Karleigh Kochaniec

Nominated for the ACO NextGen Award

Through her project, Beyond the Underground Railroad: A History of Black Settlement in Nineteenth Century Amherstburg, Karleigh Kochaniec has elevated marginalized voices, deepened public understanding, and demonstrated the powerful role youth can play in shaping public history.

Karleigh undertook this work as part of a competitive internship with the Amherstburg Freedom Museum and the University of Windsor’s History Department. Her project moves beyond the well-known narrative of the Underground Railroad to reveal the post-emancipation lives of Black settlers in Essex County. Through mapping historic Black communities like Marble Village and Mount Pleasant, documenting institutions like Black-led schools and churches, and highlighting the contributions of early educators and community leaders, Karleigh has brought overlooked heritage into public focus. Her interdisciplinary approach blends archival research with digital mapping and interpretive storytelling. The exhibit and digital resources not only preserve history but also make it more accessible and engaging. Public presentations, including a virtual museum lecture, have drawn interest across communities—students, historians, and families alike—and invited broader dialogue about Ontario’s Black history.

.