More than 200 guests attended Freedom 175 at Christ Church Cathedral to honour the 175th anniversary of the abolition of slavery in the British Empire.
“This is a milestone year,” says John Dennison, chairman of Cathedral Arts, the arts program at the church. “I wanted to be sure it was marked and that people had a chance to reflect on it.”
The musical and dramatic showcase held at the church on Feb. 28 was hosted by broadcast journalist Marci Ien. The event featured a host of Canadian talent, including “Ottawa Blues Lady” Maria Hawkins, Jackie Richardson, Jeremiah Sparks and Christ Church Cathedral Girls’ Choir.
The chairman says providing education and entertainment to the public is critical, and the music, spoken word and monologues at Freedom 175 were representative of the historical period.
Dennison says Canada was the first colony in the British Empire to take steps toward abolition with the Anti-Slavery Act of 1793.
He says the act “opened the floodgates” of slaves seeking freedom on the Underground Railroad. But with the Act to Abolish Slavery in the British Empire, which came into effect in 1834, slavery was no longer legal in Canada, making those who entered the country completely free.
“The abolition of slavery was so important in a Canadian context. Canada was a pioneer with the whole movement,” Dennison explains. “People saw Canada as a land of hope and that impression remains today.”
He says he was thrilled to see the audience’s positive response.
“The place really rocked,” Dennison says. “People were up on their feet clapping, singing and dancing.”
Hawkins says her rendition of a Negro spiritual, The Drinking Gourd, was significant because it is the last surviving song from the Underground Railroad.
The gourd was code for the North Star that led slaves to freedom, Hawkins explains. They sang about the gourd in the fields, communicating hidden messages about when and how to make their way to Canada, she says.
To ensure that guests took something from her performance, she taught them the chorus of the song.
“The church just rang with the sound of their voices,” Hawkins says.
Timothy Piper, director of the girls’ choir, says he was happy the choir had the opportunity to participate in an event that adds vibrancy to Centretown.
Through choosing songs “born out of a heritage of black slaves,” and Hymn to Freedom, which was sung at Barack Obama’s inauguration, Piper says the girls were “part of a much bigger chain of history.”
Sarah Onyango, media relations officer for Black History Ottawa, attended the event. She says Freedom 175 was “incredible and uplifting.”
While black history is ongoing throughout the year, she says, there was special significance in ending Black History Month in a church.
“(The church) is where slaves got their strength and sense of community,” she explains. “It gave those who observe something extra: solemnity and celebration at once.”
Dennison says he was pleased to see so many different ethnic groups come together at the church to celebrate this historical milestone.
Former slaves, white people and aboriginals helped slaves seeking freedom in Canada, says Dennison, and this is a “resounding example” for Canadians.
Despite immense strides made in the journey to equality, he says citizens must not forget the struggles faced by those before them and the continued existence of racism and inequality.
“In Canada, we should all work together regardless of background,” he says.
Those who missed the event can catch it on the Rogers network March 22.