Lincoln Alexander Day: Canada’s first Black member of Parliament honoured with virtual event
Canadian trailblazer Lincoln Alexander was a man of many firsts. Which is why Nova Scotia Senator Wanda Thomas Bernard says she believes it’s time people gain a better understanding of the significance of his contributions.
“The fight for equality, the fight for rights, the fight for equity, the fight for racial justice, he was at the forefront of all of that,” said Thomas Bernard.
That’s why she has partnered with Senator Don Oliver and Lindsay Ruck, a program coordinator with the Delmore “Buddy” Daye Learning Institue in Halifax, to host a virtual Lincoln Alexander Day event.
“He broke down barriers and walls and paved the way for other Black men and women and children to go forward and do the work he started,” said Ruck.
Alexander was a Second World War veteran who studied law at McMaster University after leaving the Royal Canadian Air Force. He eventually opened his own practice in Hamilton, Ont.
He became the first Black person elected to the House of Commons in 1968. Ten years later, he was Canada’s first Black cabinet minister, serving as labour minister under Joe Clark. Then in the 80s, he became the first Black Canadian lieutenant-governor, accepting the appointment in his home province of Ontario.
In his new memoir ‘A Matter of Equality,’ Oliver dedicates a chapter to “Linc,” as he was affectionately known to his close friends.
“The fact that it (Alexander’s life) impacted someone like Senator Oliver so much and you look at the work he has done, he’s a social justice giant,” said Ruck.
“That was because of the impact of someone like Lincoln Alexander, so it just keeps going from generation to generation.”
Alexander died in 2012 at age 90. Friday would have been his 100th birthday.
“I see this day as a powerful tool that we can use to educate people in the broader society about our collective responsibility to address racism,” said Thomas Bernard.
Thomas Bernard encourages all Canadians to explore Alexander’s trailblazing story.
“It’s time for us to take the hidden figures, the gems from our own Canadian history and teach them to future generations,” said Thomas Bernard.
Lincoln Alexander Day has been observed across Canada since 2015.
Tonight’s virtual event can be viewed on the Delmore “Buddy” Daye Learning Institute’s YouTube channel at 6:30 AST.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Trudeau promises $1B in loans for child-care providers to expand care centres
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Spring allergy season has begun. Where is it worse in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Ontario reveals highest public sector salaries in sunshine list
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.
Fallen crypto mogul Sam Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years in prison
Crypto entrepreneur Sam Bankman-Fried was sentenced Thursday to 25 years in prison for a massive fraud that unravelled with the collapse of FTX, once one of the world's most popular platforms for exchanging digital currency.