Today, on what would have been his 100th birthday, we reflect on the legacy of the Honourable Lincoln M. Alexander. As the first Black MP in Canada and first visible minority appointed as Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, Mr. Alexander’s advocacy for social and racial justice has left an indelible mark on our history.
A decade on from his passing, this year also marks the first Lincoln Alexander Day since X University’s law school has changed their name to the Lincoln Alexander School of Law, to honour Mr. Alexander’s groundbreaking partnership in our country’s first interracial law firm. Donna E. Young, the founding dean of the new school, wrote in The Star, “We are teaching our students about how the law can be used to perpetuate racism and other forms of injustice, but also how it can be used as a tool for dismantling oppressive systems. We are committed to engaging in the urgent work of transforming our justice system and broadening access to it.”
As tributes to Mr. Alexander pour in from political offices across Ontario and beyond, we hope that his image and words will not solely be invoked to celebrate historical gains, but to push for real change going forward in the ongoing fight for racial justice.
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