Black History Month is a time to honour and celebrate the remarkable contributions of Black Canadians past and present. These individuals’ courage, leadership, creativity, activism, and community building have shaped the country’s cultural and social landscape. Since official recognition in 1995, Black History in Canada has become an important moment each February to reflect on the stories and achievements of Black people whose histories are often overlooked. Black History Month invites us not only to remember figures from the past but to recognize that Black contributions to Canadian life are ongoing. And with that, here are the Black Canadians who have made the cover of the Bolt this month.
Lulu Anderson:
A civil rights pioneer fighting against racial segregation in Alberta in the early 20th century. When she was denied entry to a theatre in Edmonton because of her race, Anderson courageously took the fight to court, displaying one of the earliest legal challenges to racial segregation in Canada.
Bromley Armstrong:
In Ontario, Armstrong was a human rights advocate and trade unionist who spent decades campaigning for anti-discrimination laws and racial equity. Born in Jamaica and active in labour and civil rights movements, Armstrong’s leadership helped transform both workplace rights and community justice efforts across Canada.
Dr. Yvette Bonny:
In the field of medicine, Bonny paved the way for future generations of Black health professionals. After immigrating from Haiti, she became a pioneering pediatrician and hematologist, leading Quebec’s first pediatric bone marrow transplant unit and achieving numerous medical firsts.
James Calbert Best:
Public service and diplomacy were central to Best’s impactful career. Best broke barriers as Canada’s first Black assistant deputy minister and later as High Commissioner to Trinidad and Tobago. His tireless advocacy for workers’ rights and equitable immigration policies influenced national policy and opened doors for future Black public servants.
Elizabeth Cromwell:
An African Nova Scotian of Black Loyalist descent, dedicated her life to uncovering and telling stories of Black settlement and resisting environmental racism, including founding the Black Loyalist Heritage Society to protect and celebrate Black Nova Scotian history.
Egbert Gaye:
A journalist and community leader, Gaye founded Montreal Community Contact, a newspaper that became a vital platform for voices in Montreal’s Black and Caribbean communities. Through reporting and mentorship, Gaye helped ensure stories of resilience and identity reached wider audiences.
Elkin James (Sweet Daddy Siki):
While known for his professional wrestling career, James broke racial barriers in the entertainment and athletic world during the mid-20th century, inspiring future Black athletes and performers across Canada.
Dr. Lloydetta Quaicoe:
An educator and founder of Sharing Our Cultures, a charitable organization that works to support newcomer youth and foster intercultural understanding. Through education and creative programming, she works to empower newcomer youth and build intercultural understanding.
Dr. John Douglas Salmon:
Salmon was a trailblazer in medicine as Canada’s first Black surgeon and was awarded the Canadian Black Achievement Award in Medicine. Beyond surgical leadership, he was also an accomplished musician and activist, advocating for equal access to cultural and social spaces.
Lincoln Alexander:
A lawyer, member of parliament, cabinet minister, and war veteran, Alexander is best known as the former lieutenant governor of Ontario. Alexander was the first person from a visible minority to hold the role and the first Black member of parliament in Canadian history, paving the way for greater representation in politics.
Marie-Joseph Angélique:
An 18th-century enslaved woman in New France accused and convicted of starting a 1734 fire that destroyed 46 buildings in Montreal. Angélique’s story symbolizes early resistance and the complex history of slavery in Canada.
Donovan Bailey:
A Jamaican-born Canadian, is one of the country’s most highly decorated track athletes. Bailey once held the world record for the 100-metre sprint, won three world championships in the 100 metres and 4×100-metre relay, and two gold medals at the 1996 Olympics.
William Hall:
Son of former slaves, Nova Scotian-born Hall joined the Royal Navy and became the first Black Canadian to be awarded the Victoria Cross for bravery at sea during the Crimean War. He was recognized for extraordinary courage in securing a British garrison in Lucknow, India.
Honourable Donald H. Oliver:
A successful civil litigator and educator, Senator Donald Oliver was the first Black man appointed to the Senate of Canada in 1990 and played a key role in the parliamentary recognition of Black History Month.
Mary Ann Shadd Cary:
A writer, educator, and lawyer, Mary Ann was the first Black woman to become a publisher in Canada after escaping America through the Underground Railroad. Cary devoted her life to teaching the children of former slaves and later returned to the United States to be actively involved in the women’s suffrage movement.
Portia White:
One of Canada’s first Black classical singers to achieve international fame, performing concerts across Canada, the U.S., and Central and South America. She performed for the Queen at Charlottetown’s Confederation Center in 1964.
Elijah McCoy:
Born to former slaves who escaped to Canada from the United States, McCoy is an inventor known for inventing a device that lubricated a train’s moving parts while the train was in motion. He is also credited with inventing portable ironing boards and holding more than 50 patents.
Thornton and Lucie Blackburn:
Thornton and Lucy Blackburn were enslaved in the United States, and after two attempts at escape, were allowed to stay in Canada after the court system refused to extradite them to the United States. The Blackburn’s continue to symbolize Canada’s role as a safe haven for Black refugees.
Sam Langford:
Home-born Nova Scotian, Sam is a legendary Canadian heavyweight boxer, considered one of the greatest fighters of his era across multiple weight classes, who was prevented from contending for championships. Despite discriminatory policies and injury leading to the loss of sight in his right eye, he continued to box throughout his life.
Willie O’Ree:
Diversity in sports activist Willie O’Ree was the first Black player in the National Hockey League (NHL) in 1958. Fredericton-born, O’Ree made his debut with the Boston Bruins in the 1957-58 season and retired in 1979.
Carrie Best:
Nova Scotia’s Carrie Best was a poet, writer, journalist, and activist who founded The Clarion, the province’s first Black-owned and published newspaper in 1946. She began hosting The Quiet Corner radio program in 1952, which ran for 12 years. Best showed that the media could be used to fight discrimination. She was also made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1979.
Rosemary Brown:
A Canadian politician who was born in Jamaica, who served as a member of British Columbia’s legislative assembly for 14 years, and was a candidate for the federal party’s leadership in 1974. Brown was the first Black woman elected to a Canadian provincial legislature; she advocated for gender equality and human rights.
Josiah Henson:
An American slave who escaped to Canada in 1830, he devoted his life to helping other former slaves, particularly in terms of developing farms. He also led a militia unit of Black men in the Upper Canadian Rebellion of 1837. Henson helped shape Black settlement communities in Ontario, with his story inspiring Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
Richard Pierpoint:
At the age of 16, Pierpoint was freed from slavery after the American Revolution began and served as a soldier on the British side. Afterwards, he proposed forming an all-Black militia to fight alongside the British during the War of 1812 and became a leader among Black Loyalist communities in Upper Canada.
John Ware:
A former slave who settled in Alberta, he gained recognition for his skill as a cowboy and rancher, whose skill and resilience helped define the history of ranching in Canada. He established two ranches before his death in 1905.
Senator Anne Clare Cools:
Anne Cools was the first Black person to become a Canadian senator. Born in Barbados, she arrived in Canada as a teenager and studied at McGill University. Cools was a Liberal Party candidate in two federal elections but was unsuccessful. In 1984, Pierre Trudeau appointed her to the Senate. Cools devotes her life as a long-serving senator and advocate for human rights and social justice in Canada.
Mifflin Wistar Gibbs:
A successful businessman who moved from the United States to British Columbia to escape the racial atmosphere in the United States. After moving to Victoria, Gibbs became a prominent figure in the Black community, devoting his time and effort to encouraging Black community members to become involved in politics. Gibbs himself became the first Black person elected to public office in B.C. and went on to become a leader in business and diplomacy.
James Mink:
The son of former slaves who became a successful entrepreneur and hotel owner in 19th-century Toronto, owning the Toronto’s Mansion Inn and Livery, as well as a stagecoach service that transported people and goods between Toronto and Kingston. Later in life, he posed as his Irish wife’s slave in order to rescue their daughter, who had been sold into slavery.
Bruny Surin:
An appointee of the Order of Canada, and a member of the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame and Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame, this Canadian Olympic sprinter captured a gold medal in the 4×100-metre relay at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. Now retired, Surin runs the Bruny Surin Foundation and is also a recipient of both the Diamond Jubilee Medal of Queen Elizabeth II and the Ordre national du Québec in recognition of his career and sizable impact on youth in sport.
Ferguson Arthur Jenkins:
Ferguson (Fergie) Arthur Jenkins is one of Canada’s most celebrated baseball players. Jenkins, who played for the Philadelphia Phillies and the Chicago Cubs, was the first Canadian inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1991.
