OFL STATEMENT
January 30, 2015
Honour Black Heritage by Fighting for Equity:
OFL Statement in Support of Black History Month – February, 2015
Most of us will never have heard of Rose Fortune or David George. They were among the first Black Loyalists to arrive in Nova Scotia following the U.S. War of Independence, which had given them the opportunity to escape slavery.
In 1775, Lord Dunmore, the Royal Governor of Virginia, was in desperate need of fresh troops to defend the British colony.
Dunmore offered freedom to any slave who would successfully flee rebel captivity and fight for the British. Within a month, Dunmore’s troops grew from 300 to 800. His proclamation was the first mass emancipation of slaves in American history. By war’s end, 30,000 black slaves had joined the British army. Following the loss of the war, 3,000 Black Loyalists, as they became known, were evacuated to Nova Scotia to escape re-capture by American forces and slave masters.
Rose Fortune went on to build a business carrying luggage and baggage from the boats on the Annapolis wharf to homes and hotels in the community. David George was born a slave in Virginia. Following his service in the British Army, he made his way to Halifax and then Birchtown, where he continued his work as a preacher in the community that was, at its peak, the largest gathering of free blacks anywhere in the world outside of Africa.
Eventually, more than half of the 3,000 Black Loyalists left Nova Scotia for Sierra Leone because of racism and horrific acts of discrimination against the black community.
This is just one small sliver of black history in Canada. It is important for young students from all backgrounds to know and understand the contributions made to our country by brave souls such as the Black Loyalists. It is particularly important that black students know blacks played an important role in developing the Canada we know today.
Listening to the dominant political discourse in our country, one is left with the impression that the only history that matters is that of the French and English. How insulting it must be for aboriginal people to hear the English and French described in history books as the two founding nations. Likewise, the history and rich contribution of blacks is rarely mentioned in our schools except during Black History Month.
“I wonder what Rose Fortune or David George would think today if we told them about the recent police shootings across the U.S. and racial profiling on both sides of the borders,” said OFL President Sid Ryan. “I wonder how they would feel if we explained that 130 years after their emancipation, Black Canadians continue to earn $9,101 less, are 73 percent more likely to be unemployed, and that one out of every two racialized children in Canada are living in poverty. Can we say that our society has lived up to the hopes and aspirations that they fought for?”
The wage gains that many feel are long overdue are being jeopardized by government cuts to jobs and social programs. There is no question that austerity measures are hitting racialized people the hardest.
“We have an incredible heritage of Black activism in Ontario that has challenged racism, prejudice and discrimination and people of all races have an obligation to honour that history by celebrating it and continuing the fight for justice,” said OFL Executive Vice-President Irwin Nanda.
February has been celebrated as Black History Month for a century, but didn’t gain formal recognition in Canada until a motion passed in the House of Commons in 1995. While it is commonly seen as an opportunity to recognize the valuable contributions that Canadians of African and Caribbean descent have made to our society, economy and culture, Ontario’s workers also mark the occasion by calling for justice and equity for Canada’s Black and racialized populations. Among the many Black community activists who will be celebrated and remembered by the labour movement this month are Ontario’s Zanana Akande, June Veecock, Janice Gairey, Fred Upshaw, Rosemary Brown, Dudley Laws and Charles Roach.
“As Ontario gears up to play a deciding role in this year’s Federal election, workers will be challenging Tory proposals that would gut workers’ rights, dismantle public services and drive down wages for everyone,” said Nanda. “After all, good jobs and fair wages are the building blocks of equity and prosperity.”
The Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) is encouraging all workers and community members to join Black History Month celebrations across the province. The OFL represents 54 unions and one million workers in Ontario. For information, visit www.OFL.ca and follow the OFL on Facebook and Twitter: @OFLabour.
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For further information:
Joel Duff, OFL Communications Director: 416-707-0349 (cell) or jduff@ofl-org.flywheelsites.com
