Fighting For Freedom: The Railway Weaves Through Black Canadians’ History

Join us on August 19 for the next online lecture in our 2021 series, Railway Ties. In celebration of Emancipation Day in Canada, Kathy Grant stops at railway crossings through time to share some stories of Black Canadians. The stops include trains, our Black veterans, the porters, a couple of the Royal Tours and Emancipation Day on August 1st.

In this lecture we will be highlighting seven WWI and WWII Veterans who worked for railways including those who worked on the Royal Trains as Porters, were involved in famous raids, invasions, influential legal change, became senators and train crashes. These men include Jean Napoleon Maurice, Percy Corbin, Robert Strong, Judge George Carter, Lester Brown, Walter Modesty and Calvin Ruck. To learn more about these amazing men and their stories, join us for our latest lecture in the series!

Tickets available now through Eventbrite.

VIP Tickets ($25+HST and fees): Includes the lecture and an exclusive Q&A with Kathy Grant and TRM Historians. VIP Attendees will also have the chance to win prizes including:

1 year subscription to Ancestry.ca

2 tickets to Montreal courtesy of VIA Rail

1 prize pack from the Amherstburg Freedom Museum (includes family admission and museum shop gift card) 

1 prize pack from the Chatham-Kent Black Historical Society & Black Mecca Museum (includes tour gift certificate and sweatshirt)

General Admission ($10+HST and fees): Includes YouTube stream link to view the lecture only

About Kathy Grant

Born in Montreal to Barbadian immigrants, Kathy Grant is a public historian and founder of Legacy Voices, which ensures Black Canadian History is documented and preserved. Kathy has made educational presentations to municipalities, schools, and community organizations, and works to promote an inclusive approach to storytelling and historical documentation. Kathy was invited by the French Embassy in Ottawa to attend the 95th Anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge and subsequently invited by the War Museum in Ottawa to present her No.2 Construction Battalion/Great War exhibit for the 100th Anniversary of the No.2 on Remembrance Day in 2016. Over the past decade Kathy has undertaken extensive research on the contributions of African Canadians in the First World War and assisted Veterans Affairs Canada in the development of the department’s commemorative resources on the military service of Black Canadians.

Kathy is a 2020 recipient of the 100 Accomplished Black Canadian Women award in the category of “History”. Kathy was selected to work with YAP films as lead historian in an upcoming documentary on Black soldiers who served Canada in the Second World War. The documentary airs on the History Channel Remembrance Day 2021.

About the Toronto Railway Museum (TRM)

The Toronto Railway Museum (TRM) brings people together by telling stories of Toronto’s railway heritage. The Museum is located in the heart of downtown Toronto and is typically open year-round. TRM presents exhibits, tours, educational programs and publications that broaden the understanding and appreciation of Toronto’s rich railway history. TRM is committed to telling the stories of the railways, and welcoming conversations of its varied experiences through its lecture series, exhibits and integrated programming with a mission to learn from the past to make the future better.