Canadian Black History

Honouring The Past

The Honourable Jean Agustine

Introduced the motion to have February proclaimed as Black History month. The first Black woman elected to Canada’s House of Commons

Dudley Law

First Black Canadian Activist that co-founded the Black Action Defence Committee

Violet King

The first Black female lawyer in Canada. An advocate for women rights in the workplace.

Charles Roache

Civil Rights lawyer and activist. He also co-founded the Black Action Defence Committee

Rosemary Brown

An ardent feminist, a socialist, and Canada’s first Black female member of a provincial legislature who battled for equality and human rights

Willie O’Ree

The first Black hockey player in the NHL

Anne Clare Cools

The first Black Canadian to be named to senate and the longest running senate. She also brought Canada’s first woman shelter to Toronto

Lieutenant Lincoln Alexander

A Lawyer and the first Black member of parliament in the House of Commons

Carrie Best

An author, a Civil rights activist and Founder of Clarion, The first newspaper company in Novia Scotia which was operated and published by Black Canadians

Charles Lightfoot Roman

A distinguished surgeon that was one of the first Black Canadians to graduate from the Faculty of Medicine at McGill University, a soldier, author, researcher, and lecturer