It was not that long ago that "coloured" people were barred from drinking fountains, restaurants, pool halls and barbers in the South - Southern Ontario that is. It may come as a surprise to many who see Canada as an example of multiculturalism and tolerance to hear such stories from as late as the 1950's. The reality, however, is that up to a hundred years after being the last stop on the underground railway, black residents still experienced severe discrimination in many communities. One such community was Dresden, Ontario, itself a last stop on the railway, and a community that would be the focus of civil rights action in Canada in the 1950's.
Below is a link to a very interesting radio documentary that aired on CBC program, The Current. This program tells the story of a relatively unsung hero in the Canadian fight for civil rights named Hugh Burnett. Hugh was a carpenter in Dresden Ontario who would become the prominent figure in the fight for civil rights in Ontario. It is a fascinating story and well worth the time it takes to listen.
As Missiologist Leslie Newbigin once said, "History is a conversation between the past and the present about the future." These stories become important for understanding who we are and for shaping where we go as a country. If we hear such stories and are surprised, then perhaps it indicates the importance of engaging with these stories, ensuring that we don't create a romantic, revisionist understanding of ourselves, but seek the truth. I have to admit that I was a bit surprised to hear of the depth and the blatancy of discrimination. I still have much to learn.
CBC The Current - Hugh Burnett
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
Hi Jay:
ReplyDeleteYou didn’t have to go to Dresden to find discrimination. Lynda and I used to go to a place on the waterfront dancing at the end of Brant St. in Burlington called the Brant Inn. We would see all the big bands. Louie Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Lionel Hampton were among the black bands. These were the top bands of the day but were not allowed to stay at the Royal Connaught Hotel at King and John St. in Hamilton. In Toronto not only were blacks discriminated against so were the Jews. At Sunnyside swimming pool there was a sign no Jews allowed. Most of the prestigious golf clubs, tennis clubs, and men’s service clubs would not allow blacks or Jews to join in the Toronto area. That was “Toronto the Good” that I grew up in. It was “WASP” and it was “Orange”. At one time if you were a member of the Orange Lodge you could have got a job with the city. It started to change slowly during the 50’s with the influx of Italian immigrants. The first Jewish Mayor Toronto ever had was Nathan Phillips and that was in 1955 and the only reason he got in was because he was a staunch conservative which was unusual for a Jew. They usually were liberals. So there is a little bit of discrimination history over my lifetime.
Bob