Black History Month

The Honourable Lincoln Alexander was the first Black Canadian member of Parliament, Cabinet minister, and lieutenant-governor, as well as a leading figure in the fight for racial equality in Canada.

The 21st of January is recognized across Canada as Lincoln Alexander Day, in honour of the mark he made on the world.

Read more about Lincoln Alexander at the Canadian Encyclopedia website.

John Ware is legendary in the history of Alberta for his strength, skilled farming techniques and skilled horsemanship.

Though stories about Ware contain exaggerations, his status as regional folk hero show how well respected he was. The traits he is said to have had are typical of frontier heroes of cowboy culture. What distinguishes him the most, however, is how successfully he established himself on his own terms in 19th-century Canadian society, where anti-Black prejudice and discrimination were common.

Born enslaved, he became a successful rancher who settled his first ranch near Millarville, near Calgary, Alberta, and his second ranch near Brooks, Alberta. Despite widespread anti-Black racism and discrimination, he was widely admired as one of the best ranchers and cowboys in the West.

Mathieu da Costa was an Afro-French member of the exploring party of Pierre Dugua, the Sieur de Monts, and Samuel de Champlain that travelled from France to the New World in the early 17th century. He was the first recorded free black person to arrive on the territory of today's Canada.

There is little documentation about Mathieu da Costa. Of at least partial African ancestry, he is known to have been a freeman favoured by explorers for his multilingual talents. Numerous mixed-race African-Portuguese persons were part of the Atlantic Creole generation, often working as sailors or interpreters. Da Costa's translation and communication skills helped reduce the cultural gap between early French explorers and the First Nations.

How much do we know about black history in Canada? What do we lose when we don't include black stories in our history?

This special presentation from CBC Radio's Sunday Edition is a dramatized account of a pivotal moment in Canadian race relations.

In this story, CBC reporter Sandra Batson takes a look at the history of African Americans who came to the Canadian Prairies, and the discrimination they confronted in search of a better life.

John Ware Reclaimed follows filmmaker Cheryl Foggo on her quest to re-examine the mythology surrounding John Ware, the Black cowboy who settled in Alberta, Canada, before the turn of the 20th century.

This documentary pays tribute to a group of Canadians who took racism to court.

This link contains audio for the episode of Rewind with Michael Enright and uses materials from the CBC archives to chronicle the story of Africville.

Dr. Williams breaks down how porters — and the location of railways — catalyzed the creation of historically Black communities and institutions.

Dr. Williams explains how porters were instrumental in introducing jazz to Canada and how they served more generally as “conduits of culture.”

Dr. Williams explains why porters were referred to as “George” and how it’s linked to slavery.

Today we try to figure out the true story of Uncle Tom, with the help of Dr. Cheryl Thompson.