By Neil Armstrong
 |
| Rita Cox, veteran librarian, historian and community leader was the conductor of the Emancipation Day Underground Freedom Train Ride in Toronto. |
Hundreds of people gathered in Toronto’s busiest
transportation hub minutes before midnight to celebrate and usher in August 1 –
Emancipation Day.
For the sixth year in a row, the Emancipation Day
Underground Freedom Train Ride was held on July 31, starting at Union Station
with drumming, songs, performances and speeches and traveling onboard a Toronto
Transit Commission (TTC) train to Sheppard West Station where all those in
attendance gathered and sang the Black national anthem, “Lift Every Voice and
Sing.”
Following in the tradition of Harriet Tubman, the renowned
conductor of the Underground Railroad, Rita Cox, veteran librarian, historian
and community leader, was the conductor of the train ride.
“Let’s all be drums. Let us praise, honour, thank and
celebrate our ancestors and all those freedom fighters who have gone before and
those among us who have and are still beating the drum for both freedom and
justice,” said Cox, noting that, “We have come a long way as a people.”
She said there is still so such to do like fighting racism,
injustice, inequality and encouraged everyone to invoke the “power of those
ancient rhythms within us to come together to celebrate and build community, to
heal, to really communicate with each other.”
“To renew faith in ourselves, to dispel negativity among us,
to unify and encourage solidarity. Let that rhythm of the drum within us create
a cohesive community cause that’s the only way we can fight,” said Cox speaking
on the theme, “To Be A Drum.”
Senator Wanda Thomas Bernard of Nova Scotia said there was
not a day that goes by that she does not “bear the weight of the responsibility
of speaking, thinking, feeling, remembering the realities of African people in
this country.”
She encouraged the participants to turn their energy for
celebrating Emancipation Day into fighting anti-black racism which happens in
Canada every day.
Thomas Bernard said she has introduced systemic anti-black
racism in the senate to bring national awareness in this Decade of People of
African Descent to the everyday reality of black people here.
“Yes, we have freedom but do we really have freedom? And
really, until all of us are free, none of us are free.”
She also said Rosemary Sadlier, former president of the
Ontario Black History Society, had passed the torch to her to push the federal
government to proclaim August 1 as a national day to remember emancipation.
Councillor Josh Colle, chair of the TTC, said speaking at the
celebration would probably be one of his last acts in public service. He will
not seek re-election in the upcoming municipal election but leave politics to
return to the private sector.
He said seven years ago Itah Sadu of A Different Booklist
and Louis March of the Zero Gun Violence Movement came to him with the idea of
the freedom train ride.
He wondered if anyone would attend but acknowledged that
over the years the number of participants has grown exponentially.
Colle said he has moved a motion at city council to
recognize and celebrate the contribution of Dudley Laws in the city of Toronto.
“That motion passed unanimously last week and all I can say
it is long overdue,” he said noting of the fearlessness of the late
Jamaica-born community leader.
He said while it may be his last freedom train as a public
official it will not be his last such ride.
“In keeping with this year’s theme “To Be A Drum,” we
thought it fitting to celebrate master drummers, Muhtadi Thomas and Quammie
Williams. These drum majors for justice have uplifted our community and
inspired generations,” said Itah Sadu.
She said over the last six years the event’s success has
been enriched by the drummers, dancers and poets.
[This story has been published in the North American Weekly Gleaner, Aug. 9-15, 2018.]
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