Betty Ruth & Melvin Simpson: Shaping a Community’s Future

There are individuals whose lives shine with resilience, compassion, and an unyielding dedication to bettering the world around them. Among these people are Betty Ruth and Melvin Simpson, who had an unwavering commitment to their community. 

Together they founded the North American Black Historical Museum, later named Freedom Museum, in Amherstburg, Ontario.  

The Early Lives of Betty Ruth & Melvin Simpson

Betty Ruth and Melvin Simpson were raised in the small Ontario town of Amherstburg. The community is well-known as a community for those who escaped slavery in the US. 

Melvin, born in 1916, attended General Amherst High School and Detroit Conservatory of Music. An accomplished singer, Melvin played at the opening of Windsor’s Cleary Auditorium. He also worked as a floral designer at Gray’s Greenhouse. 

During his life, he held many different roles and memberships in the community, including president of the A.A. & M. Goodfellows and member of the Board for the House of Shalom. 

Betty Ruth Johnson, born in 1925, grew up across the street from Melvin and his family and worked at the Hotel Dieu Hospital in Windsor as an adult. She began in the kitchen but eventually became an electro-diagnosis (EEG) technician. 

Like Melvin, Betty was an active member in her community as President of the Women’s Auxiliary and a member of the Emancipation Day Committee. 

Starting The North American Black Historical Museum

Melvin and Betty Ruth Simpson attended the Nazery African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church in Amherstburg. The church was one of the stops on the Underground Railroad. 

In 1964, Melvin and Betty Ruth Simpson began working with their pastor and parishioners of the AME Church to create a Centennial museum. The museum would be a community based, not-for-profit organization that shared African-Canadians’ history and contributions. 

Many years would pass before the dream became a reality. 

In 1975, the North American Historical Museum was incorporated. Fundraising soon began and grant applications were filed. 6 years later, on September 20, 1981, the museum officially opened to the public. 

Sadly, Melvin died just 6 months after the museum opened to the public. Betty Ruth, however, continued their dream. She worked closely with the museum for many years following her husband’s passing on the Board of Directors. 

It was in 2015, during the museum’s 40th anniversary, that the North American Black Historical Museum became the Amherstburg Freedom Museum.  

Today, the museum shares stories of the Underground Railway, as well as collects, protects, interprets, researches, educates and exhibits a collection of artifacts of historical and cultural value.

From their humble beginnings to their founding of the North American Black Historical Museum, impact on their community and beyond is immeasurable.

PHOTO CREDIT: Melvin and Betty Simpson, Windsor Public Library