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October 21, 2004

A hidden legacy

In “A Hard Road to Glory”, the late Arthur Ashe’s monumental encyclopedia on the history of the African American athlete, two pages are devoted to ice hockey. He states that “the game began with British soldiers in eastern Canada in the mid-1800s. They were looking for a winter sport to play on the frozen lakes near their camps…” There is no indication that black players were involved in the development of the sport.

That oversight has been corrected by a recently published book, “Black Ice – The Lost History of the Colored Hockey League of the Maritimes, 1895-1925.” The authors, George and Darril Fosty, have written a book which goes well beyond the conventional sports story. It is a socio-historical account of the development of black communities in the Canadian Maritime provinces.

African Americans have heard stories about the slaves running away to freedom in Canada. The exploits of Harriet Tubman are legendary. It is generally believed that this is how the black population of the Maritimes developed. However, the Fostys point out that at the time of the Revolutionary War, white slave holders loyal to the Crown fled North with their slaves. Also, many blacks fled slavery to fight for the British.

The Earl of Dunmore, British governor of Virginia, formed an “Ethiopian Regiment” of runaway slaves in 1775 who were promised land grants in Canada. After unsuccessful military forays, the regiment joined other Tories in New York. After the surrender of New York in 1783, about 5,000 slave and free blacks left for Nova Scotia.

Another group of blacks came to Nova Scotia from Jamaica in 1796. The Maroons in Jamaica had resisted British domination so successfully, that a treaty with the British gave them land grants in Nova Scotia. The 568 Maroons were all free blacks.

Black churches in the Maritimes formed hockey teams which competed with one another. The authors assert that their style of play influenced the development of hockey.

“Black Ice” is published by Stryker-Indigo New York, 37 Rolling Lane, Levittown, NY 11756.

There for the taking

In a recent report published by the American Council on Education, it was revealed that half of the nation’s 8 million college undergraduates who were enrolled in 1999-2000 in colleges which participated in the federal student aid programs did not even fill out the main application form for assistance. It would be unfortunate if a large number of African American students was in that group.

According to the study, 1.7 million low- and moderate-income students also did not complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

An estimated 42 percent of students at public four-year colleges, 66 percent at community colleges and 13 percent at private colleges did not apply for federal aid. It was determined that 850,000 of those students would have been eligible for Pell Grants.

Eligible students may receive Pell Grants of up to $4,000 per year if they qualify. The amount a student can receive will depend upon whether he or she is a full-time or part-time student and the level of family income. To be eligible, most students must have a family income of less than $40,000.

In addition to Pell Grants, which need not be repaid, there are also loan programs to help students finance the cost of higher education. Parents and students should be aware of these financing opportunities. The availability of federal aid in addition to other scholarships should induce parents and students to have an optimistic view about the prospect for college after high school.

 

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