BY: True Daley

Nineteen hundred and sixty eight was a momentous year for the African-American civil rights movement. As the world suffered through the tragic loss of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., just north of the border another pivotal moment in black history was occuring. The Hon. Lincoln Alexander became Canada’s first black Member of Parliament, elected to the House of Commons as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party.

Born in Toronto in 1922, to a Jamaican mother and Vincentian father, Alexander says his parents gave him all the tools he needed to succeed.

“My mom was a maid and she’d always say, ‘You’re a little black boy. Go to school.’ I never forgot that. My dad, a porter, taught me about service. I tell all these big shots they’re not all that great. You have to look after the people that are looking after you. Treat the people that you’re associated with equally, regardless of title. Treat them with respect.”

Affectionately called Linc by his peers, Alexander is known for his razor-sharp tongue, electric charisma and towering presence. While alienation is an experience many black Canadians can relate to, it’s hard to imagine what life must have been like during the early 1900s.

“Growing up in a white land, I just felt that I had to do better. Being the only black kid [in my school], I thought ‘I can’t be seen as the dumbest.’ I stood out, and I didn’t want them to point at me and say ‘There’s another nigger who doesn’t know what he’s talking about.’ So being black in a white society was a plus for me because it made me work harder; I strived to be better. I strove to do more than I could adequately do. I went above and beyond.”

Living life beyond the average is something Alexander has taken to heart. He served in the Royal Canadian Air Force in WWII, graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School, became the Mayor of Hamilton and is the longest-standing Chancellor in the history of the University of Guelph, recently assuming the office of Chancellor Emeritus. Personally recommended by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney in 1985, Alexander was appointed Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, becoming the first black person to hold a vice-regal position in Canada, and he held this office until 1991.

With an almost inexhaustible list of appointments and accolades, the question of why Alexander is not mentioned in the same breath as Dr. King or Nelson Mandela is captured in the 2009 documentary, A Linc in Time, directed by television producer and filmmaker Nicole Brooks.

The documentary, which originally aired on OMNI Television, was subsequently given a landmark screening at Toronto’s Queen’s Park with guest dignitaries, including the Fairness Commissioner Jean Augustine and current Lieutenant Governor of Ontario David C. Onley.

The film’s current recognition was hard-earned, originally being rejected by both the Toronto International Film Festival and CBC. Over the past 10 years, CBC has been approached twice to co-produce a biography on Alexander. The initial attempt was made by DiversiPro founders Hamlin Grange and Cynthia Reyes; the second attempt years later by Brooks. The Canadian network, one might conclude, is not receptive to documenting the achievements of African-Canadian trailblazers.

Despite these negative experiences, Brooks says making the film was inspirational. “I know sometimes we feel so downtrodden about how difficult our journey is as storytellers here, trying to prove that our stories are valid. The people in your life become your mirror. Being able to do Lincoln’s story and learn about all the adversities [he faced] have taught me that failure is not an option.”

As Black History Month is celebrated around the world, Canadians continue to learn more about one of our greatest national treasures. As Brooks so eloquently puts it: “America lost its Moses; ours is still here.”

Originally published in Sway Magazine, Winter 2010

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