The bitter cold split his hands as he trudged through the freezing, waist-deep snow – but sweat ran down his face from the nearly unbearable load of wood and blankets he was carrying. This man’s job filled him with a sense of self-determination that many like him were afraid to dream of. Why?
He was born free! George Bonga was born in the early 19th century to a hardworking family of free traders, fur trappers and wilderness men – and was taught that hard work would determine his fate.
Still, while Bonga’s strength, honesty and courage were legendary, there was one unusual thing that ALSO made whites fear him.
He was born in a state that, ridiculously, didn’t recognize Black as a race – so when he was born, he was labeled white! Racists couldn’t do a thing about it.
Son of a free African American father and Ojibwe mother, his Blackness was evident, and could never be erased! Did this cause tension with white Northwest Territory pioneers?
It didn’t matter! George Bonga’s reputation preceded him. His extraordinary life was in his own hands and no one could take that from him. Through hard work and strength of character – despite white laws attempting to erase us – we can determine our own fate and self-worth, and remain free and prosperous!