To mark the beginning of Black History Month, February 1 to 28, 2023, the Bruce County Museum & Cultural Centre (BCM&CC) will host a special presentation about the work that led to the recognition of more than 1,200 people buried in unmarked graves in Owen Sound’s Potter’s Field, with guest speakers Dorothy Abbott of the Grey County Black Heritage Society, and Aly Boltman, a local historian.
In a February 1 media release from BCM&CC, the talk is titled 'Erasing Erasure' and will focus on those buried in Potter's Field, many whom were fleeing slavery in the United States via the Underground Railroad, including members of Abbott’s family, and arriving at its northernmost terminus in Owen Sound. Black settlers still faced enormous systemic racism in Canada at this time and many were considered impoverished and required burial. Potter’s Field became operational in 1860 and was in use for more than 100 years.
The Potter’s Field project has won five awards, including most recently an Architectural Conservancy Ontario Heritage Award.
Erasing Erasure is set to take place Saturday, February 4 from 2 to 4pm in BCM&CC's Bruce Power Theatre with refreshments to follow. The presentation will be recorded and made available online for later viewing.
Members can attend for free, general admission applies. For more information and to register, visit brucemuseum.ca/event/black-history-month-presentation-erasing-erasure
