At the 136st Annual General Meeting of the Ontario Historical Society, Dr. Natasha Henry-Dixon delivered a keynote address on “The Paradox of Slavery and Freedom in 19th Century Ontario.” Dr. Henry-Dixon is introduced by OHS President Kristin Ives.
Natasha Henry-Dixon is an assistant professor of African Canadian History at York University. The 2018 Vanier Scholar is currently researching the enslavement of Black people in colonial Ontario in her project, “One Too Many: the Enslavement of Black People in Upper Canada, 1760-1834.”
She has been an educator for 25 years, teaching kindergarten through to university. Dr. Henry-Dixon is an award-winning author and curriculum developer, focusing on African Canadian experiences. Her publications include Emancipation Day: Celebrating Freedom in Canada (June 2010), Talking about Freedom: Celebrating Freedom in Canada (2012), a number of youth-focused titles, and several entries for the Canadian Encyclopedia on African Canadian history. Through her various professional, academic, and community roles, Dr. Henry-Dixon’s work is grounded in her commitment to research, collect, preserve, and disseminate the histories of Black Canadians.
Dr. Henry-Dixon’s talk will highlight her research on the development and maintenance of racial chattel slavery in colonial Ontario and unpack the complexities of freedom for Black people during this time period.