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
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.