Chatham-Kent staff are recommending to change the name of Uncle Tom’s Road, outside of Dresden, to Freedom Road.
In support of the Ontario Heritage Trust’s “efforts to further combat anti-Black racism”, staff is recommending to make the change effective July 25, 2022.
The report is also recommending administration notify affected property owners of the road name change by mail and the general public by local media advertisements and that planning services would engage with the neighbours, as appropriate, to assist with the change.
“Over many years, the Ontario Heritage Trust has worked with the municipality and Black history sites in the area to showcase Ontario’s Black history and promote tourism in the region,” Ryan Jacques, director of planning, said in a report.
“Though this work, the Trust has made a significant commitment to anti-Black racism education and inclusive programming. As identified by the Trust, new opportunities exist to address issues of racism and biases reflected in the term ‘Uncle Tom’. As the collective understanding of the Black presence in Ontario continues to evolve, the Trust is able to interpret the story in a more respectful and sensitive manner.”
Jacques added: “The term ‘Uncle Tom’ embodies many of the prejudices and biases at the root of anti-Black racism. Today, as a result of the popularity of mid-19th century minstrel shows that distorted the character of Tom in Harriet Beecher Stowe’s 1852 anti-slavery novel, the term implies a person of African descent is a traitor to their race, and as such the phrase is perceived as derogatory and harmful to many within the Black community.”
Jacques said through interpretation, the Trust has endeavored to correct the myth regarding ‘Uncle Tom’ and reestablish the connection of the novel to the anti-slavery movement.
“The Trust, however, concluded that to continue to use ‘Uncle Tom’ in association with Josiah Henson does a disservice to honoring his inspiring and instructive legacy,” Jacques said.
“By renaming of the road where the Uncle Tom’s Cabin Historic Site exists, the Trust (and the Municipality) is better positioned to further combat anti-Black racism and elevate the story of the Black presence in this part of the province while reaching a wider audience.”
Jacques said changing the name of Uncle Tom’s Road to Freedom Road has an impact on neighbour and property owners on the road.
“Similar to when someone’s address changes when they move, a road name change will initiate a change of a person’s documents and accounts where their address is included,” he said.
“While there are likely to be some fees for certain changes required, fees are generally low if there are any at all. It is recognized that it is the inconvenience of the change that is most impactful. It requires a lot of time to arrange these changes across the many personal accounts someone may hold. This impact to the public is one reason that road names are rarely changed.”
Jacques added: “Through implementation, Chatham-Kent will engage neighbours and assist as appropriate. Representatives of Uncle Tom’s Cabin have met with several property owners over the past few months regarding this proposal, so this change is somewhat anticipated, however not necessarily by all property owners along the road.”
Read the full report, here.
Council is set to vote on the recommendations at their virtual meeting on Monday, June 20, 2022.
