Celebrating Black Changemakers Whose Stories You May Not Know

Each Friday throughout Black History Month, we will be highlighting lesser known historic Black Torontonians, whose impacts are still felt in our communities through the opportunities they created for future generations. Toronto visual artist Beddo brings their stories to life in this series of graphic interpretations.

Beddo is a visual artist who uses a unique combination of graffiti, comic book art, and traditional fine arts. Discovering his passion for art as a child, Beddo found inspiration in his city of Toronto through the visuals of the street art, neighbourhood comic book shops, in the rhythms of Hip-Hop and Reggae culture and the movement on the ball courts in city parks. He has performed live art demonstrations including shows at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto and the McMichael Gallery in Kleinburg, Ontario. He is currently working on his latest art series due to be unveiled in 2021, and continues work on his premier graphic novel 'Udeja'.

CHARLES ROACH

Charles Roach was a civil rights lawyer, activist and artist who arrived in Canada from Trinidad and Tobago in 1955. As a member of the Board of Governors of the Caribbean Cultural Committee, Roach was among the organizers of the first Caribana in 1967, which began as the Toronto West Indian community's gift to Canada's Centennial celebrations. Throughout his life, Roach advocated to change the country's citizenship requirements to allow people to swear an oath to Canada instead of the throne, which sadly went unfilled by the time of his death in 2012. 

KATHLEEN (KAY) LIVINGSTONE

Kathleen (Kay) Livingstone was born in London, Ontario in 1919. Her activism began at an early age, contributing to her parents' Black-focused newspaper Dawn of Tomorrow. She attended the Royal Conservatory of Music, becoming known as one of Canada's leading Black actresses. She was a household name as the host of The Kay Livingston Show, as well as several shows on CBC radio. As a founding member and first president of the Canadian Negro Women's Association, she initiated The First National Congress of Black Women in 1973, a national forum which saw two hundred women from across the country come together in Toronto to address the concerns of Black women and advance their cause. Among her many contributions, Livingstone served as president of the United Nations Associations, as regional chair of the National Black Coalition, as a moderator for Heritage Ontario and is credited with first using the term "visible minority."

ALBERT JACKSON

Albert Jackson was born into an enslaved family in Delaware in 1857. After being separated from his eldest siblings when they were sold into slavery, his mother escaped to St Catherines, Ontario  on the Underground railroad with her other 7 children. At a time when Black men had limited employment opportunities beyond labourers and the service industry, Albert Jackson was hired as the first Black letter carrier in Canada in May of 1882.  Upon reporting for work at Toronto General Post Office, he found his colleagues refused to train him and was demoted to the lesser position of hall porter on the basis of his race. Jackson's appointment as mail carrier became hotly debated in the media, and it wasn't until a delegation of Black Torontonians advocated for his cause to Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald that he was reinstated to his role. Albert Jackson served as a letter carrier for nearly 36 years until his death in 1918. In 2019, Jackson returned to his legacy of delivering the mail as Canada Post recognized his contributions on a postage stamp. 

BEVERLY MASCOLL

Beverly Mascoll was born in Nova Scotia in 1942 before relocating to Toronto with her family as a teenager. While working as a receptionist at Toronto Barber and Beauty Supply, it became obvious to her that there was a gap in the market for Black hair care and beauty products in the industry. She made a $700 investment to incorporate Mascoll Beauty Supply Inc in 1970, and quickly went from selling hair care and beauty products from her car to overseeing a multi-million dollar chain of  beauty supply stores. In 1984, she held the first ever trade show for Black beauty in Canada. In addition to her contributions as a Black business owner, she was a fierce community advocate. She founded the Beverly Mascoll Community Foundation to assist "youth, women and people of colour" in 1996, and was known for her work with community organizations such as the Harry Jerome Scholarship Fund (awarding excellence to Black-Canadian achievers)and the Ontario Black History Society. In 1998, she was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada for outstanding entrepreneurship and assisting Canada's youth.

For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.