Cornelius Sparrow: A runaway slave and Saint John entrepreneur
Neil S. Clements plays Cornelius Sparrow in the Saint John Theatre Company production We Were Here
The Saint John Theatre Company's production We Were Here, created and directed by Clyde A. Wray, shines a light on legendary Black community members. Eight local actors are taking on the roles of historical figures from Saint John and beyond. Their names may be lesser-known, but their stories have shaped the city.
Neil S. Clements, a barrister and solicitor in Saint John, is playing entrepreneur Cornelius Sparrow.
Clements reflected on this role.
Cornelius Sparrow was a runaway slave from Norfolk, Va. Born into slavery in 1824, Cornelius managed to escape from Virginia and ultimately found his way to and settled in Saint John in 1851 with his wife, Martha Ann Whitehead.
The irony of Cornelius Sparrow's story is that when he arrived in Saint John, Black men and women were not allowed to live in Saint John (unless they worked as a servant or labourer) and were not allowed to even fish in the harbour. My assumption is that initially Cornelius would have required a white sponsor.
He went on to start a dining saloon and a hair saloon with his brother and wife.
I have been an entrepreneur for most of my professional career. I have an understanding of how difficult it was in the early 2000s to the present to be a successful Black entrepreneur in Saint John. I really cannot imagine how Cornelius managed to have such great success in the 1800s.
Bringing Cornelius to life in the play We Were Here has been very challenging. I attempted to separate my experience from his character. This I found difficult. I decided not to separate the two and make experience-based assumptions that our emotions would be similar. In the play I am Cornelius Sparrow. I bring him to life expressing Neil Clements's emotions.
Initially, I wanted to portray Cornelius as a happy, successful entrepreneur, despite the period in history in which he lived. I have come to realize that would be a lie. Racial discrimination is still very pervasive in the life of Black business owners in Saint John. I am telling Cornelius Sparrow's story through his words, while the emotion is created by my experiences as the first Black lawyer in Saint John in almost 200 years when I was called.
Cornelius transitions between personal satisfaction and clear expressions of disbelief and anger that the listening audience has been so easily deceived regarding our (the Black communities) involvement and investment in the growth of Saint John.
In Saint John, we have a long history of celebrating our successful entrepreneurs. Having studied history and received a degree in history before I was a lawyer, I understand that history is written by the victors. I think it is time we allow Mr. Sparrow' history to be known. He was a victor in the history of the Black citizenry in Saint John. His victory, our victory, is relived in this play. Communicating the history of this amazing Black entrepreneur who helped define our city is important. Cornelius and others were written out of history because of the success they had in Saint John. It's our turn now to be the victors and write, or rather, correct history.
I am honoured to bring Cornelius to life. It is my opinion that in 2021, my ability to express the emotion he would have expressed should not be lost on the audience. There is a great deal of work to do. I am happy to be part of this production. I am excited to be the change I want to see in my community.
For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.
