Shining a Light on a Changemaker: Dr. Alexander Augusta
by Jennifer Matthews
On November 7, 2024, members of the Trinity community and special guests came together to celebrate the unveiling of a portrait of Dr. Alexander Augusta at Trinity College. Alexander Augusta completed his medical degree at Trinity Medical College in 1860 and became the first Black medical student in Canada West. But his story wasn’t well known to current generations until a more recent Trinity graduate became involved.
Dr. Nav Persaud and Provost Nicholas Terpstra co-hosted the celebratory unveiling of the portrait of Dr. Augusta – “Mend” by Gordon Shadrach (image: view the artist’s remarks and reflection). This beautiful portrait now hangs in Seeley Hall, and adds to the efforts to make the artwork at Trinity more fully reflect the diversity and impact of our alumni and community. The evening was an opportunity to honour Dr. Augusta’s courage, and to reaffirm Trinity’s longstanding commitment to inclusivity and diversity.
Dr. Persaud, a former Trinity Academic Don and Rhodes Scholar, first learned about Augusta and Abbott after reading African American Medicine in Washington, D.C.: Healing the Capital During the Civil War Era, by Heather Butts, an associate professor at Columbia University. In an effort to increase awareness of Dr. Augusta’s contributions closer to home, Dr. Persaud later co-authored a paper about Augusta with Butts and Toronto-based historian Alanna McKnight, published in the Canadian Medical Education Journal in 2021.
Dr. Augusta’s Legacy
After completing his education here at Trinity in 1860, Dr. Augusta worked for several years as a physician in Toronto and advocated against racism. He then returned to the U.S. and used his skills during and after the Civil War to promote civil rights.
“Playing a short but significant role in the life of this extraordinary person is surely one of our proudest moments,” says Trinity’s Rolph-Bell Archivist, Sylvia Lassam (view Lassam’s 2023 Reunion presentation on Trinity’s YouTube channel; her coverage of Dr. Augusta begins at 4:40). “Perseverance and an uncompromising adherence to his principles links Alexander Augusta to many Trinity College graduates throughout the years.”
Dr. Alexander Augusta Portrait Unveiling Ceremony, November 7, 2024 (photo: left to right): Dr. Nav Persaud; portrait artist Gordon Shadrach; Modupe Tunde Byass, Black Physicians of Canada; Julian Sher, author of The North Star: Canada and the Civil War Plots Against Lincoln; Heather Butts, author of African American Medicine in Washington, D.C.: Healing the Capital during the Civil War era; Trinity Provost Nicholas Terpstra; Sador Bereketab and Anu Popoola, Black Medical Students Association
“Augusta’s experience here in Canada can help us understand the disparities that exist today in Canadian medicine,” Persaud said in a 2022 interview. “Even today, medical schools don’t represent the populations that they serve, and if you want to understand why, part of that means going back to Augusta’s time … I hope his story might inspire other physicians, healthcare providers and trainees to combine a focus on clinical work with making bigger changes that affect everyone in our profession, our patients and society at large.”
“We’re all at a disadvantage when we don’t know the complete telling of our history,” Butts says. “Dr. Augusta was a courageous man who fought valiantly, who was someone to be proud of,” she added in an interview with CBC Radio’s Metro Morning about her book on the day of the portrait unveiling.
Heritage Toronto Plaques
As part of his awareness campaign, Dr. Persaud brought Dr. Augusta’s story forward to Heritage Toronto. On February 9, 2023, Heritage Toronto plaques were unveiled at Trinity to honour Canada’s first Black doctors—Dr. Augusta and his mentee and friend, Dr. Anderson Abbott, the first Black Canadian-born graduate of the Toronto School of Medicine. The commemorative plaques were later installed near the U of T campus (northwest corner of College Street and University Avenue, near Queen’s Park).
February 9, 2023: Unveiling of Heritage Toronto plaques to honour Dr. Alexander Augusta and Dr. Anderson Abbott.
The Dr. Alexander Thomas Augusta Award
Dr. Augusta has been honoured by the College and connected to today’s students in another concrete way: In 2023, Trinity renamed the Black, Indigenous or a Person of Colour (BIPOC) Student Award to The Dr. Alexander Thomas Augusta Award. The award (one or more awards, each valued at up to $5,000) is awarded to a Trinity student identifying as Black, Indigenous or a Person of Colour on the basis of financial need and demonstrated or planned community contributions on or off campus. The BIPOC Award was created in 2020 as a way to increase in financial aid available to BIPOC students. The award was in response to one of the recommendations of the Trinity College Task Force on Anti-Black Racism and Inclusion, which called for an increase in financial aid available to BIPOC students with a particular focus on bursaries and needs-based awards. In addition, through the generosity of the College’s donors, the Trinity College BIPOC Bursary Fund was also created to support students solely based on financial need. Please visit the Trinity website to learn more or donate to the fund.
>> Originally published in Trinity Magazine
Gordon Shadrach: Artist’s Remarks and Reflection
“I’m honoured and so proud to have been asked to create a portrait of Dr. Alexander Augusta for Trinity College at the University of Toronto, which had its unveiling last night [Nov. 7, 2024]. The accomplishments of Dr. Augusta are numerous, but notably he was an American who was born a free man in 1825, who learned to read and write, although it was illegal for Black people to do so at the time in Virginia. He was unable to study medicine in the US, so he got his medical degree in Canada at U of T and was the first Black person to receive a medical license in Canada. He practiced medicine in Toronto and supported antislavery activities. He returned to the US during the Civil war to work as a surgeon and eventually received a major’s commission as surgeon for the African-American troops. He was the first African-American physician in the United States Army despite enduring multiple incidents of racism and rejection. His story is one of many under-told and rarely shared stories of Black history that deserve wider recognition, especially in times like these… Many thanks to U of T’s Dr. Nav Persaud for his tireless efforts in sharing Dr. Augusta’s story and asking me to be part of this, and to Professor Heather Butts and Julian Sher who have ensured that Augusta’s story will not be forgotten.”
Below is an edited version of Gordon Shadrach’s speech, which gives insight into the meaning of the painting.
“I was intrigued in painting the portrait of Dr. Augusta for a number of reasons: the first reason was that I am interested in learning more about Black history in Canada; the second reason was that Dr. Augusta himself, sounded like a fascinating person from the brief I received and I was eager to learn more about him and his experiences; and lastly, and most personally, I was experiencing my own health issues and was undergoing treatment at the time I was approached about the commission.
As a portrait artist, I encounter many challenges in completing my paitings. Portraits of historical figures completed from one or two images or photographs are particularly challenging, as was the case with this portrait. In order to help me to capture some essence of the person, I learn as much about them as I can. Even though there wasn’t a lot of visual representation of Dr. Augusta, his experiences are well documented, and speak to the strength of his character.
Thanks to the advocacy of Dr. Nav Persuad and the writings and research of people like Professor Heather Butts and writer Julian Sher, figures largely absent from history books like Dr. Augusta are brought fully to life.
In bringing Dr. Augusta to life in my portrait, I focused on his key character trait – service. The portrait is entitled “Mend”.
I chose this as the title in reference to the work he did as a doctor healing people and because of his efforts in building connections between communities ruptured by racial injustice. In the painting, Dr. Augusta’s hand is extended to offer his assistance to those in need as he realized the importance of community service. His altruistic spirit is phyiscally manifested in the painting.
Portraiture can be a static medium, relying on the viewer to choose to engage with the work. In this portrait, Dr. Augusta seems to be reaching through the painting, forcing the viewer to engage with him, just as he pushed past the barriers that tried to keep him back. On his lapel is the Rod of Asclepius, representing medicine and healing. The symbol is featured on the Canadian Medical Association’s logo, connecting his medical education and service in Canada.
Dr. August’s contributions to Canada and to the community of Abolitionists were significant, but upon the emergence of the American Civil war, he felt a calling to leave Canada to commit his skills to the cause. I chose to keep the background dark, so that he stands out, and have included size oak leaves. The oak leaves represent his position as a major in the Union army. The gold oak leaves on his epaulets and uniform brought pride to Augusta and to the Black troops. But they also brought their own challenges and frustrations. The leaves in the painting are faded into the background representing him breaking free of systemic barriers through his determination.
In my painting, I endeavored to capture not just Dr. Augusta’s likeness but the essence of his spirt – his intellect, his dedication and his strength of character. As we unveil this painting, I hope it serves as a lasting tribute to Dr. Augusta’s incredible journey – a journey that reminds us of the strength it took to overcome adversity and how his journey led the way for future Black doctors in Canada and in the United States.”
[Source: – Gordon Shadrach Instagram]
Categories: Alumni; College News; Trinity Magazine