Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean
Speech on the Occasion of a Tribute to Marie-Josèphe Angélique
Montreal, Friday, April 7, 2006
I am deeply moved to be here at La Maison Parent-Roback. Within these walls, I can feel the very strong presence of those two extraordinary women, Madeleine Parent and Léa Roback, who led the charge to improve the lives of female workers and immigrants. We have come together in this women’s centre to pay tribute to Marie-Josèphe Angélique, whose tragic life powerfully symbolizes our search for freedom and equality.
This woman was Black. This woman was but one of many slaves, here in Montreal. In 1734, she was arrested, tried, tortured and publicly executed, just steps away from this very spot, for a crime she undoubtedly did not commit. One thing is certain: her strength of character never wavered. She was considered by some to be insolent to those who had reduced her to servitude. She even rebelled.
To this day, no one knows whether Marie-Josèphe Angélique, out of desperation or anger, actually set fire to her mistress’s house to gain her freedom and inadvertently set Montreal ablaze. It makes no difference. The point is not to rewrite history; rather, it is our duty to remember. We must learn from our past, even though some would rather forget. We must work together to build a world that is more fair, more human.
Acknowledgement of the past begins with knowledge. Less than 300 years separate us from Marie-Josèphe Angélique’s trial and execution. It was not so very long ago that slavery subjugated Black people in the Americas, including New France. Let us not forget that under a 1565 edict of the King, the Code noir, Black slaves were considered “personal property.” They were seen as utilitarian objects or, to put it bluntly, beasts of burden. Unfortunately, few people know this or acknowledge it. This is why it is so important to remember this chapter of our history, dark though it may be, and to realize the extent to which it has shaped the relationships we now have with one another. I have no doubt that this is the very source of some of the lingering racism in our society today.
We, the Black people of this city, this country, this continent, the entire world, know the anguish of exclusion and must work relentlessly to loosen the grip of prejudice. But more importantly, even in the heart of our democracies, the challenges faced by many of our brothers and sisters clearly demonstrate that the battle is not over. Because ours is a struggle not just of one race but of all women and men who demand respect and dignity.
From Marie-Josèphe Angélique to the Black woman standing before you, there is a lesson in learning to be free. It is a journey that speaks to our collective will to build a better world. It is a sign of hope for us, for the young women and men who will follow in our footsteps and for the people of this world who are so courageously seeking to free themselves from oppression.
Let us hope that Marie-Josèphe Angélique’s story can serve to remind us of the importance of defending the values of justice, freedom and tolerance that unite us, beyond our differences. Together, here and now, we are honouring that duty to remember that I mentioned earlier, for it is a duty that must henceforth guide our actions.
Thank you.
