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Organized tirelessly against racial discrimination
- Through the 1940s and early 1950s, he organized tirelessly against racial discrimination in public service in his hometown of Dresden, Ontario, rising to prominence as a leader and organizer of the National Unity Association (NUA), a coalition of Black community members pushing for equal rights in Dresden and the surrounding area.
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Apr 19, 2018 · Hugh Burnett, civil rights activist, carpenter (born 14 July 1918 in Dresden, ON; died 29 September 1991 in London, ON). Burnett was a key figure in the fight for anti-discrimination legislation in Ontario.
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Hugh Burnett (July 14, 1918 – September 29, 1991) was an African-Canadian carpenter and a civil rights leader. A descendant of slaves, Hugh Burnett was a carpenter in the rural Canadian town of Dresden, Ontario.
HUGH BURNETT AND THE NATIONAL UNITY ASSOCIATION. Between 1948 and 1956, the National Unity Association (NUA) of Chatham, Dresden and North Buxton, under the leadership of Hugh R. Burnett, waged a campaign for racial equality and social justice.
Jul 10, 2014 · Hugh Burnett and his organization, the National Unity Association, received a plaque four years ago, but that is the only public memorial for people who played a pivotal role in turning the tide in the struggle against racial discrimination.
Hugh Burnett: Shaping civil rights in Canada. This is the story of a man whose fight against racial segregation in Canada in the 50s centred on the small Southern Ontario town of Dresden.
Hugh Burnett was the group’s secretary, key organizer, and lead spokesperson. In 1948, the NUA lobbied the Dresden town council to pass a bylaw against discrimination in local businesses. After initially refusing, they agreed to put the idea to a referendum the following year.
The NUA inspired recognition of freedom from discrimination as a fundamental principle; this led to a revolutionary change to the course of Canadian law and Canadian history. Hugh Burnett and the NUA were early pioneers in the articulation of equality rights for all Canadians, now constitutionally inscribed in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
