The Power of Ancestral Knowledge; Author and Historian Irene Moore Davis

BY SIMONE J. SMITH

Born into the work

I was first introduced to Irene Moore Davis, at the Kick off to Black History Month in Windsor, Ontario. My first thought when I saw her was, “She is a very striking woman!” She walked with an air of confidence, which I soon learned had ancestral backing.  Irene was born to the late E. Andrea Moore, a fifth-generation African Canadian, and a descendant of Underground Railroad emigrants. What ties Irene to her Caribbean heritage is her father Fitz Moore who hails from sweet, sweet Trinidad & Tobago; he was raised in England and moved to Canada in the 1960s.

Irene holds her history, and lineage in great esteem, and for good reason. During our interview, she shared that her connection to her history came from family discussions that were regularly held at the dining room table. Her family would pass around photos and talk about where they had come from, and the importance of preserving and passing down stories that tell of the trials, tribulations, and successes of their ancestors. Some significant names that can be traced to Irene include Shreve, Shadd, Christian, Dunn, Larter, Nelson, Robbin, and Stone.

*Fascinating Fact*
Irene is a direct descendant of Mary Ann Shadd Cary, who was an American-Canadian anti-slavery activist, journalist, publisher, teacher, and lawyer. Mary Ann Shadd Cary was the first African woman publisher in North America and the first woman publisher in Canada.

When I learned of this fact, I knew why this woman walked with such confidence; she was born from greatness, and greatness just seemed to be part of her DNA. Irene retold the story of the unveiling of the Mary Ann Shadd Cary statue that was designed by Donna Jean Mayne. It is a moment that Irene said she would never forget; Donna’s contemplative work embodied the strength and perseverance of Mary Ann and added to the artwork found throughout Windsor, including the mural that can be found at the corner of Wyandotte and McDougall. It is no wonder that Irene has grown to be such a force and has begun to stamp out her own legacy.

Blessed with communication and diplomacy

Throughout her life, Irene has found a way to focus on what is important: family, storytelling, and inspiring and educating her community. What makes her unique is her ability to stay solution focused, regardless of any situation. She has learned that in many situations, deciding on a timely solution to a problem takes precedence over dissecting the development of a problem. One of her objectives is to assist the community in learning how to work together. She believes that individually we are not as smart as we are together. One of the biggest factors that contribute to a community’s success is if its members are able to work together.

If you want to find Irene, you will find her actively working within her community. She holds and has held board and committee roles with the Essex County Black Historical Research Society, the North American Black Historical Museum, the North Cultural Community Centre, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Leadership Windsor/Essex, and Book Fest Windsor. It is no wonder that she interacts with people with such ease; her experiences taught her the importance of collaboration. Her interactions showed her that working together helps projects move quicker and with more efficiency. It was not an easy road for Irene; she still had to deal with the difficulties that are faced when you are a woman with resolve. There were times when because of her youth, her gender, and her beauty, she was not taken seriously. Irene had to deal with some of that old boy’s society nonsense that exists in all cultures, and she did it, even though at times, I can only imagine how hard that was.

*Fun Fact*
Irene has a quirky sense of humor.

On her Twitter page, her profile reads – Sarcasm queen, music junkie, wannabe historian, semi-professional lipstick collector, amateur poet/painter, crazy lady, and… Oh yeah… college department head!

“It is a fountain, not a drain.” (Irene Moore Davis)

Instead of focusing on the negative, she put all of her efforts into making sure that her voice was heard, in a way that it would not be forgotten. She began to passionately contribute her to time to researching and teaching African history in the Windsor and Essex County. This earned her a 2015 University of Windsor History Department Community Heritage Medal. Her dedication to education was the force behind her contribution of the revised (2015) African Canadian Roads to Freedom Project. Here she partnered with other key members in the community, to develop a curriculum that provided teachers in the Greater Essex County District School Board with information about the culture and contributions of African Canadians.

Irene is the author of the book, “The Long Road Continues,” a continuation of the iconic book by Charlotte Bronte Perry, written about African Canadians in Essex County. Irene’s contribution to recording the legacy of Africans of the Windsor/Essex area, along with her research on Canadian Black Settlements is included in the book, “Fluid Frontier; Slavery Resistance, and the Underground Railroad in the Detroit River Borderland,” a book exploring the: legal, political, social, religious, and economic experiences of Essex area’s freedom-seekers and advocates, and how their experiences shaped the meaning of race and management of slavery on both sides of the Detroit River.