Unearthing the untold: Museum partners with local storytellers to shine a light on Black history

Garvia Bailey has joined the Stratford Perth Museum’s exhibits research committee, joining others to unearth the untold stories of Stratford’s Black residents throughout history.

CONNOR LUCZKA, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

When Garvia Bailey first got involved with the Stratford Perth Museum for an upcoming exhibit on the region’s Black history, like many she wasn’t fully aware of how deep its roots go. As she soon discovered, the stories of Black Stratforders throughout history are not superficial.

“Some of those stories are Stratford building stories,” Bailey said. “They're Perth County building stories. It's not just we existed or there were a few Black folks that existed in Stratford, in the area – it's that there were Black folks collaborating with the people of Stratford to build Perth County up, to build what we see now as a strong civic-minded county, a strong civic-minded city.

“… My brother was a history teacher in Stratford … I was sharing some of the stories with my brother, and he was like, ‘I had no idea. It's not in our history; it's not in the books.’ Unless you're looking for it, and specifically intentional about finding it or searching it out, you won't find out.”

To make sure that everyone in the community can find out, without having to pour over records and dig through newspaper clippings themselves, the museum will be expanding with an “evolving Black history exhibit” this fall. To kickstart its development, the museum has partnered with mixed-media artist HAUI, behind the upcoming Aunt Harriet installation, and Bailey, a Stratford-native.

Bailey has joined the exhibits research committee, bringing her skills as the co-founder of the award-winning podcast and media company Media Girlfriends Inc. and over two decades at CBC and JazzFM to the project.

“I’m genuinely humbled that Garvia Bailey – someone I’ve followed with deep admiration for decades – approached the museum with the desire to help us uncover and share Black histories in Stratford and Perth County,” said general manager Kelly McIntosh in an announcement. “Garvia is a powerhouse of insight, talent and integrity, and we’re incredibly lucky to have her join our team at this pivotal moment.”

Bailey said that she will be working with the committee to uncover those Stratford building stories. While some, like the stories of Charley Lightfoot, the first Black Canadian to play professional hockey, and the Harrison family, a 19th century entrepreneurial family in the city, are more well known, there are others like Ben Sleet, an ice dealer in the mid- to late-1800s, that will be unearthed and told.

There are even stories of white Stratforders who contributed to Black history that will be explored, such as abolitionist John Linton.

As Bailey explained, Stratford’s history was not perfect, but there is a reason why people are drawn to the small city.

“It's that history that we might not know, but we can somehow feel it and sense it – that we are a welcoming, giving, building community, right? That's what my parents felt 50 years ago. Where did that come from? Where did that feeling of being able to settle here and be happy here come from? Well, it turns out that it comes from things that were happening 150 years ago.”

The first story on display in the exhibit is Aunt Harriet, a film directed and devised by HAUI and starring ahdri zhina mandiela as Aunt Harriet Millar, an interesting character in southwestern Ontario’s history. In a 1932 article published in the Toronto Star for her death, Millar was described as “one of the most picturesque characters Guelph has ever known.” At the time of her death, she was believed to be well over 100 years old, but she had lost her memory and family, meaning that fact is questionable and many other details of her life are simply unknowable. However, through HAUI’s research and “interpretive exploration,” and by using spoken word and surrealism to evoke memory loss, who she was and how “picturesque” she was will be front and centre in the film, which officially launches at the museum this fall.

“I'm very excited for October,” HAUI said. “It's going to be great. And my involvement beyond? That's just a conversation with both Garvia and Kelly and Megan.… It's amazing that one can spearhead one of the projects and then take a step back as the other steps in. And I'm excited about that, that sort of malleable quality of what we're trying to build.”

The launch event for Aunt Harriet will take place Oct. 11 at 2 p.m. at the museum. It will feature a panel conversation with HAUI, Bailey, Michelle Robbins, curator of Buxton National Historic Site and Museum, historian Jade Ferguson and mandiela.

More details about Aunt Harriet and the evolving Black History exhibit will be announced in the coming months.