Celebrate
Emancipation Day at Uncle Tom’s Cabin
DRESDEN
– Uncle Tom’s Cabin invites
everyone to rejoice in the triumph of the human spirit by celebrating
Emancipation Day at the historic site on August 1, 2005. Bring your family and friends
for an educational and fun day filled with spiritual music, storytelling
and soul food. Regular admission rates will be discounted for the
celebration.
Click here to view Emancipation Day flyer
Slavery was abolished in the
British Empire on August 1, 1834 through the British Imperial Act.
Abolitionists and others who struggled against slavery, including those
who arrived in Ontario by the Underground Railroad,
celebrated August 1 as Emancipation Day.
“I am looking forward to
participating in the great activities taking place at the Cabin on
Emancipation Day,” said The Honourable Lincoln M. Alexander, Chairman of
the Ontario Heritage Foundation. “Today, Ontario is a vibrant and envied
multiracial society, whose very diversity is a measure of its strength. It
is important that we celebrate the lives and times of those who struggled
to obtain equal rights for everyone.”
SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES:
Stitched From The Soul
April Shipp shares her passion for quilting and explores its historical,
spiritual and familial connections to black history and the Underground
Railroad. 11 a.m.
Celebration of the Spiritual
Jamie
Hillman and Melissa Davis, members of the acclaimed Nathaniel Dett Chorale
entertain with performances of traditional negro spirituals. 12 p.m.
and 3:30 p.m.
Welcome and
Greetings
Remarks by the Honourable Lincoln M. Alexander, former Lieutenant-Governor
of Ontario and Chairman of the Ontario Heritage Foundation. 1 p.m
Tales of the Freedom Seekers
Cora “Mother” Farris
tells the courageous and inspiring stories of freedom seekers that escaped
from slavery via the Underground Railroad. 1:10 p.m.
Oh Happy Day
The
Stewart Memorial Senior Choir of Hamilton raises the roof at the cabin
with a performance of soul-soothing, hand-clapping gospel.
2 p.m. and
3:30 p.m.
Greater Understanding
Famed abolitionist
Frederick Douglass visited the Friends of Freedom at the Dawn Settlement
(Dresden, Ontario) in 1854 to celebrate with them the 20th anniversary of
British Emancipation. Over 150 years later, Frederick Douglass IV returns
to re-enact speeches and stirring moments from his
great-great-grandfather’s life. 2:30 p.m.
Reduced
event-day admission rates: Adults $5; Seniors $3; Children (6-12) $3 and
Families $15.
Uncle Tom’s
Cabin Historic Site – a trust property of the Ontario Heritage Foundation–
comprises the home of Reverend Josiah Henson, period buildings and an
interpretive centre housing 19th century artifacts and rare
books highlighting North American black history. Reverend Henson, a
fugitive slave who found freedom in Ontario, arrived in 1830 via the
Underground Railroad, and established a settlement where other former
slaves learned to be self-sufficient, successful community members. His
dramatic experiences were the reference for the title character in Harriet
Beecher Stowe’s novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
The Ontario Heritage Foundation
is a not-for-profit agency of the Government of Ontario dedicated to
identifying, preserving, protecting and promoting Ontario’s heritage.
A digital
image of Josiah and Nancy Henson is available upon request.
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