History of Windsor's Emancipation Day celebrations captured in new documentary

A short documentary about Windsor's historical Emancipation Day celebrations is now available to the public after nearly four years in the making.

On Saturday, Windsoritescan finally watch "Journey Back to Jackson Park", a documentary featuring stories of Windsor's Black community during Emancipation Day celebrations held in Jackson Park from the 1930s to 1960s.

Tonya Sutherland, head of archive development and researcher of the project said it feels "validating" and "affirming" to see it released.

"I'm looking forward to the idea of someone sitting at home on Saturday on their couch and they're going to see this and maybe that will spark that moment for them of, 'this is so cool and I want to know more about it.' The prospect of being able to start people on that journey is what I'm really looking forward to," Sutherland said.

The multifaceted projectis led by a team of Canadian female researchers, historians, professors and artists. Itfeatures voices of Windsor's community members with ties to the historical celebrations.

"We believe that what went on during those celebrations and what they represented really speak to a lot of things that are present in Canadian history and our current dialogue," Sutherland said.

Issues such as Civil Rights, freedom,racism and community cooperation are all weaved throughout the piece.

Emancipation Day, August 1, 1834 marks the abolishment of slavery in the British Empire. On March 24, 2021, the House of Commons unanimously voted to declare Aug. 1 be recognized as Emancipation Day across the country.

WATCH | Two lead members of Journey Back to Jackson Park discuss what the project means to them

Journey back to Jackson Park documentary

3 years ago

Duration 1:48

Two of people involved in Journey back to Jackson Park project talk about why they wanted to focus on the event.

Feaven Abera, social media manager and coordinator, describes the project as a 'counter discourse' to what is known and understood about Black Canadians and the Black community.

"For years our community has been trying to get Emancipation Day declared a national holiday and every year before this year, it has been declined and I feel like emancipation celebrations as a counter-discourse is, in itself, proof of Canada's involvement with slavery," Abera said.

During the mid 20th century, Windsor's Emancipation Day celebrations extended over a period of days with celebrations and parades typically held in Jackson Park.

"When you view the documentary and you hear these stories of community and people coming together to host huge gatherings in celebration of, not just emancipation, but also food and beauty and also just overall, Black joy, which is such an amazing to kind of look at," Abera said.

'Permeate general consciousness'

According to Sutherland, the celebrations in Windsor were some of the largest festivals in North America at the time, which drew thousands of people from across the world. She said it is a 'shame' this part of history has been overlooked.

"It has not been able to permeate our general consciousness and we think that is a real shame and it's something that should be changed and that's what we're working toward," Sutherland said.

Sutherland said one of her favourite segments in the documentary is focused on an editorial written by the Mayor of Windsor in 1953, featured in a local magazine about the festivities. In it he writes about seeing the community come together year after year, makes him feel good to think he contributed to it.

"I just think that, that is so beautifully representative of the society that we want to strive for and not just strive for, we've achieved it in the past, we just need to work for it," she said.

The documentary will be available to watch on CBC Television at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and onCBC Gem.

For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.