The threads of African-Canadian history weave a story of resistance, resilience, and remarkable achievement that spans centuries—yet these vital narratives remain largely untold in mainstream historical accounts. Elise Harding-Davis changes that through her lifelong dedication to preserving and promoting Black Canadian history.
As a seventh-generation Canadian whose family has been in Canada since 1798, Harding-Davis brings personal connection to her work as a historian, author, and former curator of the North American Black Historical Museum and Cultural Center. She shares how the proud Black history she learned from her grandmother contrasted sharply with school curricula that erased these contributions, fueling her determination to ensure these stories would not be lost.
Harding-Davis takes us on a fascinating journey through untold chapters of Canadian history, including the crucial role of Black soldiers in the War of 1812. These freedom fighters formed Runch's Rangers and fought not just for British interests but to protect their own hard-won liberty from American expansion. Some American soldiers found themselves "looking down the barrel of a gun held by one of their former slaves"—a powerful reversal that standard histories rarely acknowledge.
Her global travels as a lecturer and consultant have allowed her to correct misconceptions about Black Canadian experiences from Ghana to China. When asked to enter a room where enslaved people had died during a tour of Elmina Castle in Ghana, she powerfully refused: "My people were forcibly taken through the door of no return in this building. We did not die. We survived."
Through decades of research, teaching, and advocacy, Harding-Davis reminds us that historical knowledge forms the foundation for identity and empowerment. As she eloquently states, "Without Black history, history is incomplete." Her work demonstrates that knowing our past—all of it—is essential to building a more inclusive future.
Join us for this powerful conversation with one of Canada's foremost authorities on Black Canadian history.
Connect to Ms. Elise Harding-Davis via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elise-harding-davis-3452ba80/
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