Black History Month: A Look Back On Courage And Bravery

Since February 1979, Black History Month has been routinely recognized in Toronto and all across Canada and the United Sates of America (since 1926) to honor the hidden and often forgotten contribution and legacy of our Black ancestors. Black history is also annually recognized in the United Kingdom in October. Today many simple-minded (for lack of a better term) individuals of society try to dismiss and disregard this special dedication and historic devotion as unnecessary; instead of celebrating our evolution.

There was a time when we fought to have our history taught and recognized. The purpose of this sacred devotion is to remember the impact these talented and courageous individuals have made on society, learn from them, and let the lessons inspire and motivate our youths. Without this dedication, many of us would not know our history. White people don't need a white history day or month. White history has always been recognized and taught as part of regular school curriculum. Yes, maybe one-day black history will get there, but until then let it be recalled and recognized for one whole month. Also, let me take this opportunity to remind you of a little-known proverb:

“Know from whence you came. If you know whence you came, there are absolutely no limitations to where you can go.” ~James Baldwin, an African-American novelist, essayist, playwright, poet, and social critic.

THE GODFATHER 

I first became acutely aware of racism when I came to Canada from Jamaica in my teens. I was moved by the stories of the plight and the fight of Miss Rosa Parks and her courageous friends.

Martin Luther King Jr. was a clergyman and the godfather of the civil right movement. He was arrested and jailed numerous times during anti-segregation protests in Birmingham, Alabama. According to my research, "Between 1958 and 1967, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was arrested 30 times for demonstrating and participating in non-violent protests against segregation. During his 1963 imprisonment, he wrote "Letter from Birmingham Jail," which became the manifesto of the civil rights movement" and advocated nonviolent civil disobedience.

The infamous March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom was held on August 28, 1963, with about 250,000 people in attendance, the largest demonstration ever seen in the nation's capital during that era. Martin Luther King delivers his famous "I Have a Dream" speech which built momentum for civil rights legislation. On Thursday, 4 April 1968, Martin Luther King was shot dead (R.I.P.) by a single bullet to his face while standing on a balcony outside a second-floor room at the Lorraine Motel; where he was staying while in Memphis, Tennessee for an organized march.

But although they killed the man, they could not kill the dream. A dream that manifested in 1994, when Nelson Mandela became President of South Africa and ended apartheid in "the Motherland", after being imprisoned for 27 years. A dream that manifested when Barrack Obama and his black wife and children occupied the White House in 2008, for not just one, but two consecutive terms as President of the United States and leader of the Free-World. A dream that manifested when Oprah Winfrey became the top-two richest self-made women in the United States of America at $3.1 billion according to Forbes. A dream that will continue to live on despite the fight.

Martin Luther King, Jr

FEW FIESTY FEMALES

Just this year, (2017) one of Canada's best-kept secret was revealed with the selection of a fresh face of the Canadian ten dollar bank note. Canada chose its first black woman to grace the face of a note in recognition of her impact on the civil rights and freedom movement in Canada, say Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau.

With all the well-deserved awareness of America's Rosa Parks for her bold defiance in asserting her right to have a seat on a public transit after a long and tiring work day, Viola Desmond had previously set the stage for this historic occasion. In 1946, Desmond was arrested for the same bold defiance in refusing to move to the back of a Halifax movie theater after she paid for and sat in a white-only section and was jailed for her protest under the disguise of tax evasion. She was one-cent short on the ticket tax. Desmond will not only be the first black woman, but the first woman in Canadian history to grace a Canadian bank note. Additionally, she was granted a posthumous pardon (the first to be granted in Canada) and a day in her honor in Nova Scotia. What do you think, was justice served? Bear in mind that "Justice delayed is justice denied." 

According to reports, Desmond was a prominent, well-respected, Black Canadian beautician and businesswoman in Halifax, Nova Scotia who held her own and refused to be subjected to second class citizenship.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Park, now dubbed the “Mother of the Modern-Day Civil Rights Movement” by U.S. Congress was jailed for her refusal to give up her seat to a white passenger on a public transit and move to the back of the bus. This act of outright defiance and bravery spurred a citywide boycott and initiated nationwide efforts to end segregation of public facilities in the USA.

American Rosa Parks, Booked

Canadian Viola Desmond, Jailed

Harriet Tubman has been heralded as the ardent abolitionist and heroine of the Underground Railroad. Between 1850 and 1858, she was the leader and trooper of the runaway slaves. Tubman trekked through the trenches from Buckman, Maryland to St. Catherine, Canada, making 19 secret trips along the slippery slopes to free over 300 slaves from an undignified plight. She was known as the "Moses of her people" but gave up her final fight on March 10, 1913.

"I freed a thousand slaves I could have freed a thousand more if only they knew they were slaves." - Harriet Tubman

Harriet Tubman (photo H. B. Lindsley)

Map of Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad

A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE:

Although blacks have been in North America dating as far back as colonial times, it wasn't until the 20th century that they gained a respectable presence in the history books. Here are just a few:

1983, the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration Implemented a Review

As reported in the Globe and Mail, "In 1983, the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration implemented a review that allowed persons who had lived in Canada for at least five years to apply for landed status, either in person or anonymously through a third party. By 1984, 976 cases were approved. [I was one of those cases. Although I did not meet the five-year criteria, as a dependent of my mother, I was granted permanent residency together with her. Thanks to the lawyer who represented her, Marva Jemmott, Q.C.] 114 cases were refused and 169 deferred for investigation."

October 1971: Trudeau Introduces Canada's Multicultural Policy

In 1971, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau introduced Canada's multicultural policy and ascertained that Canada was a multicultural country with two national languages.

28 July 1967: Toronto's Caribana Festival Founded

According to my research, approximately two-thirds of Canada's West Indian population lives in the greater Toronto areas (GTA), which gave birth to the Caribana festival on July 28, 1967. A West Indian cultural event that brings West Indies people together to celebrate their communities, commonalities and rich cultural traditions. The festival is now called something else and includes a whole host of other races and communities but nonetheless, continues to promote diversity and multiculturalism internationally.

21 February 1965: Assassination of Malcolm X

Malcolm X, a profound leader who promoted Black Nationalism, was shot to death by three black Muslims.

1 February 1960: Civil Rights Movement Milestone

In what would become a civil-rights movement milestone, a group of Black Greensboro, N.C., college students began a sit-in at a segregated Woolworth's lunch counter. Despite civil upheaval and unrest, Vivian Malone and James Hood register for classes at the University of Alabama. Four young black girls attending Sunday school were killed when a bomb explodes at the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, a popular location for civil rights meetings. Riots erupt in Birmingham, leading to the deaths of two more black youths (Sept. 15).

14 March 1944: Ontario Passes Racial Discrimination Act

Ontario was the first province to acknowledge social change and passed the Racial Discrimination Act in March 1944.

1939-1945: Blacks Accepted into Canadian Services in WWII

Initially, blacks were not allowed to join the Canadian mainstream military. But as the bitter World War 11 progressed from 1939 to 1945, blacks were granted permission to join but with much segregation; while some fought in Europe alongside their white counterparts.

12 February 1909: NAACP Founded

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was co-founded by W. E. B. DuBois, a prominent civil rights leader, born February 23, 1868,  and a group of other concerned black and white citizens in New York City.

1835 and 1870: Blacks Granted Right to Vote 

Prior to 1835, Blacks were not allowed to vote in Canada. According to some sources, although not definitive, it wasn't until March 24, 1837, before it became official. However, racial and gender discrimination further impede that right and other freedom. The 15th Amendment was passed on February 3, 1870, granting blacks the right to vote in America.

TEN TENACIOUS TRAILBLAZERS TO CONSIDER...

“Throughout our history, Black Canadians have played a key role in building and shaping the diverse, compassionate, and prosperous country that we are all so proud to call home. - Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau


William Peyton Hubbard, (1842 - 1935), was born in Toronto to parents who had been freed from slavery in Virginia and pioneered the way for politicians in Canada to become the city's first Black elected politician and one of its most influential elected officials. Prior to that Hubbard was an affluent businessman: baker, and cab driver. Hubbard was first elected to City Council in 1894 and won 13 consecutive elections thereafter. At a time when Black Torontonians were barred from being a patron in most hotels and restaurants, he became the second most powerful elected official, at times serving as acting Mayor. He served the city for 15 years.

Marcus Garvey a Jamaican-born political leader and National Hero, establishes the Universal Negro Improvement Association, an influential Black Nationalist organization "to promote the spirit of race pride" and create a sense of worldwide unity among blacks. He also gave the first emancipation speech in 1937 in Sydney, Nova Scotia.

Lenard Braithwaite was the first Black to be elected to a Canadian Parliament. On September 25, 1963, he became Etobicoke Liberal MP.

Lincoln Alexander, born of Jamaican and Vincentian parents, was the first Black MP and federal Cabinet minister and was sworn in as Ontario's lieutenant-governor in September 1985, to become the first Black person to hold the vice-regal position in Canada.

Benjamin Sinclair "Ben" Johnson, is a Jamaican-born Canadian former sprinter. He won two Olympic bronze medals and an Olympic gold medal, which was later rescinded. He set consecutive 100 meters world records the 1987 World Championships in Athletics and the 1988 Summer Olympics, but he was disqualified for doping, losing the Olympic title and both records. On April 29, 1987, Johnson was invested as a Member of the Order of Canada. "World record holder for the indoor 60-meter run, this Ontarian has proved himself to be the world's fastest human being and has broken Canadian, Commonwealth and World Cup 100-meter records," it read. "Recipient of the Norton Crowe Award for Male Athlete of the Year for 1985, 'Big Ben' was the winner of the 1986 Lou Marsh Trophy as Canada's top athlete." After breaking the world record, Johnson earned about $480,000 a month in endorsements. Johnson was born on December 30, 1961, in Falmouth, Jamaica, and immigrated to Canada in 1976, residing in Scarborough, Ontario.

Donovan Bailey, a Jamaican-Canadian sprinter, took the title of "World's Fastest Human" after winning the 100-metre sprint at the World Track Championships in Sweden on August 6, 1995. Montreal's Bruny Surin took the silver in the same race. Bailey set a new world and Olympic record of 9.84 when he won gold at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.

Austin Clarke, Canada's most widely-read Black novelist, won the Giller Prize for fiction in 2002 and the Regional Commonwealth Prize for best book in 2003 for his ninth novel The Polished Hoe. Clarke, who was born in Barbados.

Michaëlle Jean was the first Black and 27th Governor General in Canada. She served from September 2005 to October 2010 under Paul Martin and Stephen Harper government and emphasized freedom as a central part of the Canadian identity and has suggested that it was time to "eliminate the spectre" of the two solitudes, French and English, which has so long characterized the country's history. Jean's family immigrated to Canada from Haiti where she was born in Port-au-Prince.

George Washington Carver was an American botanist and inventor. He changed lunchtime sandwiches forever when he invented peanut butter. Born into slavery, in Missouri, either in 1861, or January 1864, Carver didn’t attend college until he was 30 years old, but he went on to create 400 new uses for peanuts, soybeans, sweet potatoes, and pecans.

Jackie Robinson, an American professional baseball second baseman broke major league baseball’s color barrier when he signed to The Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947.

AND STILL I RISE - POEM BY MAYA ANGELOU: 

You may write me down in history

With your bitter, twisted lies,

You may tread me in the very dirt

But still, like dust, I'll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you?

Why are you beset with gloom?

'Cause I walk like I've got oil wells

Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns,

With the certainty of tides,

Just like hopes springing high, Still I'll rise.

Did you want to see me broken?

Bowed head and lowered eyes?

Shoulders falling down like teardrops.

Weakened by my soulful cries.

Does my haughtiness offend you?

Don't you take it awful hard

'Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines

Diggin' in my own back yard.

You may shoot me with your words,

You may cut me with your eyes,

You may kill me with your hatefulness,

But still, like air, I'll rise.

Does my sexiness upset you?

Does it come as a surprise

That I dance like I've got diamonds

At the meeting of my thighs?

Out of the huts of history's shame I rise

Up from a past that's rooted in pain I rise

I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,

Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.

Leaving behind nights of terror and fear I rise

Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear I rise

Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,

I am the dream and the hope of the slave. I riseI rise

I rise.

You see, when you have the conviction of dreams, the audacity of hope, and the courage to pursue them despite major challenges, you will rise! We all have a dream. What is your dream? Is that dream calling you? What's stopping you? Are you living someone else's dream, or based on someone else's expectations of you? Stop now and think about the life you want, the world you want to live in and your children to experience. Do you have the courage to make the change?

References: Wikipedia and other Source


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Andrene Gregory is a life coach at Aggie Strong Ultimate Life Coaching Services. You can follow her on Instagram, Twitter, Google+, and LinkedIn for more tidbits of information and learn more about her. 

She provides one-to-one coaching and group workshops to adults seeking to improve their life skills, lifestyle and leadership capabilities for greater confidence and work-life balance.