Browse Items (687 total)

Robert Walker recalling a letter written by members of the Sir George Williams Faculty in response to the Sir George Williams Affair. This letter would have been the ultimate insult to all the protestors who had just participated in the affair and…

a descendant of a slave photographed at his home in Birchtown, 1930s

Rockhead's Paradise holds a significant place in history, with its owner, Rufus Rockhead, being Montreal’s first Black nightclub owner, and likely the first in Canada. Rockhead’s club was one of the few venues of its time that welcomed everyone,…

A watercolour sketch showing a black woodcutter from Birchtown, earliest known image of an African Nova Scotian

A journal article on Ninth Floor Troubles, Crisis at Sir George, and An(other) Antilles, 3 documentaries about the Sir George Williams affair, comparing and contrasting them and their availability. The article makes several good points about the…

In 1928, Rufus Rockhead purchased the Mountain Hotel at the corner of Mountain and Saint-Antoine, laying the foundation for what would become one of Montreal’s most important cultural venues. Before securing this property, he had tried to buy a…

A video with recollections of a Black student in Perry Anderson's class, as well as primary footage of Perry Anderson responding to questions about his Black students. The crux of the whole affair is told neatly and quickly in this video. Perry…

Louis Metcalf returned to one of Montreal’s most iconic jazz venues, reconnecting with a stage where he first helped bring be-bop to the city. Just opposite Rockhead’s Paradise stood the Café Saint-Michel, a cornerstone of Montreal nightlife during…

A photo of the Henry F. Hall building on the Sir George Williams campus. This was the building used by the protestors for their sit-in and the location of the subsequent events February 11th, 1969. After beginning their sit-in on January 29, the 400…

Cape Breton Island outline