A conversation exploring the history and lived experiences of Black Railway Porters and their fight for equality on and off the tracks.

“All aboard!” for Derailed: The History of Black Railway Porters in Canada.

From the late 1800s to the mid 1900s, Canada’s Black Railway Porters were a group of workers who disrupted the system, becoming instrumental in leading the fight for fair employment practices and anti-discriminatory laws.

Their fight for equality both on and off the track helped shape the multicultural Canada we know today, and continues to inform contemporary conversations about labour and race.

Join us for this educational and eye-opening conversation between author/scholar Cecil Foster (They Call Me George: The Untold Stories of Black Train Porters), and Andria Babbington and John Cartwright of the Toronto & York Region Labour Council.

This conversation will take us back in time to take a look at the inspiring lives and contributions of these men, and explore how their legacy can help us imagine greater equality in Canada today and in the future.

This conversation in partnership with the Toronto & York Region Labour Council is part of an upcoming and in-depth multimedia exhibition about Canada’s Black Railway Porters presented in collaboration with Cecil Foster.