Caribana and its main event, the Grand Parade, has grown so much since its humble beginnings.
Continue readingThe History of Caribana & the Grand Parade
Program: Derailed Panel Discussion (Quarantine Edition)
Image: Name, Title, Description
Digital Exhibitions → Derailed: The History of Black Railway Porters in Canada → Discussions and Resources
Derailed: Digital Panel Discussion
This 1 hour and 45 minute panel discussion streamed live on Zoom on June 4, 2020, explores Black Railway Porters and their historic fight for equality on and off the tracks. Moderated by Cheryl Blackman (Director of Museums and Heritage Services, City of Toronto), this conversation with Cecil Foster (Author/Scholar), Meghan Swaby (Playwright), Natasha Henry (President, Ontario Black History Society), and Peter Bailey (Actor), features artifacts from the period, a dramatic reading written by Meghan Swaby and performed by Peter Bailey, along with a reading by Cecil Foster of his book, They Call Me George: The Untold Story of the Black Train Porters.
Welcoming Remarks & Introductions: 00:00
Discussion Begins: 8:12
Book Reading (Cecil Foster): 20:25
Artifact Presentation (Natasha Henry): 42:04
Dramatic Reading (Peter Bailey): 55:27
Q&A: 1:13:45
Explore More
Untold Stories of Toronto’s Waterfront: A Talk with Author M. Jane Fairburn
A unique talk that invites you to rediscover the past, present and future of life along Toronto's waterfront.
Urban Forest Bathing: A Guided Meditation Session
Come downtown to discover nature blooming through the concrete! Join us for an urban forest bathing experience.
Share this Article
Explore More
Content
Black Railway Porters’ Lasting Impact on Canada’s Multiculturalism Policy
Learn about the lasting impact that Black railway porters have had on Canada’s multiculturalism policy.
Continue readingUniting the Unions: Black Railway Porters’ Fight for Rights
On April 23, 1956, members of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP) were among the delegation that attended a special convention in the Coliseum of the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto.
Continue readingBlack Railway Porters and Their Lasting Impact on Canadian Labour Policy
How Stanley Grizzle and the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters advocated for fair labour practices in Canada.
Continue readingBlack Railway Porters’ Lasting Impact on Canada’s Immigration Policy
How Black railway porters paved the way for citizenship rights in Canada.
Continue readingGeorge Garraway
George Garraway would create history for the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP) and Black people across North America.
Continue readingThe Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters
Who were the driving forces behind the social and political change led by the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters? Learn about the historical background and significance of this post-war movement.
Continue readingErnest Russell
Image: Name, Title, Description
Digital Exhibitions → Derailed: The History of Black Railway Porters in Canada → Theme: Notable Porters
Ernest Russell
This dramatic monologue portrays Charles Ernest Russell, a Senior Porter who is sent a letter from the civil rights activist A. Philip Randolph, to organize a Canadian chapter of The Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. Performed by Derick Agyemang.
In 1939, Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) porter Charles Ernest Russell was brought before management in Montreal on the charge that he was sleeping on the job on a cross-Canada run. This was a major accusation that could lead to hefty demerit points that cumulatively could lead to his dismissal. Ironically, Russell was the head of the management-appointed Welfare Association that acted as an in-house union for CPR porters. When he went home, Barbados-born Russell wrote a letter to the leader of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP) in the United States, Asa Philip Randolph, asking him to come to Canada and organize Canadian porters in his newly established BSCP. This was the beginning of the fight to end segregation in Canada and would lead to meaningful change for the porters.
Explore More
Content
Women’s Auxiliary and the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters
Who were the women who helped the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters organize for social and political change?
Continue reading