Anto Seymour and Sarah Glassford are archivists at Leddy Library (JOEL GUERIN/University of Windsor)
The University of Windsor is home to unique archival collections that document elements of the Black history of Southwestern Ontario.
Stewarded by the Archives and Special Collections Team in Leddy Library, these collections reflect a long-standing commitment to preserving histories that have shaped the region socially, culturally and intellectually.
From Mango to Maple, a new research project led by Antoinette “Anto” Seymour, an archivist at Leddy Library and a member of the University’s Black Scholars Institute (BSI), strives to augment this ongoing work.
The project intentionally centres Caribbean diasporic experiences as a vital, yet historically underrepresented, part of the region’s story.
Born in The Bahamas, Seymour chose the project’s name, From Mango to Maple, inspired by the trees associated with each region. The name also reflects the journey of people moving from their Caribbean origins to a new home in Canada.
Seymour, a UWindsor alumna in communications studies, was active in the Caribbean Students Association (CARISA) during her undergraduate days. She says that when she returned to the University some four decades later as a faculty member and mentioned CARISA, “nobody had a clue what it was all about."
"That really hit me," she says. "Especially being in the area of archives and preserving history and memory.”
This in part inspired From Mango to Maple, the multi-year archival component of which will see Seymour gather oral histories, written records and memory materials from Windsor–Essex’s Caribbean community.
“It’s about illumination of the silent or underrepresented group in formal memory spaces and then preserving the history, the heritage, identity, culture, legacy and memory,” she says.
While the University already holds significant archival strengths related to Black history, particularly in areas such as the Underground Railroad and early Black settlement, Caribbean histories have often remained a missing piece within formal memory spaces. This project directly addresses that absence.
Seymour describes the Caribbean diaspora as a silent group in community archives. Dr. Sarah Glassford, Leddy Library’s other archivist, agrees, adding that while some communities are well represented in local archives, records from more recent immigrant groups, including Caribbean diaspora communities, have not yet found their way into many archives.
Projects like From Mango to Maple allow the Archives to “fill out some holes in our collection,” says Glassford, strengthening the foundation for future research, teaching and community engagement.
What distinguishes From Mango to Maple is not only what it collects, but how it is built. Community trust and relationship-building are central to the project’s success.
Seymour’s longstanding connections to the local Caribbean community and to organizations such as the Windsor Essex Caribbean Association (WECA) are essential, creating an archival process rooted in mutual respect and shared authority.
As Glassford observes, having a project led by someone who both knows the community and understands archival practice is powerful, particularly in work that seeks to preserve histories that have too often gone undocumented.
Leddy Library has a history of building meaningful community connections through archival projects, with researchers, librarians and archivists contributing to projects including North Was Our Canaan, the McDougall Street Corridor Project, and Breaking the Colour Barrier.
In this way, From Mango to Maple is both a research project and a continuation of Leddy Library's community-engaged archival approach.
This work aligns closely with the University of Windsor’s Aspire strategic priorities and Leddy Library’s own strategic commitments, particularly around community engagement, equity and inclusive excellence.
By donating historical materials acquired through From Mango to Maple to the University’s community archival collections, the project ensures that Caribbean histories are not treated as peripheral or temporary but as an enduring part of the University’s scholarly and cultural legacy.
Ultimately, From Mango to Maple demonstrates a fruitful partnership between individual scholarly research and efforts to diversify the holdings of the University of Windsor’s community archives.
Each story, record and memory strengthens the whole, ensuring that future generations encounter a documentary record that more fully reflects the people and communities who have shaped Southwestern Ontario.
The launch of From Mango to Maple takes place Friday, Feb. 27 in the Leddy Library Collaboratory with doors open at 6 p.m. This free event, in partnership with the Caribbean African Organization of Students (CAOS), is open to all community members and will include a casual conversation with Caribbean Elders as well as a prize draw.