Black History in Canada
Black History Month began in 1926 in the United States as “Negro History Week” through the work of Black-American scholar Dr. Carter G. Woodson. Shortly after its creation in the US, Canada established its own Negro History Week. In the early 1970s, this week was renamed as Black History Week then expanded to Black History Month in 1976.[1] In 1995 the House of Commons officially recognized February as Black History Month following a motion introduced by the Honourable Jean Augustine, the first Black women elected into Parliament.[2] We cannot speak about Black History Month without acknowledging the near-forgotten history of Black Canadians. The impact that Black Canadians have made in Canada has been largely left out of the conversation when speaking of Canada’s successes.
During the American Revolutionary War thousands of free and enslaved Black people fought for the British hoping to gain their freedom after the Americans attempted to invade Upper and Lower Canada.[3] Many of the Black Loyalists settled in Quebec, and nearly 3000 free or formerly enslaved Black Loyalists settled in Nova Scotia.[4] Despite their crucial role in the war, Black Loyalists were met with hostility, racial segregation, low-paying jobs, and inequality.[5] Although slavery is often equated with American history, Canada has a history of slavery as well. Between 1671-1834 roughly 4,200 slaves were recorded but the number may have been much higher[6]. Roughly two-thirds of the slaves were Indigenous, and one-third were Black. Although slavery was officially abolished in 1833 it is hard to determine the year when all slaves became free. It is important to learn about diversity in Canadian history because it portrays an accurate narrative of the history of this country. When we recall pivotal moments in history we must remember the faces behind them.
Black History Month is a time to acknowledge the injustices faced by Black Canadians throughout our history but also a time to celebrate our successes. Many noteworthy Canadians have shaped our country into being a respected nation on a global scale. Georges Anglade was a Haitian-born geographer, Politician, and writer from Montreal. After obtaining a law degree and diploma in Social Sciences in Port-au-Prince he pursued higher education in Europe after opposing the Haitian Dictatorship regime. Upon his arrival to Montreal, he became one of the co-founders of the University of Quebec in Montreal which contributed to a network of universities across the province.[7] Anglade spent most of his life in exile in Montreal due to his opposition of the Haitian dictatorship which led him to create the Haitian Solidarity Movement in the 1980s and the creation of Le Chance qui passe, a manifesto calling for democracy in Haiti.[8] Without the work of Anglade education in Quebec would have looked very different than what it has grown to become.
Dr. Alexandra Bastiany is a cardiologist at Thunder Bay Regional Health Centre. She graduated with honours as the Université de Montreal Faculty of Medicine’s first Black valedictorian. Dr. Bastinay completed her fellowship in Interventional Cardiology at the Mazankowski Alberta Heath Institute making her the first Black female Canadian Interventional Cardiologist. Her dedication to serving local communities and minority groups propels her work to decrease race and gender biases leading to different standards of care in the medical field.[9]
Eleanor Collins, known as Vancouver’s “First Lady of Jazz” was the first Canadian woman to have two national shows, CBCs The Eleanor Show (1955), and Eleanor (1964). Eleanor was born in Alberta in 1919 to Black and Creole parents who had immigrated to Alberta with more than 1,000 Black pioneers from Oklahoma[10]. In 1945 she became a studio musician for CBC Radio and later joined the Quintet group Serenade in Rhythm which was a long-standing jazz series for Canadian troops in Europe.[11] Still vibrant at the age of 102 Eleanor has built a legacy as a pioneer for Canadian music.
Sharmarke Dubow fled Somalia at the age of 8 and spent 20 years as a refugee in East and North Africa before finding a home in Canada in 2012. After becoming a Canadian citizen, he won a city council seat in Victoria B.C.[12] Sharmarke became the first Black councillor from Victoria in 152 years. He has also served on the Executive Committee of the Canadian Council for Refugees and volunteers with various organizations such as the Crime Reduction and Education program.[13]
The Honourable Jean Augustine is a trailblazing politician, social activist, and educator.[14] She was the first Black woman to be elected in the House of Commons, the first Black woman to be appointed to the federal Cabinet, and the first Fairness Commissioner of the Government of Ontario. Having immigrated from Grenada to Canada in the 1960s she quickly became involved in women’s rights movements and served her community, and the City of Toronto with passion.[15] Her proposed motion before Parliament to recognize February as Black History Month received unanimous support. We are thankful for Hon. Augustine’s dedication to Black History for her efforts to make this month nationally recognized.
There are many incredible Black Canadians who have left a lasting impact on Canada and the world. It is hard to narrow down a list of noteworthy Black Canadians and only write about a fraction of them and their achievements. For Black History Month we are challenging ourselves to take time each day to learn about an extraordinary Black Canadian who has made a lasting impact.
– Anastasia Kemp, YWS Coordinator, Advocacy, and Public Relations
[1] https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/black-history-month/about.html
[2] https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/black-history-month/about.html
[3] https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/black-loyalists-in-british-north-america
[4] https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/black-loyalists-in-british-north-america
[5] https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/black-loyalists-in-british-north-america
[6] https://www.historymuseum.ca/virtual-museum-of-new-france/population/slavery/#:~:text=The%20historian%20Marcel%20Trudel%20catalogued,the%20course%20of%20this%20period.
[7] https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/black-history-month/black-canadians.html#s2
[8] https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/black-history-month/black-canadians.html#s2
[9] https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/black-history-month/black-canadians.html#s2
[10] https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/black-history-month/black-canadians.html#s4
[11] https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/black-history-month/black-canadians.html#s4
[12] https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/black-history-month/black-canadians.html#s4
[13] https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/black-history-month/black-canadians.html#s4
[14] https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/black-history-month/black-canadians.html#s4
[15] https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/black-history-month/black-canadians.html#s4
