{"id":967,"date":"2025-03-01T10:44:49","date_gmt":"2025-03-01T15:44:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hypelabs.dev\/lgo-new\/?p=967"},"modified":"2025-11-13T13:13:29","modified_gmt":"2025-11-13T18:13:29","slug":"black-history-month-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lgontario.ca\/en\/black-history-month-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Black History Month 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"p1\">Ever since 1993, February has been Black History Month in Ontario. It is a time to highlight and commemorate the rich legacy of Black people\u2019s achievements and contributions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">On February 25, the Honourable Edith Dumont welcomed students from Ashton Meadows School in Markham to the Lieutenant Governor\u2019s Suite for an event themed \u201cBlack Legacy and Leadership: Celebrating Canadian History and Uplifting Future Generations.\u201d\u00a0These students learned about Lincoln Alexander, Ontario&#8217;s first Black lieutenant governor, and engaged with five speakers, all prominent members of the Black community in Ontario.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_968\" style=\"width: 1439px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-968\" class=\"size-full wp-image-968 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/lgontario.ca\/custom\/uploads\/2025\/10\/the-late-honourable-lincoln-m-alexander.jpg\" alt=\"A blue postcard with a black and white image on the Honourable Lincoln Alexander with a young girl on the left and text that reads \u201cThe Honourable Lincoln M. Alexander, 24th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, 1985 \u2013 1991. Lincoln Alexander, born in 1922 to West Indian immigrants, broke numerous barriers throughout his life. He served in the Royal Canadian Air Force during WWII and later became the first Black person elected to the House of Commons in 1968. In 1985, he made history again as Ontario's first Black Lieutenant Governor. During his mandate, Alexander focused on youth and education and was the inspiration behind the creation of an awards program bearing his name to honour young people who demonstrate leadership in combating discrimination and racism. His tenure, lasting over six years, was marked by his commitment towards equality and his desire to inspire future generations. Appointed a Companion of the Order of Canada in 1992, Lincoln Alexander was a human rights visionary. He passed away in 2012, leaving a lasting legacy.\u201d on the right.\" width=\"1429\" height=\"1020\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1429px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1429\/1020;\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-968\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">An informational postcard about Lincoln Alexander that was shared with guests of the event.<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"p1\">Sharing their experiences with the students were Zanana Akande (Canada\u2019s first Black woman cabinet minister at the provincial level), the Honourable Jean Augustine (the first Black Canadian female Member of Parliament and cabinet minister), Arthur Downes (community organizer and former Justice of the Peace), Denham Jolly (Black radio pioneer and philanthropist), and Rosemary Sadlier (historian, activist, and champion of Black History Month) engaged in discussions and told the students about their journeys. Each student was given a copy of Sadlier\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kidscanpress.com\/product\/the-kids-book-of-black-history-in-canada\/\"><span class=\"s1\"><i>The Kids Book of Black History in Canada<\/i><\/span><\/a>. The event was co-hosted by the Children\u2019s Breakfast Clubs, a non-profit organization that provides support for youth in southern Ontario.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_970\" style=\"width: 1069px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-970\" class=\"size-full wp-image-970 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/lgontario.ca\/custom\/uploads\/2025\/10\/her-honour-addresses-students-from-ashton-meadows-school.jpg\" alt=\"A group of school children listening to Mme Dumont give remarks as she stands next to (from left to right) Jean Augustine, Denham Jolly, Zanana Akande, Arthur Downes, and Rosemary Sadlier.\" width=\"1059\" height=\"737\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1059px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1059\/737;\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-970\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Students from Ashton Meadows school listen to Mme Dumont with speakers (from left to right) Jean Augustine, Denham Jolly, Zanana Akande, Arthur Downes, and Rosemary Sadlier.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_972\" style=\"width: 1440px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-972\" class=\"size-full wp-image-972 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/lgontario.ca\/custom\/uploads\/2025\/10\/her-honour-participates-in-a-word-search-game-with-children.jpg\" alt=\"Mme Dumont and 5 school children huddle around a table to work on a word search activity.\" width=\"1430\" height=\"951\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1430px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1430\/951;\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-972\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mme Dumont participates in a word search game with the children.<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"p1\">On February 23 in Windsor, Mme Dumont attended the annual graduation gala of the Black Diplomats Academy. Organized by Developing Young Leaders of Tomorrow, Today, the program equips young Black professionals with training in international diplomacy. Mme Dumont congratulated the graduates, acknowledged the support of participating diplomats, and commended the program\u2019s efforts to eliminate systemic barriers in this field.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_974\" style=\"width: 1468px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-974\" class=\"size-full wp-image-974 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/lgontario.ca\/custom\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Mme-Dumont-with-graduates-of-the-Black-Diplomats-Academy.jpg\" alt=\"Mme Dumont poses for a picture with 3 event attendees.\" width=\"1458\" height=\"1080\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1458px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1458\/1080;\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-974\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mme Dumont with graduates of the Black Diplomats Academy<\/p><\/div>\n<blockquote>\n<p class=\"p5\"><i>&#8220;Lincoln Alexander called education \u2018the path to limitless possibility.&#8217; Thank you for choosing this path. <\/i><\/p>\n<p class=\"p6\"><i>May it take you everywhere you wish to go!&#8221;<\/i><i><\/i><\/p>\n<p class=\"p7\">-The Honourable Edith Dumont, to the graduates of the Black Diplomats Academy<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"p1\">Her Honour visited the <a href=\"https:\/\/amherstburgfreedom.org\/\"><span class=\"s1\">Amherstburg Freedom Museum<\/span><\/a> on the east bank of the Detroit River. Founded in 1975, it tells the stories of African-Canadian journeys and contributions by hosting exhibitions and displaying historical artifacts and buildings.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">The museum includes a log cabin that once housed the family of formerly enslaved Civil War veteran George Taylor, as well as the Nazrey African Methodist Episcopal Church, a stone chapel that was built in 1848 by Taylor\u2019s fellow Black refugees. The chapel was a terminus of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca\/en\/article\/the-underground-railroad-plain-language-summary?gad_source=1&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjw782_BhDjARIsABTv_JCC8IviGS371sj9c413KQ27xsVD5BUUrjOyebB_3uLvA0iPjzZ-lwMaAli7EALw_wcB\"><span class=\"s1\">the Underground Railroad<\/span><\/a>; it was also used as a school, to offer the education that its students had been denied. To this day, it continues to bring the community together for special events.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_976\" style=\"width: 1438px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-976\" class=\"size-full wp-image-976 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/lgontario.ca\/custom\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Mme-Dumont-at-the-Taylor-Log-Cabin-at-the-Amherstburg-Freedom-Museum.jpg\" alt=\"Mme Dumont and interim assistant curator Irene Moore Davis stand in a log cabin at the Amherstburg Freedom Museum, while Davis explains the use to the room to Mme Dumont.\" width=\"1428\" height=\"1200\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1428px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1428\/1200;\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-976\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mme Dumont at the Taylor Log Cabin at the Amherstburg Freedom Museum with interim assistant curator Irene Moore Davis.<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"p1\">Mme Dumont was profoundly moved by the exhibition <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theartistsofcolour.com\/never-ending-quest-for-inclusion.html\"><span class=\"s1\"><i>The Never-Ending Quest for Inclusion<\/i><\/span><\/a>, and by the stories she was told by museum staff, some of whom are themselves Underground Railroad descendants. She encourages all Ontarians to visit this museum, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2025.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">The Amherstburg Freedom Museum is open from Tuesdays through Sundays and accepts pre-booked visits and tours: <a href=\"https:\/\/amherstburgfreedom.org\/\"><span class=\"s1\">amherstburgfreedom.org<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">For more information on the Black Diplomats Academy, please see <a href=\"http:\/\/www.dylott.com\/bda-program\"><span class=\"s1\">www.dylott.com\/bda-program<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><i>The Kids Book of Black Canadian History <\/i>is published by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kidscanpress.com\/product\/the-kids-book-of-black-history-in-canada\/\"><span class=\"s1\">Kids Can Press<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">More information about the Children\u2019s Breakfast Clubs is available <a href=\"https:\/\/breakfastclubs.ca\/\"><span class=\"s1\">on their website<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Children&#8217;s Breakfast Clubs event &#8211; Black Diplomats Academy graduation &#8211; Amherstburg Freedom Museum<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":974,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-967","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lgontario.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/967","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lgontario.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lgontario.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lgontario.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lgontario.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=967"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/lgontario.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/967\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2205,"href":"https:\/\/lgontario.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/967\/revisions\/2205"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lgontario.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/974"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lgontario.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=967"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lgontario.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=967"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lgontario.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=967"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}