They were rejected by recruiters during WWI.
They fought to fight for a country that thought they were less than equal.
They prevailed.
They were called our best kept military secret.
Remember their rejection, their fight.
Remember No. 2 Construction Battalion.
They are Us.
At 58, he joined the Nova Scotia Rifles during WWI.
At Vimy Ridge, he forced the surrender of an enemy position.
They denied his medal of valour.
60 years after his death, his family finally received the medal.
Remember the denial, his courage.
Private Jeremiah Jones is Us.
He left Virginia to study religion in Canada.
He stood with the Black Battalion during WWI.
Duty. Sacrifice. Heroism.
He thought it would improve the lot of blacks at home.
But they returned to face the same discrimination.
Do not forget.
Rev. Capt. Dr. William White is Us.
Their father served with No. 2 Construction Battalion.
Still, they had to fight to fight in WWII.
They persevered.
Flight Sergeant Adolphus
Leading Aircraftman Clyde
Aircraftman (Second Class) Donald
Flight Lieutenant Gerald
Flight Sergeant William
The Carty Brothers are Us.
His father, his brothers had to overcome the system to fight for their own country.
Flight Lieutenant Gerald Carty had to persevere to risk his life for Canada.
Never forget.
He left Barbados to answer the call.
He was ready, but they said it wasn't his time.
He was ready, but they said it wasn't safe for him in the Pacific.
He re-trained, but the war ended.
He said there wasn't overt racism.
But there was racism.
Flying Officer Owen Rowe is Us.
From a laundry in Harlem to the Air Force in Canada.
He reported their racism, but they turned a blind eye.
He overcame their blind eyes.
Member of Parliament
Lieutenant Governor of Ontario
Leader. Gentleman.
Lincoln Alexander is Us.
She, too, served.
She, too, marched.
She, too, folded arms.
She, too, sang.
But they didn't allow her to sing in their chorus.
Remember her folded arms, her song.
Private Eva May Roy is Us.
It's World War II.
You're willing to risk everything for your country.
“No, sorry, we don’t take you people.”
How would you feel? What would you do?
He kept going back for months until he found an ally.
War veteran. Lawyer. Politician.
Leonard Braithwaite is Us.
In 1942, he was conscripted into the Canadian Army.
He was bothered that Canada was fighting for democracy, but not treating all Canadians equally, even those it pressed into uniform.
But he served, returned, and devoted his life to fighting racism.
Stanley Grizzle is Us.
He returned to a Canada where a gas station owner refused to serve him because he was black and called the police.
Police: "OK, boys, move along."
Stanley Grizzle: "We're not boys, we're men."
Remember Stanley staring down the cold face of racism.
cbc.ca/news/canada/to…
The abused.
The insulted.
The slighted.
The dismissed.
The disregarded.
The Determined.
Remember them, then and now.
Hold them high. Be their ally.
They are Us.
📸: @kathylvorg
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