An award winning author and historian has returned to Windsor to discuss the importance of black history.
Karolyn Smardz Frost held a seminar at the University of Windsor Thursday evening.
Frost is responsible for discovering the first archeological site connected to the underground railroad in Canada back in 1985.
At her seminar, she highlighted the importance of African-Canadian history in the region.
Frost says Windsor-Essex was an instrumental part of the underground railroad. She says before Windsor was known as the automotive capital of Canada, it was a beacon of freedom.
"This is such an important crossing in the underground railroad," says Frost. "This piece of the river, this piece of our boarder has a significance that goes back for generations that means freedom."
Frost says her latest research focuses on the collaboration between African-Americans and Canadians during the 19th century.
"I am talking about borderlands and one of the things I am focusing on is the fact that people, African-Canadian and African-American communities on either side of the Detroit River all cooperated with each other in the development of systems to help people escape to freedom in Canada and to fins a warm and safe reception when they arrived there," says Frost.
President of the Essex County Black Historical Research Society Irene Moore Davis says Frost's work has helped kept black history alive in the region.
"I just want to encourage people to keep reading and studying black history year round," says Davis. "This area was so critical at the time of the underground railroad. There is a reason why the Canada national historic plaque about the underground railroad is here in Windsor. Everyone in this region should be so proud of that heritage."
Frost has written several books about her findings including 'I've Got A Home In Glory Land' which won a Governor General's Literary Award.