Beyond Monuments, Toward Justice: Rethinking How We Remember Black History
Figure 1. Gabriela Sealy, Blessing Ogunyemi, and Emilie Andrée Roumer Jabouin looking around the Amherstburg Freedom Museum. Photo by Alex Allasra, taken at Amherstburg, Ontario, October 2024.
When physical spaces tied to history vanish through destruction, neglect, or deliberate erasure, what is lost beyond the structure itself? Does this reflect a failure to protect the past or an intentional effort to reshape collective memory? Without physical anchors, how do we determine what stories endure? How relevant is showing when we can tell? Can words alone bear the weight of history, or do they become fragile, subject to revision or omission?
Perhaps the most urgent question is not how much we can tell but how much we are allowed to tell. Who decides what is remembered and what is forgotten? What spaces exist for these tellings, and how are they regulated? The erasure of history is rarely accidental; it is often engineered, a product of systemic suppression. In a time when access to information is increasingly controlled, so too is the power to define and preserve the truth.
While various sites celebrate Ms. Tubman’s legacy and achievements, though significant, they remain insufficient. If the street on which she lived in Canada were renamed in her honour, would it capture the fullness of her contributions or merely nod in its direction? A name on a plaque or a building is a gesture, but gestures alone cannot sustain memory.
The stories of Ms. Tubman’s strategic brilliance, courage and unwavering fight for justice deserve broader representation. In a world where voices can be silenced, records erased, and history rewritten, preserving memory becomes an act of resistance. Hence, we need to go beyond surface-level commemoration. We need more spaces dedicated to learning and engagement—spaces that ensure our ancestors’ contributions are not just acknowledged but deeply understood.
True memorialization is not about erecting monuments but fostering understanding. It is about ensuring that Ms. Tubman’s courage and sacrifice, along with the stories of countless others, are not confined to the margins of education but fully integrated into how we teach, learn, and engage with history. It calls for museums that present these narratives in depth, a society that upholds the principles of justice and equity, and, most importantly, an education system that refuses to treat Black history as an afterthought.
Until Black history is recognised as fundamental to understanding the world we live in, our remembrance will remain incomplete. Teaching Black history is not an act of inclusion; it is an act of truth-telling, and the truth is non-negotiable.
Dr. Rosemary Sadlier, a key advocate for Black History Month in Canada, reflects on the progress made and what remains to be done. She stresses that Black identity and history are not limited to one month, highlighting the need for ongoing Black history education year-round.