Why the Robbins Name Matters with Michelle Robbins

Audio and video: Alex Allasra, Harriet Tubman Institute, York University 

TRANSCRIPT: 

[Animated Harriet Tubman Institute logo; Michelle Robbins is standing in the Log Cabin with the research team’s Academic and Archival Consultant, Emilie Andrée Roumer Jabouin, PhD, and the Curation and Project Lead, Blessing Ogunyemi, responding to the latter’s question about the importance of keeping the Robbins’ name]. 

Michelle: You’re the third person that has asked me this, like in the last year (laughs). And yes, my answer is yes; we always want to, you know, acknowledge our original name, and we still do. We always do. On his headstone, it does have his original last name, which is Calico. So we always acknowledge it, but we also feel that our way to freedom was from a name. And so that’s why we, you know, continue to be proud of the name, even though, yes, it was a slave master’s name, but we also have family that have that name who were part of that slave master’s name as well.  

So, it’s very, it’s like a little touchy thing, but we, you know, we’re still very proud and still, you know, appreciate the name, where sometimes people are like, Oh no, you should just change it back. But we, because of that way to freedom, it was from that name. And if he felt that was his way to get us here, then we appreciate that and we will honour that a hundred percent. Yeah, I know, it’s like a ouuuuu (a sound to express the confusion or hesitation people may have about the decision to retain the name). 

Blessing: ‘Cause I was like, you know. . . those were the terms, ’cause I think I was approaching it from like a 21st century mindset of, oh, if someone were to approach me that I need you to do this for you to get your freedom, these are the terms. I’m wondering, OK, I want my freedom so badly; so, I would say yes to this. But having gotten that freedom, knowing that now I have a right, I can make my own decisions. I would have. . . You know what? Goodbye to that name. I am changing my thing back. So, I was also thinking maybe it’s just some kind of commemoration.