Take the time to reflect on the history of Black oppression in Canada. Learn the stories of 10 Black individuals who fought against discrimination in the thread below. 
In 1734, Marie Joseph-Angélique was convicted, tortured and hanged for allegedly setting fire to Montreal's merchants' quarters in an attempt to flee her enslavement. Angélique has come to symbolize Black resistance and freedom.
thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/mar…
thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/mar…
In the 1850s and 60s, “conductor” of the Underground Railroad Harriet Tubman helped Black Americans escape enslavement. In total, Tubman made at least 10 trips and transported at least 70 people, her own family included, to freedom in Canada. thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/har…
In 1917, Black Canadian sleeping car porters — John A. Robinson, J.W. Barber, B.F. Jones and P. White — formed the first Black railway union in North America. The group secured rights for Black men in the workplace.
thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/sle…
thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/sle…
In 1936, Fred Christie and two friends went to have a beer in a Montreal tavern. The staff refused to serve them because Christie was Black. Christie sued and the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision in 1939 revealed an era of legalized racism.
thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/fre…
thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/fre…
In 1946, Viola Desmond was arrested and jailed for refusing to leave the segregated Whites-only section of a movie theatre. Her refusal to accept an act of racial discrimination provided inspiration to later generations of Black people in Canada.
thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/vio…
thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/vio…
As a child growing up Dresden, Ont., Hugh Burnett faced intense discrimination. In the 1940s, Burnett became a key figure in the fight for anti-discrimination legislation in Ontario and in the 1950s, he brought about legal victories for civil rights.
thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/hug…
thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/hug…
Bromley Armstrong battled against racism for more than 6 decades. His activism helped establish the Ontario Human Rights Commission in 1961, one of the first human rights commissions in the world. thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/bro…
As a young student in Canada, Rosemary Brown encountered both sexism and racism first-hand. In 1972, she became Canada's first Black female member of a provincial legislature and in 1975, the first woman to run for leadership of a federal political party. thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/ros…
In 1988, Denham Jolly helped found the Black Action Defence Committee. Its goal was to stop police harassment of Black citizens and the frightening regularity of police officers exonerated after shooting young Black men.
thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/den…
thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/den…
In 1993, Jean Augustine became the first Black woman elected to the House of Commons. In 1995, Augustine put a motion before Parliament to recognize February as Black History Month. The motion passed unanimously.
thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/jea…
thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/jea…
This list is not comprehensive: they are ten of countless individuals who fought against discrimination in Canada. Learn more stories on @CdnEncyclopedia – all resources are available for free in English and French.
