London’s Mayor Refuses to Draw Colour Line

A primary source analysis on The Dawn of Tomorrow Volume 1, Issue 3. This article was published on July 28th, 1923.

Mr. Franklin, an African American man, was denied service from a London (Ontario) restaurant in 1923. Mr. Franklin filed a lawsuit against the restaurant after the owners, a white couple, stated the refusal to serve Mr. Franklin was within their rights. The London major, George Wenige, supported Mr. Franklin and claimed this segregation was an isolated incident that did not accurately represent the city’s perspective on race. Despite the Mayor’s speech on London’s inclusivity, when Mr. Franklin went to court and gave a persuasive argument, the court ruled in favour of the restaurant owners.

Written by Hannah Maitland