Celebrating Black Canadian History: Lincoln Alexander

For today’s Black History Month feature, Black Tutors Canada would like to highlight the accomplishments of Lincoln MacCauley Alexander, PC CC OOnt CD QC (January 21, 1922 – October 19, 2012) was one of the first Blacks to serve in the Royal Canadian Air Force; he later became a lawyer.

• The first Black Member of Parliament in the House of Commons.
• The first Black federal Cabinet Minister, serving as federal Minister of Labour.
• The first Black Chair of the Worker’s Compensation Board.
• The 24th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario from 1985 to 1991.
• The first person to serve five terms as Chancellor of the University of Guelph, from 1991 to 2007.
• 2000 Appointed chair of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation.
• On 28 November 2013, the Legislative Assembly of Ontario declared 21 January of each year Lincoln Alexander Day, citing Alexander’s life as “an example of service, determination and humility.” BC Black History Awareness Society, 2023.

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