February is Black History Month, a time to reflect on the history of Black communities in Canada, and to honour the contributions of Black Canadians.
The first Black person to arrive in what is now Canada is thought to have been Mathieu Da Costa, who worked with European explorers as an interpreter on expeditions to New France in the early 1600s. While Da Costa was free, for about 200 years, thousands of people of African descent were enslaved and brought to the British and French colonies that became New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Ontario and Quebec. In 1793, Lieutenant Governor John Graves Simcoe introduced legislation prohibiting the transportation of enslaved persons into Upper Canada (now Ontario). In 1833, the British Government passed legislation that emancipated slaves throughout the British Empire by 1834. Once emancipated, some formerly enslaved people were granted new rights like property ownership and suffrage.
As slavery remained legal in the United States until 1865, an existing secret network of safe routes and houses was consolidated to support the thousands fleeing the United States for freedom in British North America. This network became known as the “Underground Railroad.” While Black people were free once they arrived, those who came during that period faced racism, and life could be difficult.
Black History Month honours this legacy and celebrates the past and present achievements of Black Canadians.
Figure 1: Black History Month and Black Representation in Canadian Politics: Key Events
Source: Figure prepared by the Library of Parliament.
Origins of Black History Month
In 1926, historian Carter G. Woodson declared the second week of February to be Negro History Week, honouring the accomplishments of African Americans in the United States. For 50 years, Negro History Week was observed annually, until President Gerald Ford designated the whole month as Black History Month in 1976. Canada began observing Black History Week in the early 1970s, with Toronto declaring the entire month of February Black History Month in 1979.
In 1995, the House of Commons officially recognized February as Black History Month when it unanimously adopted a motion recognizing the “important contribution of black Canadians to the settlement, growth and development of Canada.” In 2008, the Senate joined the House of Commons in recognizing Black History Month, adopting an identical motion to the House of Commons.
Black Canadians in Parliament
A Trailblazing Legacy
The following are profiles of the pioneering Black parliamentarians who broke barriers in the Senate and House of Commons and played a critical role in seeing Black History Month recognized in both chambers.
Honourable Lincoln Alexander
Lincoln Alexander was born in Toronto to Caribbean immigrant parents. Growing up, his perspectives on race and equality were informed by his father’s work as a sleeping car porter and the time he spent in Harlem, New York City, as a teenager. Alexander returned to Toronto in 1939, serving as a wireless operator with the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan during the Second World War. After the war, he became a lawyer. In 1965, Alexander was appointed as Queen’s Counsel, recognizing his contributions to the legal profession and launching his career in politics.
He was elected to the House of Commons in 1968, becoming the first Black member of Parliament. He was re-elected four times and served nearly 12 years. In 1979, he was appointed Minister of Labour – the first Black Cabinet member.
Alexander later chaired the Ontario Workers’ Compensation Board and, in 1985, was appointed Ontario’s 24th Lieutenant Governor, the first racialized person to be named a representative of the Crown in Canada. He was a Companion of the Order of Canada and a Member of the Order of Ontario.
Alexander died in 2012. In 2014, Parliament passed an Act recognizing 21 January annually as Lincoln Alexander Day.
Honourable Anne Cools
Anne Cools was born in Barbados and moved to Montreal as a teenager. In 1984, she was appointed to the Senate – the first Black senator in Canada and the first Black woman senator in North America.
Before her appointment, Cools was a social worker and activist. While taking part in anti-racism demonstrations at a Montreal university, she was arrested and briefly jailed, later receiving a pardon from the government. Cools was also a pioneer in advocating for the protection of women from intimate partner violence, including through the founding of one of Canada’s first shelters for women experiencing violence.
During her 34 years in the Senate, Cools served on many committees, including the Special Joint Committee on Child Custody and Access. From 2011 to her 2018 retirement, Cools was recognized as Dean of the Senate, its longest-serving member.
Honourable Jean Augustine
Jean Augustine grew up in Grenada, training as a teacher before immigrating to Canada in 1960 through the West Indian Domestic Scheme. After completing the required year of domestic work, she pursued her career in education, working as an elementary school teacher, and later, a principal. Augustine helped organize the first Caribana festival in 1967. She also established the Toronto chapter of the Congress of Black Women of Canada, later serving as its national president.
In 1993, Augustine was elected to the House of Commons, becoming the first Black woman to sit in the chamber. Over her 12-year career in the House of Commons, she served in various roles, including Minister of State for Multiculturalism and the Status of Women, Deputy Speaker, and chair of several committees.
In December 1995, Augustine tabled the motion in the House of Commons to officially recognize Black History Month. She also championed the motion allowing for the placement of statues on Parliament Hill honouring the Famous Five, breaking with the tradition that statues on Parliament Hill be limited to former prime ministers and monarchs.
Augustine is a Member of the Order of Canada and Commander of the Order of the British Empire. In her post-Parliament life, she remains committed to empowering women and equity-deserving groups through education.
Honourable Donald Oliver
Donald Oliver, born in Nova Scotia, came from a family with a history of contributions to Canada, including his grandfather William White, who helped form the country’s only all-Black battalion. As a young man, Oliver practised law in Nova Scotia, working as a civil litigator and educator. He was involved in the community and served on the executive committees of several private companies. This led him to a career in politics focused on promoting equality for Canadians of diverse backgrounds.
In 1990, Oliver was the first Black man appointed to the Senate. During his 23-year-long career, he was a member of numerous committees, including several special and joint committees. Throughout his tenure, he also chaired several committees.
In 2008, Oliver tabled a motion in the Senate to recognize Black History Month, mirroring the motion passed several years earlier in the House of Commons.
In 2010, Oliver was appointed Speaker pro tempore (Deputy Speaker) of the Senate. He retired in 2013 but remains engaged in his Nova Scotia community. Oliver is a Member of the Order of Canada and the Order of Nova Scotia.
Modern Representation
The careers and work of the parliamentary pioneers described above and the official parliamentary recognition of Black History Month have paved the way for greater representation of Black Canadians at Parliament today.
Parliamentary Black Caucus
In 2015, five parliamentarians formed the Parliamentary Black Caucus – a non-partisan group of Black parliamentarians and allies who work together to advocate on issues affecting Black communities across Canada.
In 2023, members of the Parliamentary Black Caucus travelled to Washington, D.C., to meet with members of the United States Congressional Black Caucus and with American civil rights organizations at Howard University.
Senate
To fulfill their commitment to representing Canada’s diverse regions and populations, senators may consider the impact of legislation and policies on various communities and intersectionalities. Two relevant reports from the 44th Parliament addressed anti-Black racism and other forms of discrimination at the Canadian Human Rights Commission and the role of Gender-based Analysis Plus in the federal policy process.
House of Commons
As in the Senate, issues relevant to Black and other racialized communities may be considered throughout the legislative process and across various House of Commons committees. Some relevant work undertaken during the 43rd and 44th Parliaments examined systemic racism in policing and the Supporting Black Canadian Communities Initiative.
By Laura Blackmore, Library of Parliament
Categories: Government, Parliament and politics, Social affairs and population