Underground Railroad Trip

This Labour Day weekend, I ventured out of the boundaries of the City of Toronto to explore Southern Ontario. Through the instigation of ACHA members and my own curiosity, I decided to learn about the Underground Railroad. How many can boast that they knew that the Underground Railroad wasn’t a train or a series of train stations that transported fugitive slaves to freedom. That the Underground Railroad was actually a series of safe houses in Canada and the United States, which provided comfort and assistance to Africans trying to escape from slavery. Their hope for freedom, rested in their ability to reach Canada. They made every effort to exchange the brutality of slavery for the hope of freedom.

This trip was more than just a learning experience in the history of the enslavement of Africans. It was a real transportation into the hearts and minds of the family members left behind, to reminisce and celebrate ancestral legacies and contributions to Canadian history. There is a dearth of history at our fingers grasp which is screaming to be discovered and revitalized. Canada can boast to having the first black female doctor and a thriving black community who contributed to the tapestry of this country. Did you know that many black men served and defended Canada in the War of 1812 along side the Aboriginals and the British?

This history is slowly fading as generations pass. We should not allow that to happen. There exists a legacy that should be cherished and restored, so that many more Canadians…. old and new, can discover the legacy of the African survivors of the Underground Railroad. Discover your history in this province, but more importantly, keep alive the legacy and accomplishments of these unknown and unsung heroes of Southern Ontario.

Carole Cushnie
African Canadian Heritage Association
President Elect