Hugh Burnett
Encyclopedia
Hugh Burnett was an African-Canadian civil rights
leader.
A descendant of slaves, Hugh Burnett was a carpenter in the rural Canadian town of Dresden
in the province of Ontario
. He was active in the National Unity Association, an anti-discrimination group formed in 1948: at the time, blacks in Dresden and other Ontario towns were regularly refused service in restaurants, barber shops and stores.
In his fight against discrimination, Burnett, a plain-spoken, determined activist, engaged the support of Toronto
-based groups like the Joint Labour Committee on Human Rights, whose members included Donna Hill (wife of activist Daniel Hill
and mother of author Lawrence Hill
and singer Dan Hill
) and prominent labour activist Bromley Armstrong
. Delegations to Ontario Premier Leslie Frost
in the early 1950s resulted in the passage of two acts to outlaw discrimination in the province: the Fair Employment Practices Act (outlawing workplace discrimination) and the Fair Accommodation Practices Act (making discrimination illegal in restaurants, stores and other public-access areas). Despite these laws, people in the town continued to practise discrimination.
Under Burnett's direction, in 1954, the NUA staged sit-ins of two restaurants that flouted the law, forcing a court challenge that resulted in victory for the NUA and bringing a legal end to overt discrimination in the province. Despite the victory, Burnett was forced to leave town after citizens boycotted his carpentry business. Hugh was living in London, Ontario when the first black patrons were served in the Dresden restaurant.
On July 31, 2010, the Ontario Heritage Trust unveiled a plaque commemorating the contribution Hugh Burnett and the National Unity Association made to the civil rights movement in Canada. The plaque stands on the main street in Dresden near the restaurant that refused Hugh service. His story is told in the book "Season of Rage: Hugh Burnett and the Struggle for Civil Rights".
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
leader.
A descendant of slaves, Hugh Burnett was a carpenter in the rural Canadian town of Dresden
Dresden, Ontario
Dresden is a community in southwestern Ontario, Canada, part of the municipality of Chatham-Kent. Dresden is best known as the home of Josiah Henson, the former U.S. slave whose life story was the inspiration for the novel Uncle Tom's Cabin...
in the province of Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. He was active in the National Unity Association, an anti-discrimination group formed in 1948: at the time, blacks in Dresden and other Ontario towns were regularly refused service in restaurants, barber shops and stores.
In his fight against discrimination, Burnett, a plain-spoken, determined activist, engaged the support of Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
-based groups like the Joint Labour Committee on Human Rights, whose members included Donna Hill (wife of activist Daniel Hill
Daniel Hill
Daniel Hill or Dan Hill may refer to:* Daniel Hill , British actor* Daniel G. Hill , Canadian sociologist, civil servant, human rights specialist, and Black Canadian historian...
and mother of author Lawrence Hill
Lawrence Hill
Lawrence Hill is an award-winning Canadian novelist and memoirist. He is best known for the 2001 memoir Black Berry, Sweet Juice: On Being Black and White in Canada and the 2007 novel The Book of Negroes....
and singer Dan Hill
Dan Hill
Daniel Grafton "Dan" Hill IV is a Canadian pop singer and songwriter. He had two major hits with his songs, "Sometimes When We Touch" and "Can't We Try," a duet with Vonda Shepard.-Early life and career:...
) and prominent labour activist Bromley Armstrong
Bromley Armstrong
Bromley Lloyd Armstrong is a black Canadian civil rights leader. He was active in the nascent civil rights era in Canada, beginning with his arrival in 1947. Armstrong was a committed union activist who worked to improve conditions for workers in industry...
. Delegations to Ontario Premier Leslie Frost
Leslie Frost
Leslie Miscampbell Frost, was a politician in Ontario, Canada, who served as the 16th Premier from May 4, 1949 to November 8, 1961. Due to his lengthy tenure, he gained the nickname "Old Man Ontario".-Early years:...
in the early 1950s resulted in the passage of two acts to outlaw discrimination in the province: the Fair Employment Practices Act (outlawing workplace discrimination) and the Fair Accommodation Practices Act (making discrimination illegal in restaurants, stores and other public-access areas). Despite these laws, people in the town continued to practise discrimination.
Under Burnett's direction, in 1954, the NUA staged sit-ins of two restaurants that flouted the law, forcing a court challenge that resulted in victory for the NUA and bringing a legal end to overt discrimination in the province. Despite the victory, Burnett was forced to leave town after citizens boycotted his carpentry business. Hugh was living in London, Ontario when the first black patrons were served in the Dresden restaurant.
On July 31, 2010, the Ontario Heritage Trust unveiled a plaque commemorating the contribution Hugh Burnett and the National Unity Association made to the civil rights movement in Canada. The plaque stands on the main street in Dresden near the restaurant that refused Hugh service. His story is told in the book "Season of Rage: Hugh Burnett and the Struggle for Civil Rights".