Canada Post unveils Black History Month stamp featuring Marie Joseph Angélique
Posted January 31, 2025 1:55 pm.
As part of Black History Month, Canada Post has unveiled a new stamp that pays tribute to Marie Joseph Angélique.
Angélique’s story has become a symbol of Black resistance to enslavement and to remind Canadians of the history of Black enslavement in what is now Canada.
In the early 1700s, she was an enslaved Black woman in Montreal. In 1734, she was arrested and accused of starting a fire while allegedly trying to flee her bondage.
Court records reveal she was sentenced to death following a trial that was based mostly on hearsay. Following this, there was an appeal, before she was tortured for her confession and information on her accomplice, and public execution.
While some contest if she was guilty or innocent, her story has come to symbolize Black resistance to enslavement.
As for the stamp, it features a portrait of Angélique, with a city on fire in the background.
While there is no known portrait of her, the image used for the stamp is illustrated by Alexis Eke and is is based on a photograph by Jorge Camarotti of actress Penande Estime.
Additionally, details on clothing, her pse and defiant gaze are based on feedback from historians who specialize in this period and subject.
