Black history remembered for Hamilton’s future
Why should we celebrate Black History Month?
This year’s theme in Hamilton is “We are Hamilton, Black History Remembered.” The stories of Black Canadians have been and continue to be erased, discarded and dismissed in this country, this city and across various institutions. As part of this year’s celebration, the City of Hamilton, in partnership with several Black organizations and Blackled organizations are sharing the contributions and stories of 16 Black Hamiltonians: Anita Isaac, Jackie Washington, Sophia Burthen Pooley (enslaved by Joseph Brant and Samuel Hatt), Cynthia Taylor, Denise J. Brooks, Eleanor Rodney, Ethilda Johnson, Fleurette Osborne, John C. Holland, Julia Washington Berry, Neville Nunes, Norman (Pinky) Lewis, Ray Johnson, Vince Hall and Wilma Morrison.
We highlight the stories of the above individuals and their families to ensure that their contributions are remembered and that their stories are etched into the historical fabric of how we talk about Hamilton. And most importantly, to expose the ills of systemic racism and racial discrimination. Many Canadians are unaware of the fact that people of African descent, like Sophia Burthen Pooley, were enslaved in this country. Many are unaware that members of the KKK were part of the police. Many are unaware of the systemic ways in which violence was weaponized against people of African descent across all institutions. These are the realities of people of African descent.
As I write this, we are reminded that people of African descent like Regis Korchinski-Pacquet, Abdirahman Abdi, Tyre Nichols, Andrew Loku, Amadou Diallo and many others are subjected to the very violence and oppression faced by the 16 Black Hamiltonians we celebrate this month. With so much pain and violence, how do we build a world free of systemic racial violence? The answers are complicated, intertwined, and deep-rooted.
At the Hamilton Centre for Civic Inclusion, an organization that was started in 2001 after the 9-11 attacks, we address systemic racism by naming it and explaining it. Kwame Toure explained systemic racism as when a Black family moves into a home in a white neighbourhood and is stoned — they are victims of individual racism. But institutional/systemic racism is what keeps Black people locked in dilapidated slum tenements, subject to the daily prey of exploitative slumlords, merchants, loan sharks and discriminatory real estate agents. In his words, society either pretends it does not or more dangerously decides not to do anything about it.
At the Hamilton Centre for Civic Inclusion, we choose to do something about it. We choose to call it out even when many in the community cannot see it or do not understand it. Why? Because we are Hamilton. We remember what Sophia Burthen Pooley went through to become free. We remember John C. Holland fighting against racial discrimination in the workplace. We remember Denise J. Brooks fighting to ensure the health outcomes for the Black community and other communities are prioritized.
At the Hamilton Centre for Civic Inclusion, we choose to inspire young Black students and Black adults to be civic leaders and change-makers in their communities. We choose to make safe schools for Black and racialized students. We choose to make Hamilton a city free from any form of hate.
By taking these actions we hope to build an inclusive city for all. Some may vilify us, some may erase us, some may even threaten us, some may ask us to go back to where we came from, some may think we are aggressive, some may misunderstand us, some may not see race, some may not think it is important to celebrate Black History Month. Our collective response to them is “We Are Hamilton.” We remember our ancestors and look forward to a better future.