Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009 will go down in history as the day Barack Hussein Obama was inaugurated as the 44th President of the United States of America. The day before, Americans celebrated the life of a giant in their history, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., on a national holiday declared in his honour. The proximity of these two events created an extra-long weekend in which the accomplishments of African Americans over the past four decades were brought into sharp focus within the consciousness of our southern neighbours. On such a momentous occasion, we too should reflect on the significant contributions black Canadians have made to this institution over the years, and whether they have been adequately recognized.
No doubt some Canadians of African descent feel Obama represents the fulfilment of King’s famous dream. This is true, to an extent. Obama’s ancestors were not enslaved in the United States. His mixed racial heritage speaks of only a partial break in the glass ceiling for African Americans. But none of this in any way diminishes the powerful symbolism in the image of the new president, reciting the oath of office with a black hand on Lincoln’s Bible, which circumnavigated the globe to lead newscasts and adorn newspapers around the world.
At Queen’s University, there has been some impressive history made with respect to black Canadians, both positive and negative. The expulsion of black medical students during World War I stands as one of the darkest marks on the school’s storied history, and the University’s treatment of Alfred “Alfie” Pierce is a subject of much controversy for black students who know his story. But the recognition of Robert Sutherland in 1998 stands out as one example where the University took positive steps to correct an historic wrong.
For those who do not know, Sutherland was Canada’s first university graduate of African descent, the first black person called to the bar of Upper Canada and Queen’s first major benefactor. In 1997, AMS Assembly unanimously approved the final report of the Robert Sutherland Task Force which established a JDUC-sponsored visitorship, a debating excellence award, an annual prize awarded by the AMS to a graduating student of colour and a room naming, all in Sutherland’s honour.
But since his gift helped save Queen’s when it teetered on the brink of bankruptcy in 1878, and given his historic significance to the nation, students have long felt there was more left to be done.
Due to the institutional leadership of people like Michael Ceci and Talia Radcliffe, community and the concurrence of the istration, the Board of Trustees will consider and vote upon a motion to rename the Policy Studies Building after Sutherland at their meeting on Mar. 6 and 7.
In 2009, the 160th year since Sutherland was itted as its 60th student, Queen’s University can make its own history by approving this proposal. I call upon staff, faculty, alumni and students to encourage the Board to approve this motion by sending a letter of to the University Secretariat at [email protected]. By raising our voices we can demonstrate how important it is to properly honour those who built and sustained this university, no matter their race or ancestry.
The change that is sweeping the United States of America has placed focus on the achievements of blacks everywhere. Robert Sutherland is a shining example of what was possible in 1849 here in Canada, even as Africans toiled under plantation slavery in the southern U.S.
Our university community needs to take another step in the recognition of Sutherland, a man who maintained throughout his life that Queen’s had treated him like a gentleman.
King’s dream still resonates in Kingston in 2009. Sutherland’s legacy must never be allowed to into oblivion.
Yes we can.
In 1996-97, Greg Frankson became the first black student to serve as AMS President. He was also the chair of the AMS Robert Sutherland Task Force from 1996 to 1998.
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