Menu
Opening for the season on May 18
The Atlantic slave trade and the ensuing enslavement of millions of people of African descent led to a long history of resistance that resulted in the development of thriving Black communities in Ontario. With abolitionist and Person of National Historic Significance Josiah Henson’s life as a backdrop, we’ve captured inspiring stories that speak to the early African-Canadian experience in Ontario.
Featured video
The Josiah Henson Museum of African-Canadian History and Lambton Kent District School Board held their 2023 Youth Symposium this May, supported by Canada Life, to educate Grade 6 and 7 classes on diversity, racism and slavery in Canada. This year, the students heard from author and activist, Desmond Cole.
Discovering Dawn
Historian Marie Carter and Josiah Henson Museum of African-Canadian History Programs Assistant Jackie Bernard visit landmarks associated with the Underground Railroad and British American Institute in the town of Dresden – once a thriving destination for refugees from slavery.
Emancipation Day 2021
Each August Civic Holiday weekend, the Josiah Henson Museum of African-Canadian History celebrates Emancipation Day with various speakers, performers, exhibits and cuisine that reflect the Black cultural experience in Ontario. Explore the 2021 virtual Emancipation Day celebration.
Exhibit snapshots
Curator Steven Cook and Programs Assistant Jackie Bernard introduce you to the gallery spaces and structures on the grounds of the two-hectare (five-acre) Josiah Henson Museum of African-Canadian History property.
Ontario’s Black heritage
Since the first recorded arrival of a Black person in Canada in 1608, people of African descent have made lasting and continuing contributions to the development of Canada and the Canadian identity. We celebrate their roles in the building of this nation.
![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
Jared Brock. In 2020, we celebrated Canada Day by interviewing author/director Jared Brock. Steven Cook, Site Manager of the Josiah Henson Museum of African-Canadian History, speaks with Brock about his book The Road to Dawn and his recent documentary, Josiah. | Josiah. Watch Jared Brock’s documentary, Josiah, here. | Beyond the Underground Railroad – Black History in Chatham-Kent. This virtual forum features the curators from the Josiah Henson Museum of African-Canadian History, Buxton National Historic Site and Museum and the Chatham-Kent Black Mecca Museum in conversation with creators and researchers from across the province. Discussion spotlights successes of museums and communities across the province in bringing Black stories and achievements to the forefront. |
![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
Virtual tour. See inside the Josiah Henson Museum of African-Canadian History. | Beyond the Underground Railroad: Strategies for confronting anti-Black racism. This pre-recorded forum discussion will feature the Josiah Henson Museum of African-Canadian History, Buxton National Historic Site and Museum and Chatham-Kent Black Mecca Museum in conversation with Candice Fung (Inclusive Diversity Consultant, Lambton Kent District School Board), Rebecca Haskell-Thomas (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Coordinator, Municipality of Chatham-Kent), and Irene Moore Davis (President, Essex County Black Historical Research Society). Atia Johnson, a student at McNaughton Avenue Public School in Chatham, will share her original poem entitled Followers. | Black Voices (In)Justice: Supporting Black Youth Representation in the Legal Profession
Black Voices (In)Justice: Supporting Black Youth Representation in the Legal Profession — a special Black History Month program co-hosted by the Ontario Heritage Trust and Aird & Berlis — is now available on demand. During this informative and engaging session, you will hear from law students, law educators, lawyers and legal sector representatives as they discuss the profound impact that Mary Ann Shadd Cary had on the fight for equality. Presenters also examine diversity in the legal sector from historical and contemporary perspectives. The program includes:
Original live air date: Thursday, March 2, 2023 Webinar archive: You can access the webinar archive here (password: BLACKHISTORYMONTH2023). |