Under the leadership of the Society’s Black and Racialized Professionals Committee, nearly 30 Society members visited the Josiah Hensen Museum of African-Canadian History in Dresden, Ontario – a historic stop of the Underground Railroad. The sold-out event coincided with the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition.
The Josiah Hensen Museum of African-Canadian History honours the incredibly brave role of Underground Railroad “conductors,” such as Josiah Hensen, who risked their lives to guide enslaved people along routes to freedom following the abolition of slavery in Canada in 1834. The museum also shines a light on the horrific violence suffered by enslaved people over the course of slavery in the Americas, which lasted approximately 350 years from the 16th to the 19th century. Approximately 13 million people were enslaved during the transatlantic slave trade, as part of a colonial system led by European powers including Britian, Spain, France, Portugal, and the Netherlands. While this marks a painful history, it is important to reflect on the role that slavery has played in shaping racism and economic inequality today. We can also take inspiration from those who fought for abolition and a more just world.
