 | This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page . (Learn how and when to remove these template messages)
|
Who's Who in Black Canada is a non-profit website with the goal of researching and showcasing prominent and successful Black Canadians, past and present.
In 1999, Dawn Williams felt that there were an absence of Canadian publications showcasing examples of the successes and contributions of prominent Canadians of African descent. She then spent the next three years researching and compiling content to produce a comprehensive snapshot of the contributions of successful prominent African-Canadians, encompassing every province and territory of Canada in both French and English, the country's two official languages.
In 2002, she self-published the first edition of Who's Who in Black Canada, featuring more than 500 profiles. In 2004, she completed and published the second edition of Who's Who in Black Canada.
In June 2010, Williams was approached by the design and branding firm The Ricardo McRae Agency (www.ricardomcrae.com) about taking over her project and publishing the profiles from the book online. After a series of discussions, they came to an agreement, and she transferred the ownership of the book content and the digital rights to the agency to The Ricardo McRae Agency. [1]
On August 1, 2010, www.WhosWhoinBlackCanada.com was officially launched. [2]
On January 15, 2015, The website was converted to a platform highlighting black excellence and re-branded as Black In Canada
Who's Who in Black Canada claims to use excellence as the benchmark for its selection criteria. Other areas that guide the choices of who is profiled are community involvement, consistency of positive results, academic background, other awards, and achievements in a specific field.
Ebony is a monthly magazine that focuses on news, culture, and entertainment. Its target audience is the African-American community, and its coverage includes the lifestyles and accomplishments of influential black people, fashion, beauty, and politics.
Gordon S. Earle is a Canadian politician. Earle is a member of the New Democratic Party and a former member of the House of Commons of Canada, representing the riding of Halifax West from 1997 to 2000. Earle is the first black Member of Parliament elected from Nova Scotia.
Zanana Lorraine Akande is a Canadian politician in Ontario. She was a New Democratic member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1990 to 1994 who represented the downtown Toronto riding of St. Andrew—St. Patrick. She served as a cabinet minister in the government of Bob Rae. She was the first woman from the African Diaspora elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, and the first Black woman to serve as a cabinet minister in Canada.
Yvonne Atwell is a Canadian community activist, former provincial politician and former hospital administrator. She is known for being the first Black woman elected to the Nova Scotia House of Assembly.
African Guitar Summit is a group of nine Canadian musicians, all of African origin, who perform traditional songs from their native countries.
Love and Sas were a Canadian R&B, funk and rap influenced pop group composed of singers Lovena Fox and Saskia Garel. The pair released several singles which became Top 40 hits on Canadian pop charts and won two Juno awards.
Orin Isaacs is a television and film music composer/producer, best known as the musical director, bandleader and bassist on Mike Bullard's late-night talk shows Open Mike with Mike Bullard and The Mike Bullard Show. Orin is also known as the musical director, bandleader and bassist on Canadian Idol. Orin also conducted the 20-piece Canadian Idol Orchestra for the Big Band Standards episodes of Canadian Idol.
Justin Time Records is a Canadian record company and independent record label founded in Montreal by Jim West. It was established in 1983 and specialises in jazz and blues.
Nadine Ann Marie Spencer is a Jamaican-born Canadian businesswoman, activist and philanthropist. She is the chief executive officer of BrandEq Agency, a marketing and communications agency and CEO of the Black Business and Professional Association.
Jeni LeGon, also credited as Jeni Le Gon, was an American dancer, dance instructor, and actress. She was one of the first African-American women to establish a solo career in tap dance.
Cariwest is an annual non-profit three-day Caribbean Arts Festival that takes place annually in the second weekend of August in the heart of downtown Edmonton, Alberta. Cariwest and its surrounding events attract more than 60,000 people each year. The festival gives the attendees a chance to enjoy Caribbean culture.
The Houston Defender (Network) is a Black digital information source that originated from the African American newspaper of the same name based in Houston, Texas. Established in 1930 by C.F. Richardson Sr., the newspaper has been a strong voice for the African American community for over 90 years. During its founding, African Americans faced significant challenges, such as racism, discrimination and limited access to education, employment and political power. Today, the Houston Defender Network is pivotal in advocating for social, economic, environmental and political justice for the African American community.
Micheline A. Rawlins is a lawyer and judge in Ontario, Canada. She was the first black woman appointed to the Ontario Court of Justice.
Brandeis Denham Jolly, OD,, LL.D is a Jamaican Canadian businessman, publisher, broadcaster, human rights activist, philanthropist and author of In the Black: My Life. He was the President and CEO of Milestone Communications.
Black Canadians make up a sizable group within the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). The majority of Black Canadians are of Caribbean origin, although the population also consists of African American immigrants and their descendants, as well as many African immigrants.
Cheryl Dawn Foggo is a Canadian author, documentary film director, screenwriter and playwright.
Fujahtive is an eight piece reggae band based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The band was known for their powerful, horn section-driven brand of reggae during their live performances in Toronto and tours across Canada throughout the late 1980s and 1990s. Fujahtive's second album, The Sound, received a nomination for Best Reggae Recording at the 1995 Juno Awards.
Adwoa Badoe is a Ghanaian teacher, writer, and dancer based in Canada.
The Coloured Women's Club of Montreal (CWCM) was founded in 1902 in Montreal, Canada, by seven African-Canadian women and has made significant contributions to Montreal's black community. It ran along the lines of the American National Association of Colored Women's Clubs, and its first president was Anne Greenup.
Black excellence refers to high achievement or ability in a black person or generally in black people, and carries both positive and negative stereotypes.
