Did you know that Elijah McCoy, born in 1843 in Colchester Ontario, the child of runaway slaves who arrived in Canada by the Underground Railroad, is the source of the expression “The Real McCoy”? As an engineer, he was awarded over 50 patents for mechanical inventions so superior, builders and engineers asked for them by name. They wanted “the real McCoy”. Or, that hired in 1987, Andrea Elaine Lawrence was the first black female to become a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police? These are just two individuals who are part of a rich history of accomplishments and contributions made by African Canadians to their home: Canada.
February is Black History Month– the perfect time to reflect upon the history of African Canadians, well established but little known, who’ve been making that history here in Ontario for more than 400 years. Check out Black History Society a treasure trove of information and the personal histories of some of our country’s most fascinating, unsung heroes and discover some of the profiles, places and accomplishments that have enriched the history of all Canadians. You can also find out more about one of the most famous sites of the Underground Railroad, as told in the anti-slavery novel based on the life of the Reverend Josiah Henson, “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” by Harriet Beecher Stowe, set right here in Ontario, to learn more check out this link.
Or take part in some of the many celebrations taking place this month - – where you’ll find events around Ontario and the GTA planned to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Black History Month.
The 21st Century Citizen. How do we Get Involved Today?
For the past ten years my partner at qmedia solutions and I have been doing a lot of pro bono work for a number of not-for-profits and charities. We've really enjoyed it but we wanted to do more. First we wanted to tell stories about some of the amazing people who had inspired us. And so we started with TV storytelling and on October 26th Get Involved had it's World Premiere on TVO-- Ontario's premiere public broadcaster. So far we have produced 25 profiles of amazing innovators, social entrepreneurs and activists. Take a look at our stories. Tell us what you think. Tell us about people or organizations that inspire you. During our research we sensed a growing movement growing all around us-- people realizing their skills and their expertise can be used not only to bring them financial rewards but deeper connection and meaning in their lives. And so our next step was to concieve of a website that would transform the inspiration of the television profiles and help propell people into action and Getinvolved.ca was born. Join the conversation...
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