Celebrate Emancipation Day at Uncle Tom's Cabin Historic Site on August 1
Saturday, August 1, 2015 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Join us at Uncle Tom’s Cabin Historic Site for Emancipation Day – an annual celebration of hope and freedom commemorating the end of slavery in the British Empire on August 1, 1834.
Everyone is welcome for this fun and educational day featuring traditional African music, story-telling and lectures. Admission is free.
Gift shop | Picnic area| Public washrooms | Parking | Accessible site | Bring your own lawn chair!
Program
Graceful Melodies – 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.
A local musical gem, soloist Marcia Strachan brings her passion for music to the Emancipation Day stage.
Unity through Rhythm – 10:45 a.m.
A crowd favourite, Nigerian-born Babarinde Williams returns with his interactive West African-style drumming demonstration. Take part in this instructive performance and learn how messages are passed through rhythm.
The Greatest Freedom Show on Earth – 11:10 a.m.
Director Bob Huggins takes us behind the scenes in the production of his 2015 documentary, The Greatest Freedom Show on Earth, which explores Windsor’s successful Emancipation Day celebrations created by Walter Perry.
The Worship Experience Team – 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Experience Jide Adeoye’s unique style of energetic praise and soulful worship. Along with his six-piece ensemble band, he will have you singing with joy.
How do you define African-Canadian heritage? – 11:50 a.m.
Emma Cohen, winner of the 2015 RBC Student Essay Competition, will deliver her winning submission, which chronicles the lives of two African-Canadian pioneers who inspired her to be the best that she can be.
Harriet Tubman: Let Me Tell You a Story … – 1:30 p.m.
Toronto storyteller Renee James captures the imagination with her vivid and engaging story of Harriet Tubman – Underground Railroad conductor, Civil War scout and women’s rights activist.
Play. Endure. Inspire. Ontario’s sport heritage – 1:30 and 2:15 p.m.
Dresden native Alex Kiar looks at Ontario’s sporting past, and the struggle for equality in sport faced by African-Canadians.
Poster
Uncle Tom’s Cabin Historic Site is located in Dresden, approximately three hours west of Toronto. The site is owned and operated by the Ontario Heritage Trust.
Uncle Tom’s Cabin Historic Site commemorates the life of Josiah Henson, a former slave, who escaped to Canada via the Underground Railroad. Henson rose to international fame after Harriet Beecher Stowe acknowledged his memoirs as a source for her novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Settling in southwestern Ontario, Henson worked to improve life for the Black community and helped to establish the Dawn Settlement. He would go on to become an internationally recognized abolitionist, preacher and conductor on the Underground Railroad.
For more information about Uncle Tom’s Cabin Historic Site and Emancipation Day, contact Steven Cook at 519-683-2804 or steven.cook@heritagetrust.on.ca.
For more information about the Ontario Heritage Trust, contact Rose Windy Manigat at 416-325-5032 or rose.manigat@heritagetrust.on.ca.
Emancipation Day is supported by:
Location:
Uncle Tom’s Cabin Historic Site
29251 Uncle Tom’s Road
Dresden, Ontario