Tag: Black History Month

To celebrate Black history month, this feature will highlight the achievements of one particularly talented Black woman; she truly put Montreal on the map as a jazz powerhouse. Daisy Peterson Sweeney was not only a great musician, but also a great teacher to some of the best artists from Montreal. Sweeney was born on May 7th of 1920, to Canadian parents – her mother a housekeeper and her father a railroad worker – and was raised in Little Burgundy, an area mainly inhabited by Black residents. She grew up during…

This February, Canadians, especially those in the black community, will celebrate Black History Month. Even though I am not black, I do wish to contribute, as a member of another visible minority, to the remembrance of influential black figures who became not only experts in their fields, but as pathfinders for their communities to thrive and prosper in Canada. Since I love Canadian political history, I will be dedicating the rest of this article to detailing the life of the Honourable Lincoln Alexander, PC, CC, O.Ont, CD, QC.   Early…

Viola Desmond, born and raised in Halifax, was a successful business woman and entrepreneur in the beauty salon industry. The former school teacher had always wanted to open her own hairdressing business, however many beauty schools denied admission to Black women. She then travelled from city to city for courses until she finally obtained her diploma in hairdressing in Atlantic City. In 1937, Desmond began Vi’s Studio of Beauty Culture, where she provided hair and cosmetic services to racially-mixed clientele in Halifax. After much success in a few years, she…

As Malcolm X lost his perfect vision, straining his eyes to read through prison nights, he learnt the history of blacks in America. I have read his autobiography and it is clear that among its cardinal desire is to make a point on history. History, Malcolm X insisted, had been hidden from African Americans, left out of textbooks and public discussion. He knew that if it was only torn from the shadows and the stories of African civilization and the slave-trade exposed, there would certainly be revolution. “If you find…