GG honours Montreal slave girl who was executed in error
Last Updated: Saturday, April 8, 2006 | 11:27 PM ET
CBC News
"I think today is sweet revenge," Canada's first black Governor General told the Montreal Gazette after laying a bouquet of Easter lilies beneath a plaque in Marie-Josephe Angelique's memory.
Angelique was executed 10 weeks after the fire broke out in April 1734.
Jean, a Montreal immigrant descended from slaves in Haiti, said Angelique was a proud black woman whose tragic story is a symbol of the Canadian dream of freedom and equality for all.
Gov. Gen. Michaëlle Jean says racism has a history that shouldn't be forgotten.
"Every time the story of Marie-Josephe Angelique is told to me, I'm filled with emotion, as we all are," Jean said, recalling how Angelique maintained her innocence until tortured into confessing.
"I can't help but think this woman, in the prime of her life, would have had a completely different fate if she had been of a different race or if she'd been free," Jean said. "She was treated that way because she was black.
"Racism has a history that we must never forget," Jean said. "The racism of today is an extension of the lingering racism of yesterday. If we forget this, then we risk perpetuating an unacceptable situation."
Share Tools
Top News Headlines
- Everest victim's husband says family not seeking government help
- The husband of a Toronto woman who died trying to climb Mt. Everest on Saturday says his family is not seeking government help to cover the cost of bringing his wife's body home. more »
- B.C. premier unhappy with disgraced Mountie's transfer
- B.C. Premier Christy Clark says she is not happy with the RCMP decision to transfer a disgraced Alberta Mountie to the West Coast. more »
- Henrique's OT goal sends Devils into Stanley Cup final
- The New Jersey Devils will vie for a potential fourth Stanley Cup in franchise history after defeating the New York Rangers in six games in the Eastern final, courtesy of rookie Adam Henrique's goal early in overtime. more »
- Employment Insurance review boards to be scrapped
- The federal government is scrapping two review boards used by people appealing decisions made about their employment insurance. more »
Latest Canada News Headlines
- Aylmer triple stabbing leads to first-degree murder charges
- The estranged partner of a young mother who was stabbed to death along with her parents at their home in Aylmer, Que., has been charged with first-degree murder Friday. more »
- B.C. premier unhappy with disgraced Mountie's transfer
- B.C. Premier Christy Clark says she is not happy with the RCMP decision to transfer a disgraced Alberta Mountie to the West Coast. more »
- Forest fires still burning near Timmins, Ont.
- A new forest fire is burning north of Highway 101 near Timmins, Ont., creating a new challenge for firefighters who have been working to contain another fire in the area. more »
- RCMP to close labs in Halifax, Winnipeg, Regina
- The RCMP is closing forensic laboratories in Halifax, Winnipeg and Regina and consolidating them with three others in a move the force says will lead to faster, more efficient service. more »
The National
The Current
- What does it take to get fired at the RCMP? May. 25, 2012 5:02 PM After a senior Mountie was demoted for disgraceful conduct including sex with subordinates, exposing himself and drinking on the job, some former employees wonder what you have to do to get fired.
- Aylmer triple stabbing leads to first-degree murder charges
- Everest victim's husband says family not seeking government help
- B.C. premier unhappy with disgraced Mountie's transfer
- Third B.C. salmon farm quarantined
- What a Greek euro exit could mean for Canada
- RCMP officer charged in fatal crash
- Canada ending 'Buffalo shuffle' for visas, closing consulate
- Reclaiming the dead on Mt. Everest
- Employment Insurance review boards to be scrapped
