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The History of Caribana & the Grand Parade

Caribana and its main event, the Grand Parade, has grown so much since its humble beginnings.

Program: Derailed Panel Discussion (Quarantine Edition)

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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

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The 52: An Exhibition

Visit our newest exhibition.

For the Love of Toronto: Talking About Our City

Spend the evening in the heart of the city as we explore what it means to fall in, or out, of love with Toronto.

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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.

Uniting 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.

Black 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.

Black Railway Porters’ Lasting Impact on Canada’s Immigration Policy

How Black railway porters paved the way for citizenship rights in Canada.

George Garraway

George Garraway would create history for the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP) and Black people across North America.

Ernest Russell

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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.