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Sunday, May 18, 2025
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 Nancy
Allen
Beulah
Harding Couzzens
Josiah
Henson
Mrs.
Eunice Hyatt Kersey
Lois
Larkin
Dr.
H. D. Taylor
Howard
D. McCurdy
Jim
Walls
Ada
Kelly Whitney |
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| Nancy
Allen |
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Click 
for video clip |
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Nancy Allen was born Nancy Chase in Buxton, Ontario.
She moved to Windsor as a young child and lived on McDougall
Street. She attended Dougall Avenue Public School and Patterson
Collegiate before going on to Teacher’s College and a Bachelor
of Arts Degree in History at the University of Windsor.
Nancy was an employee of the Windsor Board of Education for
thirty-two years. She completed a four year appointment to the
Program Department as an Assistant Coordinator for Social Sciences
and Junior Grade Programs. Ms. Allen was also actively involved
in writing teams dealing with Social Sciences and was the Chairperson
of the grade eleven Curriculum for the
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Canadian Black Studies development
team. She developed a classroom strategy program, which encouraged
students to complete extra homework,
titled The Rainbow Club. Nancy Allen was awarded the Isabel Lawson
Memorial Award from the Federation of Women Teacher Associations
of Ontario for her work.
Although she is retired Nancy remains actively involved in many
community groups and causes. She has been a member of the Essex County
Historical
Cemeteries
Preservation
Society, The Essex County Black Historical Research Society and the
Underground Railroad Monument Committee. She is a key figure in the
development of the African Canadian Community Centre of Windsor and
Essex County and continues to organize fundraising events. Nancy
is currently the Chairperson of the Special Projects Committee at
the centre and has been the guiding light throughout the development
of this website. |
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| Beulah
Harding Couzzens |
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Beulah Harding Couzzens attended school in Chatham,
Ontario. She studied at Teacher’s College in London Ontario
and graduated in 1927. She was a teacher at Shrewsbury public school
and later taught in a segregated school in the Harrow area until
1967. Lois Larkin recalls teaching with Ms. Couzzens and how she
was ahead of her time in organizing her classwork around themes
which drew upon her many travels. Mrs. Couzzens was a member of
the Hour-A-Day Study Club. |
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| Josiah
Henson |
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Josiah Henson was born into slavery in Maryland.
When he arrived in Canada with his family was a pioneer in the
field of education. He established the British American Institute
at the Dawn Settlement (now Dresden) to provide training in the
technical skills necessary for successful settlement in Canada.
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| Mrs.
Eunice Hyatt Kersey |
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Mrs. Eunice Hyatt Kersey was the daughter of James
Hyatt who owned one of the largest florist/greenhouses in the city
of Windsor. She was a graduate of Windsor Collegiate Institute
and London Teachers College. She began teaching in 1917. She taught
school in a rural area for two years to fulfill her requirements.
When she returned to teach in Windsor she was only the second African
Canadian teacher in the city. She taught at Mercer Street School
for two years until she married. Mrs. Hyatt Kersey was also the
historian for the First Baptist Church and a founding member of
the Arts and Literary Club in Windsor. |
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| Lois Larkin |
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Click
for
video clip |
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Lois was born Lois Jean Smith in Niagara Falls, New
York. Lois moved with her family to Windsor in September of 1942.
She grew up living above the Walker House Hotel of which her father
was the owner and operator. (See the people in business section)
Lois first attended school at Mercer Street School in Windsor on
September 19th 1942. When Mercer Street School was destroyed by
fire she attended Frank W. Begley school and went on to Hon. J.
C. Patterson Collegiate.
Lois attended Teachers College in Toronto and completed her studies at
Windsor Teachers College June 1963. At that time teacher education required
a prospective teacher to teach in a rural school for two summer school
sessions and 2 school years to receive a teaching certificate. |
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| Lois taught at the last segregated school
in the region in S.S. #11 Colchester South (Harrow) with Mrs. Beulah
Couzzens. She then taught at S.S. # 5 in Shrewsbury. In 1963 Ms. Larkin
joined the teaching staff at Dougall Avenue Public School where she
remained for 20 years and then taught for ten more at Victoria Public
School until her retirement in 1993. Lois Larkin is remembered fondly
by students who
refer to
her
as not
only
an excellent
teacher but an inspiration. |
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| Dr.
H. D. Taylor |
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Dr. H.D. Taylor was the first African Canadian physician
in Windsor. Dr. Taylor served on the Windsor Board of Education
from 1935 to 1963. He served 6 terms as the chairman of the board.
He was the recipient of the Civitans Citizen of the Year Award
in 1956. Campbell Avenue school was renamed in his honour in as
Dr. H. D. Taylor School.
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| Howard
D. McCurdy |
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Howard D. McCurdy was born in London, Ontario on
December 10, 1932 and moved to Amherstburg with his parents in
1941. In 1950 Howard moved to Windsor to attend Assumption University
where he earned a degree in Science in 1953. He completed his post-graduate
studies at Michigan State University. Dr. McCurdy received his
Ph.D. degree in Microbiology and Physical and Biological Chemistry
in 1959. In 1959 Dr. McCurdy became a member of the faculty of
the University of Windsor eventually becoming a tenured professor
in the biology department and president of the Faculty Association.
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| Dr. McCurdy was very involved in the struggle
for human rights and justice. He was the first president of the Guardian
Club in Windsor and very involved with many organizations in the community.
His interest in social justice led him to a career in politics. In
1984 Howard McCurdy ran as a New Democratic Party (N.D.P) candidate
in the federal election. He was elected to the House of Commons and
was the first African Canadian to sit as an New Democratic Member of
Parliament. He was re-elected to his seat in 1988 and ran for the leadership
of the N.D.P. in 1989. |
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| Jim
Walls |
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| Jim Walls was the first African
Canadian to become the Principal of a school in the Windsor and
Essex County
Public School Board.
He was the Principal of H.D. Taylor Public School until the time
of his retirement in 2005. Jim Walls was a contributor to the
African Canadian Roads to Freedom Curriculum
Guide. |
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| Ada
Kelly Whitney |
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Ada Kelly, the daughter of Elizabeth and William
Kelly of Windsor, was May 31, 1893. She was a talented student
and went on to apply for a teaching position at the Windsor School
board. She was accepted and in so doing she became the first woman
of African descent to teach in an Ontario Public School Board.
She married JRB Whitney and moved to the United States. |
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