FIGHTING IN TWO WORLD WARS
In the 20th century, Canada fought in two world wars. Twice, Canadian soldiers, sailors and fliers went overseas to help defend Britain and its Allies. Black Canadians wanted to show their loyalty to Britain and also help Canada — still a young country — come together as a nation.
Black Canadians also knew that, in order to be treated equally with White Canadians, they needed to accept the dangers of war. But serving their country proved to be difficult.
World War I
On August 4, 1914, Germany, under its leader, Kaiser Wilhelm II, invaded Belgium. That same day, Britain declared war on Germany and its empire. All the countries of the British Empire, including Canada, sent troops to fight on the battlefields of France.
Black Canadians lined up at recruitment offices to volunteer for service. But thousands were turned away. Some White officers said that Black and White soldiers shouldn't mix. Black Canadian leaders, newspaper reporters and clergymen protested strongly, and by 1915 a few Black soldiers were allowed to join White regiments.
Nova Scotia No. 2 Construction Battalion
In 1916, an all-Black unit of 600 men called the No. 2 Construction Battalion was formed. They weren't allowed to fight, but they cut lumber in France, built huts for soldiers at the battlefronts and dug trenches.
Training took place in both Pictou and Truro, Nova Scotia, where the battalion formed its own brass band to lead marches. In 1917, the men sailed across the Atlantic Ocean, always under threat from enemy submarines. Among the soldiers were the sons of cowboy John Ware. After the war, No. 2 Battalion was praised for its discipline and faithful service.
It took almost two years of protesting and lobbying by Black Canadians before the No. 2 Construction Battalion was formed. Its first headquarters, in Pictou, Nova Scotia, is now a National Historic Site.
On the Home Front
Black Canadians formed patriotic clubs that raised money to support the war effort. Men volunteered to work on farms and in factories and hospitals. In Vancouver, women formed a branch of the Universal Black Cross nurses to care for wounded Black servicemen.
Between the Wars
World War I was a time of pride and sorrow for Black Canadians. They were proud of their war efforts, but by the time the war ended in 1918, many Black soldiers were wounded or dead. Black Canadians hoped that their wartime service would lead to better relations between the races at home.
In 1919, Black American Marcus Garvey, who was born in Jamaica, opened branches of his Universal Negro Improvement Association (now the Universal African Improvement Association) in Canada. Its goal was to help Black people develop a sense of pride by gaining better jobs and working for their rights. The organization also encouraged Black people to return to Africa.
Black Canadians were becoming more aware of their heritage. In the 1920s, Montreal, with its many jazz clubs, became a lively centre of Black culture. Black Canadians were full of hope for their future.
But in the 1930s, the Depression brought poverty and hard times across Canada. However, it also helped improve race relations by bringing people together. No matter what their skin colour, most people were desperately poor and needed to help one another to survive.
World War II
World War II broke out in 1939. Germany, led by Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party, invaded Czechoslovakia and Poland. Britain, Canada and the Allies declared war, vowing to stop Hitler.
In this war, Black Canadians had an easier time enlisting in the army navy and air force, but there were still difficulties. They refused to serve in
"DO NOT LET ANY MAN TELL YOU DIFFERENT, NO MAN IS ANY BRAVER than A Black man. ... After all, the Black man went over there, he trained like a soldier, he fought like a soldier and he died like a soldier, and that is all any White man can do."
— Sergeant A. Seymour Tyler, Black Canadian World War II veteran
segregated units like the Construction Battalion. Instead, they fought in racially mixed units and helped Britain and its Allies win the war in 1945.
After the Wars
Black Canadians' participation in two world wars led to better race relations. White Canadians realized that Black sons and daughters — just like their own children — had given their lives for their country. As well, returning Black soldiers would not tolerate the discrimination of the past. It was time to ensure that all races were treated equally in Canada.
During World War II, Black women were allowed to work in weapons factories. For most of them, it was their first chance to escape from domestic work such as child-minding and housekeeping.
THE CARTY BROTHERS
The Carty family of Saint John, New Brunswick, sent seven sons to World War II. Adolphus, William, Clyde, Donald and Gerald Carty all enlisted in the air force, while Robert and Malcolm joined the army. The brothers fought hard for their country and at the close of the war, all seven were discharged with high rank.
WORKING FOR RESPECT
Before World War II, Black Canadian men and women were kept out of many jobs and professions. They couldn't attend nursing schools or teachers' colleges, join hockey leagues or belong to trade unions. Only the lowest-paying jobs were open to them.
In cities such as Halifax and Toronto 80 per cent of Black women worked as domestic servants in White Canadian homes. Many men worked for the railway as porters. But these were all dead-end jobs because they didn't allow for promotion to better positions.
Work as a Railway Porter
Starting in the early 1900s, large numbers of Black men were hired as railway porters. Porters carried suitcases for passengers, shined shoes and made up beds in the overnight sleeping cars.
Being a porter was one of the few steady jobs Black men could get at that time. So they came to Montreal (where the hiring was done) from across Canada, the United States and the Caribbean islands, wanting to work for Canadian Pacific Railway and Canadian National Railways.
Porters' wages were low, but the men could earn good tips. Still, they had to endure racist remarks from some White passengers, and they were separated from their families for days and weeks at a time.
Work as a Domestic Servant
Domestic servants spent the day cleaning their employer's house, caring for the children and sometimes cooking meals. These Black women were lucky if their employer was fair and kind. Then in the evening, the women had to go home and do the same work for their own families.
The pay was poor and, because they worked alone, it was hard for the women to band together and demand better conditions. Most women were paid less than men, even for the same work.
A Sense of Community
Travelling from coast to coast, porters kept in touch with Black people across the country. In Winnipeg, the men got together at Haynes Chicken Shack. This famous restaurant was owned by Piercy Haynes, a railway worker, boxer and jazz pianist.
While their husbands were away working on the railways, some Black women in Toronto formed the Eureka Friendly Club. They met every other Thursday afternoon to share a meal and listen to music. A favourite song was "Some of These Days," written by the African Canadian Shelton Brooks.
The Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters
In 1919, Black porters formed a union — an organization to help them fight for better jobs. It was the first Canadian union to allow Black members. But for years the union had little success.
After World War II, the president of the American Brotherhood of
Ray Lewis of Hamilton, Ontario, was the first porter who was also a world-class athlete. Lewis not only trained hard, but he had to overcome racial insults while working on the railway. In 1932, Lewis brought home a bronze medal as part of the 4 x 400 relay team at the Los Angeles Olympics. In 2001, Lewis received the Order of Canada, the highest honour awarded to a person by the Government of Canada.
Sleeping Car Porters, A. Philip Randolph, helped the porters set up branches of his union in Canada. By 1955, the new union — the Canadian Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters — had won its struggle. From then on, a Black porter could be promoted to dining-car waiter or conductor.
PROFILE
STANLEY G. GRIZZLE
Born in Toronto in 1918, Stanley G. Grizzle was a railway porter who became president of the Toronto branch of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. He spent the 1950s campaigning for equal rights for Black people.
Grizzle was the first Black judge in Ontario's Citizenship Court and the first African Canadian to run for election to the Ontario legislature. In recognition of his distinguished service, he received the Order of Canada in 1995.
Hard-Won Respect
In 1944, Ontario became the first province to pass an act to prevent discrimination against any person because of race or religion. Other provinces soon followed.
When Black Canadian men were fighting in World War II, women took over their jobs in factories and other workplaces. Many Black women liked these jobs better than domestic service. But when the men came home to Canada, they wanted their jobs back. Some Black women returned to domestic service, but many upgraded their education, found new job opportunities and fought for racial equality and women's rights.
Railway porters continued to improve their working conditions. Through their efforts, the porters created new and better opportunities for Black people in Canada.
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INDEED IF A BLACK PERSON CAN FIGHT AND DIE FOR THEIR COUNTRY; THEY ARE IN EVERY WAY EQUAL TO THE WHITE PERSON, ADN SHOULD BE GIVEN THE SAME FOOTING OF EQUAL RIGHTS AS THE WHITE PERSON. ALL WERE CREATED BY THE ETERNAL GOD; ALL ARE LOVED BY HIM; ALL GIVEN GIFTS ACCORDING TO THE LORD'S DISTRIBUTION AND WILL.
Keith Hunt
CARIBBEAN AND AFRICAN IMMIGRANTS
Canada is often called a country of immigrants. But Canada hasn't always welcomed everybody who wants to be an immigrant.
During the first half of the 20th century Canada encouraged White people from Europe and the United States to come.
They were known as the "preferred nationalities." Very few Black people were able to immigrate.
But after World War II, Canadian immigration policy began to change, thanks in large part to Black activists such as Harry Gairey and Donald Moore. They helped open the door for Black immigrants from the Caribbean, Guyana (South America) and Africa.
Black Canadian Activists
In 1954, a group of 35 Black Canadian activists met with federal Cabinet ministers (government leaders) in Ottawa. The group wanted to change the Immigration Act of 1952 because it discriminated against people of colour. One of the group's leaders, Donald Moore, reminded the Cabinet ministers of Black Canadians' heroic service in the world wars.
After years of pressure, the government passed a new Immigration Act in 1962. Would-be immigrants could no longer be discriminated against because of their race or religion.
The West Indian Domestic Scheme
In 1955, the government took a first step in opening up Black immigration. The Domestic Scheme encouraged Caribbean women to come to Canada, but only if they promised to work as domestic servants for one year. Many
Blue Skies, Tropical Seas
The Caribbean, also called the West Indies, is a chain of island countries including Barbados, Jamaica, St. Lucia and Trinidad. The tropical climate brings hot sunshine, rainy seasons and hurricanes.
Most Caribbean people are of African descent. For centuries, European countries operated sugar plantations in the Caribbean using slave labour. By the 1960s, most of these countries had gained their independence. But many people remained poor or had trouble finding jobs.
women took the opportunity — 2700 over the next 10 years. Often they left behind husbands and children.
After their year of domestic service, many women enrolled in university or worked as teachers, nurses and office workers. Later, they brought their families to Canada.
PROFlLE
CARIBBEAN IMMIGRANTS
Under the points system, many Caribbean people were well qualified to immigrate. During the 1970s and 1980s, 315, 000 immigrated to Canada, mostly from Jamaica, Trinidad and Haiti.
Black people from the Caribbean, unlike earlier Black immigrants, settled mainly in the cities. English-speaking people found jobs in Toronto or other cities across the country where English was the main language. French-speaking Haitians moved to Montreal. Canada has been enriched by the skills and the culture that Caribbean immigrants brought with them.
The Points System
Canada still needed a better way than the Immigration Act of 1962 and the Domestic Scheme to decide who would be allowed to immigrate. In 1967, a method called the points system was introduced. People who wished to immigrate were awarded points for such things as education, job skills and ability to speak English or French. Anyone who obtained at least 70 points out of 100 was allowed to immigrate. Now hopeful immigrants from all countries had a fair chance.
Adjusting to Canada
Some Caribbean immigrants had problems adjusting to Canada. The winters felt bitterly cold. Fathers or mothers who came on their own were lonely until they could bring their families. They had to get used to new customs and different ways of
Quick Facts
Waves of Black Immigration
to Canada
1783
Black Loyalists
1796
Jamaican Maroons
1814
Refugees of the
War of 1812
1831-1865
Underground-Railroad
1858
Black Californians
1911
Oklahoma Exodusters
1955
Caribbean Domestic
Service Workers
1967
Caribbean Immigrants,
from the Caribbean and
from England
1980
African Immigrants
speaking. Even the many people from the Caribbean who had immigrated first to Britain and then to Canada found the adjustment difficult.
Black people were the majority in the Caribbean, but in Canada they stood out in the sea of White faces. Their children had to adjust to a different school system. And the new immigrants didn't always feel welcomed by their White Canadian neighbours.
Community Support
Black Canadians already settled here were eager to help the Caribbean newcomers. They worked together to offer young people dance, drama and music programs, as well as, academic scholarships, especially in Ontario. Carnivals, concerts and picnics were some of the traditions they continued.
Like other Black Canadians, Caribbean immigrants entered politics, started businesses and wrote books. They became involved in already-established magazines and community. Today, most of Canada's Black population is of Caribbean background.
Black African Immigrants
Since 1980, immigrants have come to Canada directly from Africa. They hail from many different countries, including Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia and South Africa. Some are refugees from famine and war and include doctors, musicians, business owners, and writers.
CELEBRATING BLACK HERITAGE
In December 1995, February was declared Black History Month across Canada, thanks to the work of the Ontario Black History Society (OBHS). During this time, the OBHS focuses media attention on Black Canadian history and helps schools, libraries and community groups promote Black Canadian heritage.
There are many other associations that keep Black Canadian heritage alive, including the PRUDE Community Access Centre, with its motto of "Pride, Race, Unity Dignity, Education." The Black Cultural Centre in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, the first of its kind in Canada, educates people about Black people's roots, heritage and identity.
Black Canadian History Tours
In southwestern Ontario, the African Canadian Heritage Tour brings Black history to life. Visitors can tour museums and churches and see special exhibitions from the days of the Underground Railroad. A trail through the woods — complete with scary sound effects — gives a sense of the dangers the slaves faced when escaping to freedom in Canada.
Special bus tours in Niagara Falls and Toronto also tell about Black history in these cities.
Heritage Festivals
Emancipation Day: Slavery officially ended in all British territories, including Canada, on July 31, 1833. Since 1834, many Black people around the world have celebrated August 1 as Emancipation Day.
Kwanzaa: This week-long celebration began in 1966. It was inspired by African harvest festivals — Kwanzaa means "first fruits" in the Swahili language. The festivities run from December 26 to New Year's Day. Many Black Canadians gather with friends and family to remember their history and enjoy special feasts. They light seven candles, each one representing a high ideal to guide people in their lives: unity, self-determination, responsibility, co-operation, purpose, creativity and faith.
Caribana: In the Caribbean islands, people celebrate Carnival in February just before the Christian season of Lent. In 1967, when Canada turned 100 years old, Black Canadians in Toronto decided to organize their own Centennial event. They called it Caribana and shifted it to August to help celebrate Emancipation Day and a long weekend in summer.
Caribana (now called the Toronto International Carnival) has become a huge annual summer party. Groups prepare all year for the parade, with its steel-drum music, fantastic costumes and non-stop dancing. More than 1 million people attend Caribana from all over North America. Similar celebrations take place in Halifax, Montreal, Windsor and other cities across Canada.
PROFILE
AFRICVILLE
Africville was a Black community on the north side of Halifax. Although its story is sad, many Black Canadians feel it should be remembered.
Starting in 1848, Africville attracted Black people from across Nova Scotia who were looking for jobs in Halifax. The town grew to 400 residents by 1951. It was a tight-knit community with the Baptist church at its centre. Some Africville residents worked on trading ships, while others helped to construct Halifax buildings. Some people started their own businesses and owned houses and land.
But problems began almost immediately. In the 1850s, a railway cut through the community. Although the residents paid taxes to Halifax, the city never provided water, sewage or police services. Instead, it located factories, a prison and a garbage dump beside the community. To any outsider, Africville looked like a slum.
In the 1960s, without consulting the residents, Halifax's city council decided to get rid of Africville. Black community leaders protested loudly, saying the residents didn't want to leave. Instead, they needed and deserved the services they'd been denied. However, Africville's houses were destroyed and the people were moved. They were promised better homes, but their new houses were often worse.
The spirit of Africville lives on in the memory of Black Nova Scotians. Every year people gather in the parkland where the town once stood to remember a special community. In 2002, Africville was declared a National Historic Site in recognition of its importance to Black Canadian culture.
Religious Heritage
Religion is another way of preserving one's heritage. Black Canadians today practise a variety of religions. Some are Roman Catholics, others attend Protestant churches, including the British Methodist Episcopal Church of Canada and the African United Baptist Association. Martin Luther King Jr., a leader of the civil rights movement in the United States in the 1960s, was a Baptist minister.
Other Black Canadians are Muslims, followers of Islam. Some Canadians were inspired by Malcolm X, an American Muslim leader in the civil rights movement. Many recent African immigrants are also Muslims.
Some Black Canadians are Rastafarians. This faith group began in Jamaica in the 1930s. Rastafarians celebrate their African heritage, believing that the last Ethiopian emperor — Haile Selassie — was divine.
Black History on the Screen and Stage
Black Canadians also explore their heritage through movies and theatre. Filmmakers have uncovered almost-forgotten stories from Black history. Montreal's Black Theatre Workshop and Toronto's Obsidian Theatre Company perform plays with Black Canadian themes, train young actors and tour schools.
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Y E S T E R D A Y, T O D A Y AND........... TOMORROW
Canada's Black population boasts many skilled and talented people who have achieved fame in a variety of fields. Some have overcome significant challenges in order to make important contributions to Canada.
Many young Black people are coming forward to help shape Canada's future. They still have to fight racism and prejudice, but if they have the strength and courage to keep trying, they will make Canada a better country.
Here are just a few of the many well-known Black Canadians.
MUSICIANS
Soprano Measha Brueggergosman
was only 20 years old in 1998 when she starred in a new Canadian opera called Beatrice Chancy. Born in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Brueggergosman is on her way to a brilliant international career. She often ends her concerts by singing Black spirituals that celebrate her roots.
World-famous jazz pianist Oscar Peterson
was born in Montreal in 1925. At 14, he won a national contest for amateur musicians. Peterson was still in his twenties when he dazzled the audience with his flying fingers at New York's famous Carnegie Hall. A composer as well as a jazz pianist, Peterson has won many awards and is a Companion of the Order of Canada.
Deborah Cox
was bom in Toronto in 1974. Inspired by Black singers such as Gladys Knight and Bob Marley, Cox became Canada's first Black female rhythm and blues diva. In 1992, she performed at the inauguration of the new U.S. president, Bill Clinton. Cox is a volunteer with World Vision Canada, a non-profit organization that sponsors poor children around the world.
WRITERS AND STORYTELLERS
The first really successful Canadian rap artist was Maestro Fresh Wes.
He was born in Toronto in 1968 to Guyanese parents. His first album sold more than 150, 000 copies in Canada, and on his second album, he rapped about the Black Canadian identity. The Maestro won the first Canadian Juno Award for "Best Rap Recording" in 1991.
POLITICIANS
Elected as a federal Progressive Conservative in 1968, Lincoln Alexander was appointed Minister of Labour in 1979, becoming the first Black Canadian to serve in Cabinet. In 1985, at the age of 63, he was appointed Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario — another
Born in Jamaica in 1930, Rosemary Brown came to Canada as a student. She enjoyed debating at university and soon found herself involved in politics, becoming the first Black Canadian woman elected to the British Columbia legislature. Brown served as a member of the New Democratic Party until 1986. Since then, she has taught at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, and been appointed Chief Commissioner of the Ontario Human Rights Commission.
Daurene Lewis is a seventh-generation Nova Scotian from Annapolis Royal. (One of her ancestors, Rose Fortune, became Canada's first policewoman around 1783.) Lewis graduated from Dalhousie University in Halifax, and later taught nursing. From 1984 to 1988, she was the mayor of Annapolis Royal.
The first Black Carrie Best of New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, was the publisher of a newspaper called the Clarion in the 1940s and 1950s. Best was a fearless journalist who demanded fair treatment for Black people. By making sure that Black Canadians were served in restaurants and admitted to theatres, Best helped make Canada a better place to live. She received the Order of Canada in recognition of her fight for her community.
"I AM A PERSON, BORN IN THE IMAGE OF GOD. I HAVE INTELLIGENCE, I AM HONEST, AND I AM AS GOOD, IF NOT BETTER THAN ANYBODY WHO WALKS THE FACE OF THIS EARTH ..."
— Carrie Best
Trinidad-born Dionne Brand came to Toronto, Ontario, in 1970 when she was just 17 years old. Now she's a well-known writer, filmmaker and human rights activist. Brand's many books include Land to Light On, which won a Governor General's Award in 1997, and Earth Magic, a poetry collection for children.
Born in Nova Scotia in 1960, George Elliott Clarke has received many awards for his poetry and is also known as a playwright and screenwriter. In 1997, Clarke wrote the libretto (words) for James Rolfe's opera, Beatrice Chancy. The story-takes place in Nova Scotia's Annapolis Valley in 1801, when slavery was still a way of life. The opera's first performances starred Measha Brueggergosman.
The Caribbean tradition of storytelling followed Rita Cox from Trinidad to Canada. When Cox tells her ghost stories, fables and animal stories, children gather round. This storyteller also founded the Black Heritage and West Indies Collection, one of the most important collections of writings about and by Black people. Cox received the Governor General's 1992 Commemorative Medal for her contributions to Canada.
Children's author Tololwa M. Mollel
was born in Tanzania, Africa, in 1952. Since moving to Edmonton, Alberta, Mollel has published more than 15 books — including The Orphan Boy and Kitoto the Mighty — and has won many awards. He runs storytelling and drama workshops for children around North America.
Called "the world's fastest human," Donovan Bailey has been clocked running at a speed of 43.6 km/h (27 m.p.h.). Born in 1967 in Jamaica, Bailey grew up in Oakville, Ontario. As a sprinter, Bailey won a gold medal in the 100 metre race at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, setting a world record of 9.84 seconds. He was also a member of the Canadian 4 x 100 relay team that won gold at the same Olympic Games.
Donovan Bailey is one of the few athletes to be an Olympic gold medallist, World Champion and world record holder. In 1996 he was also named Canada's Athlete of the Year.
In 1990, Charmaine Crooks of North Vancouver became the first Canadian woman to run 800 metres in less than 2 minutes. Born in Jamaica, the sprinter made the Canadian Olympic team in 1980, when she was only 16. Crooks has since competed in a record five Olympic Games. Today, she's a television host and public speaker.
African immigrant Daniel Igali won Canada's first gold medal in wrestling at the Olympic Games in 2000. Igali was born in Nigeria in 1974, but in 1994 he left his 20 brothers and sisters behind to compete in the Commonwealth Games in Victoria, B.C. He stayed in Canada to train. When Igali won his Olympic gold medal, he joyfully kissed Canada's flag.
During the final men's hockey game of the 2002 Olympic Games, Jarome Iginla scored two goals against the U.S. team to ensure Canada's gold-medal victory. This powerful forward was born in 1977 in Edmonton, Alberta, and is a top scorer in the NHL with a bright future.
(OF COURSE the book being written some years ago this is no longer the fact as Jarome's career is on the way out - Keith Hunt))
"It's your world, so take part in it and never give up on your DREAM."
— Charmaine Crooks
Ferguson Jenkins is a famous baseball player born in Chatham, Ontario, in 1943. A major-league pitcher, he struck out more than 3,000 batters during his career with the Texas Rangers, the Chicago Cubs and the Boston Red Sox. In 1991, Jenkins was the first African Canadian inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Nova Scotia has produced many excellent Black boxers. Sam Langford, born in 1884 at Weymouth Falls, was a truly great heavyweight boxer. He held the heavyweight championships of England, Spain and Mexico — even though he was only 167 cm (5 ft. 6 in.) tall and weighed just 71 kg (157 lb.)!
The phrase "the real McCoy" comes from Black Canadian inventor Elijah McCoy. He was born in Canada in 1844, studied in Scotland, then moved to the United States. McCoy is most famous for inventing an automatic lubricator for train engines in 1882. He patented ideas for 50 different inventions, and his name came to stand for high-quality goods.
DANCER
Born in Barbados in 1960, John Alleyne studied ballet at the National Ballet School in Toronto. He became a popular solo dancer with Canada's National Ballet after joining the company in 1984. Alleyne then became a talented choreographer who created powerful new ballets. In 1992, this award-winning dancer was appointed artistic director of Ballet British Columbia.
PLAYWRIGHTS AND FILMMAKERS
Playwright Djanet Sears wrote Canada's first stage play by a person of African descent. Called Afrika Solo, it has been followed by many plays for adults and young people. Born in England, Sears moved with her family to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, when she was 15. She has won many honours, including a Governor General's Award for Harlem Duet in 1998.
Clement Virgo, originally from Jamaica, moved to Canada when he was 11. He studied filmmaking at the Norman Jewison Canadian Film Centre, north of Toronto. The first film Virgo directed, Rude, won the Best Feature Film prize at the Toronto Film Festival. In 1997, he released his second full-length film, The Planet of Junior Brown.
OTHER BLACK CANADIAN FIRSTS
• Jean Augustine, of Ontario, was the first Black Canadian woman in Canada's Parliament and in the Cabinet (a group of advisers to the prime minister).
• Leonard Braithwaite, from Ontario, was the first Black person elected to Canada's Parliament.
• Anne Cools, of Ontario, became Canada's first Black senator in 1984.
• George Dixon, who was born in Nova Scotia, was the first Black person to win a World Boxing Championship, in 1890.
• Willie O'Ree, of New Brunswick, was the first Black NHL hockey player.
• Conine Sparks, from Nova Scotia, was the first Black woman to become a judge in Canada, in 1987.
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THE BLACK PEOPLE OF THE WORLD HAVE SHOWN AND PROVED THEY CAN BE EVERY BIT AS TALENTED, GIFTED, EDUCATED, IN EVERY WAY AS ANY OTHER COLORED OR NON-COLORED PERSON ON EARTH.
EDUCATION, GIFTS, LEARNT TALENT, WISE, HONORABLE, INSPIRING, BRAVE, SERVING, GIVING, CHARITABLE FOUNDERS, COMMUNITY LEADERS, TEACHERS, DOCTORS, NURSES, INVENTOR, SCIENTISTS, SPORTS-PERSONS, OLYMPIANS, ACTORS, SINGERS, DANCERS, OFFICIALS, WRITERS, CEO PEOPLE, SELF-MADE MILLIONAIRES, AND ETC. CAN BE ANYONE OF ANY RACE. HISTORY HAS PROVED IT TIME AND TIME AGAIN, ESPECIALLY IN THE LAST 200 YEARS.
Keith Hunt
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