Black History in Canada 

When we learn about Black History we usually learn about American icons like Rosa Parks, Henrietta Tubman, and Martin Luther King, but we rarely learn about influential Black Canadians. Here’s a list of seven awesome Black Canadians that deserve some love this Black History Month. 

Political figures 

Leonard Braithwaite

• He was the first Black Canadian elected to provincial legislature. He ran as a Liberal party leader and won in 1963, and was re-elected twice. 

Image retrieved from The Canadian Encyclopedia

Jean Augustine

• In 1993, she became the first Black woman to be elected to the House of Commons.  
• She was also appointed Secretary of State in 2002, making her the first Black woman to hold a post in Cabinet. 
• In the 90s, she played a crucial role in establishing a federally recognized Black History Month in Canada. 

Artists 

Image retrieved from Library and Archives Canada

Mary Ann Shadd

• She was the first Black female newspaper publisher in Canada! She founded and edited The Provincial Freedman, first printed in March 1853. 
• She talked about the successes of freed Black people living in Canada, while being anonymous in her own work. 

Oliver Jones

• He’s regarded as the most talented Canadian jazz pianist of all time. 
• He received Félix Awards in 1989, 1994, 2007, and 2008. He also won Juno awards in 1986 and 2009. 
• He was a child prodigy, taking songs he’d heard on the radio and replicating them from memory at home. 

Leaders in their communities 

Image retrieved from The Canadian Encyclopedia

Onye Nnorom

• She’s a doctor whose work is addressing the health inequities that racialized and immigrant communities face.

• She has led U of T’s effort to build medical school curriculum for anti-Black health inequities. 

Image retrieved from Historic Collection/Alamy

Viola Desmond

• Canada’s Rosa Parks. She refused to leave a Whites-only section of a movie theatre and was arrested, despite the fact Canada didn’t have any segregation laws in effect.  
• Fun fact: she’s on our $10 bill! Viola is the first Black person ever to be featured on Canadian currency. 

Image retrieved from Britannica

Josiah Henson

• He was a spiritual leader who established a settlement called Dawn in northern Canada for enslaved people fleeing from the United States.  
• He co-founded the British-American Institute, to help refugees of enslavement gain trade education and labour skills. 

Take it a step further 

While February is Black History Month, we should celebrate Black history and excellence every day. Below are some ways you can honour and support the Black community:

• You Are Collective has a list of Black-owned businesses in the Okanagan. Try to support them where you can. 
• If you’re not living in the Okanagan right now, afrobiz.ca has a list of Black-owned businesses in major cities in Canada, the US, the UK, France, and Africa. They also have an option to add new ones if you find ones that aren’t listed. 
• The Canadian Women’s Foundation has a list of resources for learning more about anti-racism and its intersectionality with misogyny.
  • They also link to a list of anti-racism resources for white people, including lists of books, movies, documentaries, and podcasts to check out! 

Events and initiatives

• UBC has a variety of events happening that give students the opportunity to reflect on and celebrate Black history.
• The African Caribbean Student Club is also hosting some events for Black History Month. Check out their Instagram channel to learn more @ubcoacsc.  
• The Equity & Inclusion Office is offering Black Care Baskets for students who are part of the Black community.
• EMERGE, a virtual Career Week designed specifically for Black students and students of colour, is happening at the end of February.

Happy Black History Month!