The Famous 5 did not know what we know now.
We regret the statements and actions of the F5 which were racist and elitist and believe that if the F5 were alive today, they would apologize for such matters and work towards greater equality and diversity.
The Famous 5 did not know what we know now, and as a result, like most Canadians more than 100 years ago, the F5 were white Christians. Indeed, F5 leader, Judge Emily Murphy may have wished that only white Protestant English women had voting rights, but she subsequently supported the participation and election of women from all parts of our society. Despite the harassment and opposition, Nellie McClung also worked for the enfranchisement of Japanese and South-East Asian Canadians decades before they received this right in 1947. With her husband, Dr. Oliver Edwards, Henrietta supported our Indigenous sisters and received the sacred name, Otter Women, from the Blood Nation.
Several members of the F5 supported the original theory of eugenics. Eugenics was a principle which Western Canadians and others enthusiastically adopted to improve their crops and animals. Social reformers and leaders such as Alexander Graham Bell and Tommy Douglas saw it as a way of helping Canadians by preventing additional difficulties for an already challenging life.
Most of the F5 believed that sterilization was an act of compassion. Later on, unfortunately, some of the F5 became supporters of eugenics as a way of controlling who populated Canada. Like other Canadians, they were afraid of newcomers who looked different from them and who held different beliefs. Murphy’s opinions about certain races and the negative effects of certain drugs were based on statistics and reports she received from Police Chiefs across Canada and the US – who were white men and many were reinforcing their biases through arrests, convictions and laws.
Of course, we, the Famous 5 Foundation, wish the F5 did not hold certain ideologies and beliefs. Today, we have accumulated and have access to either direct or indirect knowledge and experiences of the world, but in the early 1900s, most people’s knowledge and experiences came from within a small sphere.
We regret the statements and actions of the F5 which were racist and elitist and believe that if the F5 were alive today, they would apologize for such matters and work towards greater equality and diversity.
Perhaps it’s time for us to ask ourselves - What am I doing and saying today which won’t withstand the test of time?
And so…Taking into consideration the totality of their ideas and actions, there is much we can learn from Canada’s democratic champions as all of us now build our country based on our current knowledge and experiences.
The Famous 5 are still remarkable and are worthy of emulating as Canada’s democratic champions who succeeded in securing the right for women to vote and run for office, and through the ‘Persons’ Case, successfully opening the appointment to the Senate to women so that women could participate in all levels of our democracy!