Written By Denise Pelley
The African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Chapel at Fanshawe Pioneer Village is one of the most significant surviving landmarks of Black history in Southwestern Ontario. Originally built in 1848 on Thames Street in London, Ontario, it served as the city’s first Black church and became a place of worship, community, and refuge for freedom seekers arriving in Canada through the Underground Railroad.
In 2014, the chapel was moved to Grey Street to save it from demolition. Then in 2022 it was carefully relocated to Fanshawe Pioneer Village where it underwent restoration, returning it to its appearance in the 1850s. The chapel stands as a powerful reminder of the resilience, faith, and contributions of London’s early Black community, preserving an important chapter of Canadian history for future generations.
The idea for the series Stories and Song came about in 2023 after me and Steve Holowitz (pianist) performed at the opening of the AME. We discussed ways to use the chapel and bring people into this historical building. I presented to the Village coordinator and her team the idea of me creating presentations mixed with music to tell the stories of famous Black Canadians.
They loved the idea and the series began the following year. We do two presentations per year with each presentation highlighting two famous Black Canadians. In 2024 and 2025, we shared Stories and Song about:
2024 Viola Davis and George Elliott Clarke
Portia White and Fergie Jenkins, with mention of Stan Anderson (my uncle)
2025 Eleanor Collins and
Lincoln Alexander
Carrie Best and Oscar Peterson
This year’s final presentation, taking place on September 27, will highlight the lives of Rose Fortune and Herb Carnegie. In June, we shared the life stories of Salome Bey and Lawrence Hill.
Salome Bey was one of the most influential performers in Canadian music and theatre history. She was known as “Canada’s First Lady of the Blues,” a gifted singer, songwriter, actress, playwright, composer, and mentor whose work helped shape the cultural landscape of Canada. Throughout her remarkable career, she inspired generations of artists through her performances, creative productions, and dedication to promoting Black music and culture.
Born in Newark, New Jersey, on October 10, 1933, Salome grew up in a musical family and attended the prestigious Arts High School. Although she briefly considered studying law at Rutgers University, her passion for performance led her in another direction. Along with her brother Andy and sister Geraldine, she formed Andy and the Bey Sisters, a jazz vocal trio that toured internationally and recorded for major labels. One memorable recording from that period was Billie Holiday’s God Bless the Child.
In the mid-1960s, Salome settled in Toronto, where she met her husband, Howard Matthews, and raised their three children. She quickly became a leading figure in the city’s jazz and blues scene, earning the title “Canada’s First Lady of the Blues.” Toronto became the centre of her artistic life and the launching pad for a remarkable career that extended beyond music into theatre and television.
Among her many achievements, Salome performed at the prestigious Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, where audiences were captivated by her rendition of Everything Must Change.
She also found success on Broadway in Your Arms Too Short to Box with God, whose original cast recording earned a Grammy nomination. Off-Broadway, she received an Obie Award for her performance in Love Me, Love My Children.
Perhaps her greatest contribution to Canadian theatre was Indigo, a musical revue that she conceived, wrote, and starred in. Celebrating the history of Black music, the production became a landmark success, won two Dora Mavor Moore Awards, and established Salome as a pioneer in Canadian musical theatre.
Her influence extended beyond the stage. She appeared in CBC’s Salome Bey’s Christmas Soul, performed with her daughters as Salome Bey and the Relatives, and contributed to the 1985 charity single Tears Are Not Enough in support of famine relief in Ethiopia.
Salome received numerous honours, including two Dora Mavor Moore Awards for her production of Indigo, the Toronto Arts Award, the Martin Luther King Jr. Achievement Award, honorary membership in the Order of Canada, a Canada Post commemorative stamp, and posthumous induction into Canada’s Walk of Fame.
After retiring in early 2000 due to dementia, she passed away in Toronto on August 8, 2020, at the age of 86. Her legacy lives on through the artists she mentored and the groundbreaking productions she created.
More than anything, Salome Bey left behind a legacy of creativity, courage, and inspiration. Her many honours reflect the extraordinary impact she had on musical theatre. And her contributions continue to influence artists and audiences today, ensuring that Canada’s First Lady of the Blues will never be forgotten.
Lawrence Hill is one of Canada’s most respected and successful authors. He is best known for writing The Book of Negroes, a novel that has been read by millions of people around the world. Throughout his career, Lawrence has written novels, memoirs, essays, and works of non-fiction that explore themes such as identity, race, history, freedom, and human rights. His books have helped readers better understand important parts of Canadian and world history while also telling powerful and unforgettable stories.
Born in 1957 in Newmarket, Ontario, Lawrence grew up in Don Mills, near Toronto. His father, Daniel G. Hill, was a Black American sociologist, historian, and human rights leader who became the first director of the Ontario Human Rights Commission. His mother, Donna Mae Hill, was a white American civil rights activist dedicated to fighting discrimination. Their commitment to social justice profoundly shaped Lawrence’s life and writing.
Growing up in a mixed-race family in a predominantly white neighbourhood, Lawrence experienced racism and often felt different from those around him. These experiences later inspired many of the themes in his books, particularly questions of identity, belonging, and equality.
As a boy, Lawrence dreamed of becoming an Olympic distance runner before discovering his passion for writing. He wrote his first story at age fourteen on his mother’s typewriter. He later earned a degree in Economics from Laval University and a Master’s degree in Writing from John Hopkins University. Before becoming a full-time author, he worked as a journalist for newspapers including The Globe and Mail and The Winnipeg Free Press.
His most famous book, The Book of Negroes, was published in 2007. This novel brought him international recognition and became one of the most successful Canadian novels ever written.
The story follows Aminata Diallo, a young girl who is kidnapped from her village in West Africa and sold into slavery. The novel traces her journey across several continents as she struggles to survive, gain freedom, and maintain her dignity despite enormous hardships.
The title comes from a real historical document called the “Book of Negroes.” This document recorded the names of approximately 3,000 Black Loyalists who left the United States after the American Revolution and settled in Nova Scotia.
In addition to his novels, he has written non-fiction works including Black Berry, Sweet Juice and Blood: The Stuff of Life, examining race, mixed-race identity, and social issues. His writing consistently emphasizes justice, compassion, and the importance of understanding different perspectives.
Lawrence has received numerous honours, including the Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize, the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, CBC’s Canada Reads, appointment to the Order of Canada, induction into Canada’s Walk of Fame, and several honorary doctorates.
Lawrence Hill’s writing reminds us that history is not just about events—it is about people. Through stories of courage, identity, freedom, and human rights, he encourages us to understand one another and learn from the past. As Lawrence once said, “To gaze into another person’s face is to do two things: to recognize their humanity, and to assert your own.” Let this powerful message inspire us all.
