John Christie Holland
Encyclopedia
John Christie Holland was a Canadian pastor
. He was the first Canadian of African heritage to be named a "Citizen of the Year". Holland was the pastor of Stewart Memorial Church in Hamilton, Ontario
. Due to his tireless work in the community he was given the award of "Distinguished Citizen" for the year 1953. Mayor Lloyd Douglas Jackson
presented the award in 1954.
who emigrated to Canada
in 1860 or '70. There, he met and married Henrietta Shortts of Saltfleet Township, Ontario
, and the two settled in Hamilton and opened a flour
and feed
store downtown. Thomas supplemented the family income by touring with a choir in the winter while Henrietta minded the store.
John C. Holland was the fifth of thirteen children. His father encouraged his sons to not only excel at school and help with the family business but also to work at an after school job. Holland opted to sell copies of the local newspaper The Hamilton Spectator
at the corner of King and James. As an eleven year old boy, he was required to defend his corner daily against encroachment from other newsboys
, and it was here that he suffered his first tastes of racial discrimination but also developed a strong belief in a higher power
and a commitment to his church and his community.
and study for the ministry. In 1901, he married Josephine Idenia Johnson of Oakville
, and the couple struggled to earn enough money to send Holland to college. Holland worked for some time as a janitor
and waiter
at Westinghouse Electric
, and though he was wall-liked and respected by the executives at the company, he was unable to advance beyond menial positions due to his race.
In 1916 or 1917, Holland began working for the Toronto, Hamilton and Buffalo Railway
, where he would remain for over thirty years. Initially hired as a janitor, within two years he was promoted to porter
, then Pullman car attendant, and finally to attendant of the VIP car used by TH&B's president. Holland was by this time the father of four children and, unable to attend university full-time, he instead studied for the ministry via correspondence course. He was ordained in 1925 through the Payne Theological Seminary in Wilberforce, Ohio
.
, supervising the Sunday school
, teaching, singing in the choir, and acting as a substitute pastor
. By the time the church reformed as the non-denominational
Stewart Memorial Church in 1937, Holland was its minister. He retired eleven years later in order to dedicate all his time to humanitarian causes and the betterment of Hamilton.
Holland was remembered by church members as an exceptionally kind, gentle, and caring man who endeavored to provide support and guidance to anyone who sought it. He was also known for reaching out to those outside the church who were struggling with poverty and racial discrimination. Ray Lewis described him as behaving as though he had a responsibility toward every person in the city of Hamilton.
Holland could be persuasive when necessary, at one point single-handedly convincing Stelco
and other local steel mill
s to change their policy of not hiring blacks. He also approached Hamilton's mayor and business community about raising funds for Stewart Memorial, and secured a long-term source of income for the church by establishing a monthly Visitor's Night.
In 1954, Holland was named Hamilton's first Citizen of the Year. He died three months after receiving the award.
Holland was posthumously inducted into Hamilton's Gallery of Distinction in 2003.
, Honorable Lincoln Alexander
and Jean Augustine
.
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
. He was the first Canadian of African heritage to be named a "Citizen of the Year". Holland was the pastor of Stewart Memorial Church in Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
. Due to his tireless work in the community he was given the award of "Distinguished Citizen" for the year 1953. Mayor Lloyd Douglas Jackson
Lloyd Douglas Jackson
Lloyd Douglas Jackson was mayor of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada from 1950 to 1962.Born near Sarnia, Ontario, Jackson attended McMaster University while it was still in Toronto, earning a Bachelor's degree in Chemistry. He began his political career in Hamilton's Board of Education, whereupon he...
presented the award in 1954.
Early life
Holland was born on Christmas Day in 1882. He was christened John Christmas Holland in recognition of his birthday, but he later legally changed his middle name to Christie. His father, Thomas John Holland, was an escaped slave from Sandy Spring, MarylandSandy Spring, Maryland
Sandy Spring, Maryland is an unincorporated community in Montgomery County, Maryland.The community was founded by Quakers who arrived in the early 18th century searching for land where they could grow tobacco and corn. One of the very early land owners in the Sandy Spring area was Richard Snowden,...
who emigrated to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in 1860 or '70. There, he met and married Henrietta Shortts of Saltfleet Township, Ontario
Saltfleet Township, Ontario
Saltfleet Township was a township in Upper Canada, later Ontario, on the south shore of Lake Ontario.In 1974, it was amalgamated with the village of Stoney Creek to form the town of Stoney Creek....
, and the two settled in Hamilton and opened a flour
Flour
Flour is a powder which is made by grinding cereal grains, other seeds or roots . It is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many cultures, making the availability of adequate supplies of flour a major economic and political issue at various times throughout history...
and feed
Fodder
Fodder or animal feed is any agricultural foodstuff used specifically to feed domesticated livestock such as cattle, goats, sheep, horses, chickens and pigs. Most animal feed is from plants but some is of animal origin...
store downtown. Thomas supplemented the family income by touring with a choir in the winter while Henrietta minded the store.
John C. Holland was the fifth of thirteen children. His father encouraged his sons to not only excel at school and help with the family business but also to work at an after school job. Holland opted to sell copies of the local newspaper The Hamilton Spectator
The Hamilton Spectator
The Hamilton Spectator, founded in 1846, is a newspaper published every day but Sunday in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The paper has a daily circulation of 105,000 and a daily readership of nearly 260,000.-History:...
at the corner of King and James. As an eleven year old boy, he was required to defend his corner daily against encroachment from other newsboys
Paperboy
A paperboy is the general name for a person employed by a newspaper, They are often used around the office to run low end errands. They make copies and distribute them. Paperboys traditionally were and are still often portrayed on television and movies as preteen boys, often on a bicycle...
, and it was here that he suffered his first tastes of racial discrimination but also developed a strong belief in a higher power
Higher Power
Higher Power is a term coined in the 1930s in Alcoholics Anonymous and is used in other twelve-step programs. It is also sometimes referred to as a power greater than ourselves and is frequently abbreviated to HP.-History:...
and a commitment to his church and his community.
Career
John was considered the scholar of the Holland family, and he resolved at a young age to attend universityUniversity
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
and study for the ministry. In 1901, he married Josephine Idenia Johnson of Oakville
Oakville, Ontario
Oakville is a town in Halton Region, on Lake Ontario in Southern Ontario, Canada, and is part of the Greater Toronto Area. As of the 2006 census the population was 165,613.-History:In 1793, Dundas Street was surveyed for a military road...
, and the couple struggled to earn enough money to send Holland to college. Holland worked for some time as a janitor
Janitor
A janitor or custodian is a professional who takes care of buildings, such as hospitals and schools. Janitors are responsible primarily for cleaning, and often some maintenance and security...
and waiter
Waiter
Waiting staff, wait staff, or waitstaff are those who work at a restaurant or a bar attending customers — supplying them with food and drink as requested. Traditionally, a male waiting tables is called a "waiter" and a female a "waitress" with the gender-neutral version being a "server"...
at Westinghouse Electric
Westinghouse Electric (1886)
Westinghouse Electric was an American manufacturing company. It was founded in 1886 as Westinghouse Electric Company and later renamed Westinghouse Electric Corporation by George Westinghouse. The company purchased CBS in 1995 and became CBS Corporation in 1997...
, and though he was wall-liked and respected by the executives at the company, he was unable to advance beyond menial positions due to his race.
In 1916 or 1917, Holland began working for the Toronto, Hamilton and Buffalo Railway
Toronto, Hamilton and Buffalo Railway
The Toronto, Hamilton and Buffalo Railway was a railway based in Hamilton that ran in Southern Ontario from 1894 to 1987. It never reached the other two cities in its name, although it did have branch lines extending to Dunnville and Port Maitland.-History:...
, where he would remain for over thirty years. Initially hired as a janitor, within two years he was promoted to porter
Porter (railroad)
A porter is a railway employee assigned to assist passengers aboard a passenger train or to handle their baggage; it may be used particularly to refer to employees assigned to assisting passengers in the sleeping cars....
, then Pullman car attendant, and finally to attendant of the VIP car used by TH&B's president. Holland was by this time the father of four children and, unable to attend university full-time, he instead studied for the ministry via correspondence course. He was ordained in 1925 through the Payne Theological Seminary in Wilberforce, Ohio
Wilberforce, Ohio
Wilberforce is a census-designated place in Greene County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,579 at the 2000 census. The community was named for the English statesman William Wilberforce, who worked for abolition of slavery and achieved the end of the slave trade in the United Kingdom and...
.
Legacy
Even before his ordination, Holland had long been active at at St. Paul's African Methodist Episcopal ChurchAfrican Methodist Episcopal Church
The African Methodist Episcopal Church, usually called the A.M.E. Church, is a predominantly African American Methodist denomination based in the United States. It was founded by the Rev. Richard Allen in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1816 from several black Methodist congregations in the...
, supervising the Sunday school
Sunday school
Sunday school is the generic name for many different types of religious education pursued on Sundays by various denominations.-England:The first Sunday school may have been opened in 1751 in St. Mary's Church, Nottingham. Another early start was made by Hannah Ball, a native of High Wycombe in...
, teaching, singing in the choir, and acting as a substitute pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
. By the time the church reformed as the non-denominational
Non-denominational Christianity
In Christianity, nondenominational institutions or churches are those not formally aligned with an established denomination, or that remain otherwise officially autonomous. This, however, does not preclude an identifiable standard among such congregations...
Stewart Memorial Church in 1937, Holland was its minister. He retired eleven years later in order to dedicate all his time to humanitarian causes and the betterment of Hamilton.
Holland was remembered by church members as an exceptionally kind, gentle, and caring man who endeavored to provide support and guidance to anyone who sought it. He was also known for reaching out to those outside the church who were struggling with poverty and racial discrimination. Ray Lewis described him as behaving as though he had a responsibility toward every person in the city of Hamilton.
Holland could be persuasive when necessary, at one point single-handedly convincing Stelco
Stelco
US Steel Canada is a steel company based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.-History:Several existing smaller steelworks combined and were incorporated as the Steel Company of Canada in 1910. Charles S...
and other local steel mill
Steel mill
A steel mill or steelworks is an industrial plant for the manufacture of steel.Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon. It is produced in a two-stage process. First, iron ore is reduced or smelted with coke and limestone in a blast furnace, producing molten iron which is either cast into pig iron or...
s to change their policy of not hiring blacks. He also approached Hamilton's mayor and business community about raising funds for Stewart Memorial, and secured a long-term source of income for the church by establishing a monthly Visitor's Night.
In 1954, Holland was named Hamilton's first Citizen of the Year. He died three months after receiving the award.
Holland was posthumously inducted into Hamilton's Gallery of Distinction in 2003.
The John Christie Holland Awards
In 1996, a black history committee was convened during Hamilton's sesquicentennial to recognize the contributions of African Canadians to the social, cultural and economic life of the city. The committee unanimously agreed to name their awards after Holland. The 2009 award recipients were: Janoi Edwards, Iyinoluwa Aboyeji, Kyle Ferriera, Ruwa Banaga, Patricia Wright, Rosemary Sadlier and Natsha Cunningham. Some notable past winners were: Michael Lee-ChinMichael Lee-Chin
The Honourable Michael Lee-Chin, OJ is a Jamaican-Canadian investor. He is the founder and Chairman of Portland Holdings Inc., a privately held investment company which owns a collection of diversified operating companies in sectors that include media, tourism, health care telecommunications and...
, Honorable Lincoln Alexander
Lincoln Alexander
-External links:* * *...
and Jean Augustine
Jean Augustine
Jean Augustine, PC, CM is a former Canadian politician.From 1993 to 2005, Augustine was a Liberal member of the Canadian House of Commons, representing the riding of Etobicoke—Lakeshore. She is a former member of Cabinet, and a former school principal...
.
Further reading
- Beattie, Jessie Louise. John Christie Holland, Man of the Year. Ryerson Press, 1956.