The guardian., 1953-05-16

except the failure to try
again"
JOHN L. MURPHEY.
- &# 80
CANADA, the rapidly growing
virgin country to the north, is
attracting more and more people
of color. Some are merely de-
lighted tourists. Others are set
ting up residence as far north
as Alaska. In the next century
this trek north may be surpris-
ing. Canada has long been a
Freedom Land" even before the
Underground Railroad. 1t still
offers a challenge to a Jim crow
south.
~ - So
TORONTO STAR weekly re-
porter, ]. E. Belliveau, has listed
some Canadian sepia citizens of
interest. Not even Boston has a
colored city solicitor, but Wind
sor has 41-year-old James Wat
son. In the same Canadian city,
DR.. H. D. Taylor is a member of
the School Board and DR.. Roy
Perry is an Alderman. Yet, col
orde comprise only 2 per cent
of the 100000 people of Windsor
which was once the key free
dom city of the Underground
Railroad.
80 %% -
WINDSOR, Ontario, just across
the blue Lakewaters from De-
troit, continues to celebrate
Emancipation Day, drawing be-
tween 3O-4O,OO0 colored Ameri-
cans annually across the border
to join in the big event. Many
among southwestern Ontario's
sizeable colored element are de-
scendants of escaped slaves from
Dixie who entered Canada in the
1800's.
THIS CHAPTER Of early coll
ored exodus into Canada will
someday be better compiled and
presented in the Importance it
deserves. Many colored genera
tions know of the Canadian road
to freedom. But we are all still
surprised when colored Canadi-
ans speak of integrated Army and
RAF service as early as the First
World War and other standards
of equality which were not land
some are not even today the
rule in all our States.
80 - 80
JACKIE ROBINSON and other
colored (modern) Major League
pioneers received class AAA
minor league polish up in Can
ada with the Montreals of Que
bee, due to the then existing
Dixie color bar in the States.
Years ago, a Jacque J. French
played pro hockey for the Tor
onto Maple Leafs. And l saw
the colored Canadian trio, Nc
Intyre and the Carnegie Broth
ers of Sherbrooke, play in 1948.
Canada also has had football
and boxing stars.
ONTARIO with its University
of Toronto and Quebec with its
McGill University, today boasts
Of many outstanding colored
alumni. Many readers will re-
call DR.. Phil Edwards, the fam
Gus Olympic track captain Of Nc
Gill. Windsor City Solicitor Wat
son is a grad of U. Toronto. The
late DR.. Charles Drew captained |
the McGill track team and in
termed at Royal Victoria and
Montreal General hospitals, as
have other sepia doctors.
ss - ap
MATT HENSON proved that |
colored men coul trek far beyond |
southern Canada. Along with |
Commander Peary, Henson bat
tied into the frozen wastelands |
of the north during expeditions |
of 1891. 1898, 1895, 1897, 1899, and /
finally became first man to reach /
the North Pole April 6, 1909, be-
ing one of the few survivors.
These expeditions gave Uncle
Sam much vast and important |
knowledge. It opened up an ex-
tremely new world.
EVEN ALASKA today has coll
ored people who have migrated
north from southern Canada. /
The u. S. Armed Services have
colored men living in polar out
posts. The vast lands to the /
north are no longer the barrier
to colored that many supposed.
Nor is the climate. It would
seem from the records that no
colored man need live in any
Al.