.bsky.social · Sep 3

#OTD Sept. 3, 1883 James L. Dunn was denied the right to enroll his daughter Jane Ann in Windsor's Central School. He then sued the Windsor Board of Education for its segregationist practices. While he lost the case, he later became a trustee and Windsor’s first Black alderman.

1 2

Amherstburg Freedom Museum @amherstburgfreedom.bsky.social · Sep 1

#OTD September 1st, 1942 Alton Parker joined the Windsor Police force as a constable, making him the first Black uniformed police officer in Windsor. He also made history in 1951 when he became the first Black detective in Canada.

1 1

Amherstburg Freedom Museum @amherstburgfreedom.bsky.social · Aug 31

Celebrated annually on August 31st, the International Day for People of African Descent invites us to honour the immense and diverse contributions of people of African descent to the fabric of our societies and to human progress as a whole. It is also a day for action against racism and injustice.

1 1

Amherstburg Freedom Museum @amherstburgfreedom.bsky.social · Aug 28

#OTD August 28th, 1833, An Act for the Abolition of Slavery throughout the British Colonies (including Canada) received Royal Assent. The Act which took effect August 1st, 1834 freed children under the age of six, while others remained as apprentices for four to six years.

1 1

Amherstburg Freedom Museum @amherstburgfreedom.bsky.social · Aug 27

Celebrated August 27th, designated by the United Nations, World Lake Day aims to raise awareness of the importance of lakes and the sustainable management of lake and related ecosystems. #DYK generations of Black men residing in or near Amherstburg were employed in the Great Lakes shipping industry?

1 1

Amherstburg Freedom Museum @amherstburgfreedom.bsky.social · Aug 25

On September 20th, the Museum will honour Bishop C.L. Morton, Sr. with the posthumous Legacy Hero Award. amherstburgfreedom.org/50th-gala He founded five Ontario churches and six in the U.S., linking Black communities across the border through shared traditions of worship, music, and mutual care.

1 1

Amherstburg Freedom Museum @amherstburgfreedom.bsky.social · Aug 23

#OTD we recognize the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition. We remember the tragedy of the Transatlantic Slave Trade and honour those who risked everything to end it. While some prefer to diminish the horrors of slavery, we choose to remember. #RememberSlavery

1 1

Amherstburg Freedom Museum @amherstburgfreedom.bsky.social · Aug 20

With his famous Radio Chorus, Bishop C.L. Morton, Sr. (1897-1962) hosted a popular weekly program on Windsor's CKLW from 1936 until 1962. #DYK that Bishop Morton, Sr. will be the recipient of the Legacy Hero Award at our 50th anniversary gala on September 20th? amherstburgfreedom.org/50th-gala

1 1

Amherstburg Freedom Museum @amherstburgfreedom.bsky.social · Aug 19

Join us for a memorable evening as we celebrate fifty years of sharing Black history and universal inspiration! Our Fiftieth Anniversary Gala takes place at the Caboto Club (Windsor) Saturday, September 20th beginning at 6:00 p.m. Visit amherstburgfreedom.org/50th-gala/ for tickets.

1

Amherstburg Freedom Museum @amherstburgfreedom.bsky.social · Aug 15

#OTD 100 years ago, August 15th, 1925, jazz pianist and composer Oscar Peterson was born in Montreal. Amid his storied career including many compositions and recordings, he remains best known for “Hymn to Freedom," written in 1962 and embraced globally as the anthem of the Civil Rights Movement.

3

Amherstburg Freedom Museum @amherstburgfreedom.bsky.social · Aug 14

As we approach the 50th anniversary of the Amherstburg Freedom Museum, we will be sharing highlights of the Museum's history on Thursdays. #ThrowbackThursday

After risking demolition, Nazrey AME Church was restored in 1998-99 and was designated a National Historic Site in 1999.

1

Amherstburg Freedom Museum @amherstburgfreedom.bsky.social · Aug 13

#OTD August 13, 1920, the Pan-African flag, also known as the UNIA flag, Afro-American flag, or Black Liberation Flag, was formally adopted during the convention of the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

1 1 1