Jade Ferguson
Jade Ferguson is an Associate Professor and Assistant Vice President, Academic Equity & Inclusion at the University of Guelph.
About the event
This presentation examines how Black soldiers and their families in early twentieth-century Canada pursued citizenship and equality through military service during the World Wars, only to confront systemic discrimination that persisted despite their sacrifice. Drawing on archival research centered on Guelph’s Black community, the presentation explores the complex strategies—including identity claims, cultural expression, and respectability politics—that Black Canadians employed to navigate rigid racial hierarchies. It reveals the profound contradiction between patriotism abroad and exclusion at home: men who fought for democracy overseas returned to a country that denied them full equality, access to benefits, and meaningful recognition. Through intimate family narratives and institutional records, the presentation asks critical questions about belonging, citizenship, and justice. Ultimately, it argues that authentic remembrance must acknowledge both the courage and sacrifice of Black military service alongside the systemic injustices that shaped their lives, including the complexities that resist easy narratives of progress or heroism.
Date/Time
Wednesday, March 11, 2026, 7:00 pm EST.
Location
In person: Laurier Centre for the Study of Canada, 232 King St. N., Waterloo
Online: Register for the Zoom livestream
