Jamaican Canadians among Black History Month honourees

Two Jamaicans – the late community advocate Louis March and Angela Robertson, executive director of the Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre – are among six individuals honoured by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) with illustrated portraits during Black History Month.

The others are Colleen Russell-Rawlins, former director of the Toronto District School Board (TDSB); Adonis Huggins, executive director and artistic director of Regent Park Focus (now the FOCUS Media Arts Centre); Debbie Douglas, a prominent advocate for immigrant and refugee rights in Canada; and Dr Akua Benjamin, a professor emeritus and social justice activist who coined the term ‘anti-black racism’ to highlight systemic discrimination in Canada.

They will be featured in a variety of TTC and other media as well as on six full TTC bus wraps.

Robertson is a respected activist dedicated to supporting black, women’s, and LGBTQ+ communities. As the executive director of a health centre, she leads initiatives that enable access to care for marginalised groups.

Her advocacy extends to media and literature, having been an editorial member of Our Lives, Canada’s first black women’s newspaper, produced by The Black Women’s Collective, and co-editor of Scratching the Surface: Canadian Anti-Racist Feminist Thought.

Her feminist activism helped mobilise campaigns for social justice on issues such as violence against women, rights for racialised workers, racism, harm reduction, police violence, and reproductive choice.

“I have a contested relationship with Black History months as I believe that as the author James Baldwin states: “History is not the past. It is the present. We carry our history with us. We are our history.” It is in this spirit of present history that I congratulate the TTC staff who created this campaign honouring black community leaders in celebration of Black History Month,” said Robertson.

“Making black people’s contribution and work to build a Toronto that is fairer and just, paired with artistic rendering of our images is worthy of celebration, and it is an honour to be part of this year’s group of honorees, and I thank the young artist Jasaña Alleyne for her portrait of me. I hope that black folks, particularly women like my mother who took the TTC daily to work, can see this campaign and be proud knowing that black folks work every day to build this city and to push back against anti-black racism,” she continued.

INSPIRE POSITIVE CHANGE

March was a dedicated community leader and the founder of the Zero Gun Violence Movement in Toronto. With over 20 years of experience, he worked tirelessly to address the root causes of gun violence, advocate for systemic equity, and create safer spaces for marginalised youth.

March collaborated with local organisations, schools, and law enforcement to build partnerships and develop programmes offering alternatives to violence. He died on July 20, 2024, at the age of 68 at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto.

Russell-Rawlins is also a former director of the Peel District School Board. Among her accomplishments are the creation of the Centre of Excellence for Black Student Achievement at TDSB, developing leaders, and advancing equity by expanding policies, early reading interventions and access to programmes for students.

She is committed to leadership and education and continues to inspire positive change and shape a brighter future for all.

Since 1991, Huggins has worked extensively with marginalised youth in the Regent Park community, using media arts to foster engagement and provide a platform for underrepresented voices.

Douglas is the executive director of the Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants and leads initiatives focused on improving services and policies for immigrants and refugees as well as promoting equity and social justice.

She is well regarded for her work in advancing anti-racism and social inclusion efforts across Ontario, making significant impacts on the non-profit and advocacy sectors.

In November 2023, she was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada for her work as a policy expert and activist for a more inclusive immigration and refugee system in Canada.

Dr Akua Benjamin is a former director of the School of Social Work at Toronto Metropolitan University.

MEANINGFUL REPRESENTATION

Amoy Wynter, the campaign project lead, said the TTC’s 2025 Black History Month campaign, ‘City of Belonging: Celebrating Toronto’s Black Community Builders,’ is more than a tribute.

“It is a reflection of the resilience, contributions, and cultural impact of black and Caribbean communities in the city of Toronto. Through the powerful artwork of seven talented artists from the AstroSankofa Arts initiatives collective, we honour six remarkable individuals whose work has strengthened our city’s social fabric,” he said, noting that the campaign is led by the TTC’s diversity department.

Wynter said it is part of “our commitment to amplifying black voices, fostering meaningful representation, and ensuring that the stories and contributions of black Torontonians are seen, valued, and celebrated”.

The artists who created the six portraits are Jasana Alleyne, Ugonna Ikechi, Quentin VerCetty. Boloebi Charles Okah, Jason O’Brien, Jamera DaCosta, and Shannia Lewis.