Rose Fortune left no words behind – only actions.

The birth of Rose Fortune in 1774 is celebrated on this date. She was a Black Canadian law enforcement officer and businesswoman.

Fortune was born into slavery in Virginia, owned by the Devone family. In 1783 when she was ten years old, they escaped to New York City, then the Nova Scotia (Canada) town of Annapolis Royal.

Fortune came from a family of Black Loyalists (escaped slaves and free Blacks who joined the British army during the American Revolution). The British army promised any slave freedom in return for their loyalty.

⭐️ In the late 1700s, she appointed herself policewoman of the Annapolis Royal, located on the north shore of Nova Scotia.

👗 Although Fortune carried no badge, she had a unique way of dressing. Her petticoat showed under her dress, and over her dress, she wore a man’s waistcoat and an apron. She wore a lace cap tied under her hair and a straw hat on top of the lace cap. Her painted shoes had heels that were several inches high. She usually carried a straw basket and wore white gloves or mittens. Her dress was later adopted by many of the Black Pioneer women when they went to market.

🚚 Fortune also started a trucking service for ferry boat passengers using a wheelbarrow to carry luggage to their homes or hotels.

The Association of Black Law Enforcers has created a scholarship in her name, and her descendant Daurene Lewis became the first Black female mayor in North America.

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