Local historian Elise Harding Davis awarded the Order of Ontario

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When Elise Harding-Davis was in kindergarten, she was forced to read racist books aloud at school.

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Her parents, respected local historians and black Canadian heritage experts, said that on that day, we should face what went wrong, but also celebrate all her achievements. I told her

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These achievements include receiving the Order of Ontario.

“Yes, I’m a little proud of myself,” said Harding-Davies. “It is very satisfying to know that the history of Afro-Canadian people has become known, accepted and supported by a large part of the community.”

Harding Davis, former curator of the Amherstburg Freedom Museum, was honored at an awards ceremony at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto on Monday and attended Queen’s Park with Essex MPP’s Anthony Riady on Tuesday.

Throughout his career, Harding-Davies said he sought to promote positive black history.

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“Slavery is the only historical case that matters to black people because it’s so ingrained in our society.

“I’ve spent my life trying to change that, trying to educate people, promoting positive black history.”

Joining her in Toronto to receive the Order of Ontario on Monday were two of her three daughters, Sybil and Angelique, and 13-year-old grandson Chris.

“It was very heartwarming to have my family in attendance,” said Harding Davis, nominated by educator and author Donna Paris and her own daughters.

“A lot of what I do is ancestral and generational. So my grandchildren have come to understand through Nana that they can do whatever they want.

“It’s such an honor,” she said of being included among other Ontario Medal recipients. They are power pack people and they have done amazing things.