A historic site in Dresden unveiled its awaited new name during Emancipation Day celebrations.
Community members gathered Saturday to celebrate Emancipation Day and the unveiling of new site name Josiah Henson Museum of African-Canadian History, formerly Uncle Tom’s Cabin Historic Site.
The event featured poetry readings, musical performances, exhibits, and a performance from Heritage Singers Canada.
Museum Curator Steven Cook says the new name will open doors for more inclusive history.
“It’s a bold title with a bold mission to tell Josiah’s story and the story of other freedom seekers that made Canada their home,” says Cook. “It’s going to open new doors for us to expand the narrative and tell a more inclusive story, so we’re really excited about it.”
The site was originally named after the 1852 novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe, where Josiah Henson became an inspiration for the fictional character after he escaped to Canada from slavery in Kentucky and helped establish the Dawn Settlement that the site rests on.
The Ontario Heritage Trust notes that the term ‘Uncle Tom’ embodies many of the prejudices and biases at the root of anti-Black racism, and that the term implies a person of African descent is a traitor to their race.
Cook says the Henson family are supportive of the change.
“There’s lots of Henson family members here that are in support of the name change. They’ve given us some really heartfelt warm wishes during our program and that’s going to carry us through as we continue this name change.”
The new name comes a month after changing the road name that the site is located on from Uncle Tom’s Road to Freedom Road.
The annual Emancipation Day celebration commemorates the end of slavery in most of the British Empire and was celebrated as a nationally recognized holiday in Canada for the second year.