From Commissions

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News Release

February is Black History Month

30 January 2012

FREDERICTON (CNB) – The following statement was issued by Randy Dickinson, chair of the New Brunswick Human Rights Commission:

February was declared Black History Month in Canada in 1995. I welcome this opportunity to draw attention to a part of our history that many New Brunswickers may not be aware of.

Blacks constituted about one tenth of the loyalists who founded New Brunswick in 1784. Some were slaves brought over by white Loyalists. Slavery was not abolished in New Brunswick and most of the British Empire until 1833. Other black loyalists were former slaves who had been freed by the British in exchange for fighting against the American Revolution. They had been promised land in New Brunswick, but the land grants either were never made or were smaller then promised and less desirable.

Many New Brunswickers may not know that blacks were not allowed to vote for the legislature until the 1840s and 1850s and that racial segregation existed for nearly two centuries in parts of New Brunswick. Blacks settled mainly around Saint John but until 1870, they were prohibited from living in the city unless they were menial laborers or servants. After 1870, they were allowed to live in the city, but were often segregated. For example, there were separate bathrooms for blacks, as well as separate seating in churches in Saint John. There were even separate schools because blacks were not allowed to attend white schools. The last separate schools in New Brunswick closed in the early 20th century.

As late as the early 1950s, blacks in Saint John were prohibited from entering the city's main hotel, the Admiral Beatty, through the front door. Not even great stars like Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald were allowed to enter through the front. The policy was only changed after the late Lena O'Ree, a housekeeper at the hotel, insisted on entering through the front door. She also involved in getting blacks admitted to the Saint John YMCA. The commission bestowed upon her the New Brunswick Human Rights Award in 1998 in recognition of her work advancing equality for blacks. Other members of the black community, Dr. Fred Hodges of Saint John and Dr. Russell McNeilly of Fredericton, have also been honoured with the award for their outstanding contributions to advance human rights.

Throughout history, black men and women have made important contributions to New Brunswick and Canada. They have been trades people, business people, athletes, educators and clergy. Blacks have served valiantly in Canada's military since the War of 1812.

These are just a few highlights of the history of blacks in New Brunswick. Unfortunately, this history is not well known. So, I would like to commend the New Brunswick Black History Society and PRUDE (Pride of Race, Unity, Dignity through Education), for their important work in promoting awareness of the history of blacks in New Brunswick through their research, publications and websites.

Black History Month is about education, remembrance and social justice. It invites us to learn about the experiences and contributions of people of African ancestry. I encourage New Brunswickers to find out more about this important part of our history, much of which can be found online at: UNB's website on Black Loyalists in New Brunswick, and the New Brunswick Community College's website on Saint John's Black Heritage.

LINKS:

New Brunswick Human Rights Commission: www.gnb.ca/hrc-cdp
Black Loyalists in New Brunswick
Saint John's Black Heritage: Pride of Community

Alberta

Helping Albertans stay current about human rights news in Alberta and beyond

Subscribe to Alberta Human Rights Information Service (AHRIS), a free online newsletter that keeps subscribers up to date on Alberta Human Rights Commission news and events. AHRIS also provides timely information about human rights and diversity from other provincial, national and international sources.
http://www.albertahumanrights.ab.ca/publications/AHRIS.asp

Providing easy access to human rights decisions in Alberta

The Alberta Human Rights Commission publishes the decisions of Alberta human rights tribunals (an independent and separate part of the Commission) on its website. It also publishes summaries of the tribunal decisions. In addition, the Commission website includes summaries of court decisions related to Alberta human rights tribunal decisions.

Visit http://www.albertahumanrights.ab.ca/726.asp to access the tribunal decisions and summaries of the decisions.

Visit http://www.albertahumanrights.ab.ca/decisions/summaries/727.asp to access summaries of the court decisions.

Alberta publication reaches out to Albertans improving English reading skills

Human Rights in Alberta is an attractive, newspaper-style publication providing plain language information about Alberta's human rights law and about the services offered by the Alberta Human Rights Commission. The educational resource - unique in Canada - features artwork, stories and photos to make the information easy to understand. It was developed with input from an advisory committee that included members of the literacy and ESL communities, and community organizations that help immigrants adapt to life in Alberta. Human Rights in Alberta is available in a printed version, an online printable version, and an audio version. In addition, teaching notes are available for teachers and tutors to use with students.
http://www.albertahumanrights.ab.ca/publications/
bulletins_sheets_booklets/bulletins/human_rights_in_Alberta.asp

Promoting the link between learning and human rights

The Alberta Human Rights Commission partnered with the Government of Alberta ministries of Advanced Education and Technology and Employment and Immigration to create three Learning is a Human Right posters. They each include links to guide Albertans to information about the Commission’s programs and services as well as the literacy and employment programs and services of the Government of Alberta. The posters are an initiative of the Canadian Council on Learning, in collaboration with the Canadian Commission for UNESCO and were developed following a nation-wide design competition.
http://www.albertahumanrights.ab.ca/publications/
bulletins_sheets_booklets/bulletins/human_rights_in_Alberta.asp

Alberta’s efforts to support workplace accommodation

Read the Alberta Human Rights Commission’s comprehensive publication titled Obtaining and responding to medical information in the workplace. The resource was developed in response to the many inquiries that the Commission receives about issues related to medical absences and an employee’s medical ability to work. The publication includes a Sample Medical Absence Form and a Sample Medical Ability to Work Form. The forms were developed in consultation with the Alberta Federation of Labour, Alberta Medical Association, Alberta Workers’ Health Centre, and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta. The publication is intended to help employers, employees and doctors achieve good communication and effective workplace accommodations for employees.

The Commission has also developed three plain language information sheets that complement the Commission’s comprehensive publication, Obtaining and responding to medical information in the workplace. Each information sheet provides quick reference information and is aimed at one of these target audiences: employers, employees, or doctors - they all play a role in gathering and providing reasonable medical information about an employee’s disability.
http://www.albertahumanrights.ab.ca/employment/
employee_info/accommodation/obtaining_med_info_employees.asp

Supporting Alberta employers

The Alberta Human Rights Commission offers a series of workshops that can be customized to meet the needs of organizations that request them. Approximately 3,000 Albertans each year from a wide range of organizations participate in about 100 workshops a year. Workshops for the public are also offered.
http://www.albertahumanrights.ab.ca/education/workshops.asp

Building welcoming and inclusive Alberta communities

Learn more about the Coalition of Municipalities Against Racism and Discrimination (CMARD) initiative in Alberta. Nine Alberta municipalities have joined the Alberta network of CMARD. The Alberta Human Rights Commission has championed and promoted the initiative in Alberta:
http://www.albertahumanrights.ab.ca/about/partnerships/CMARD.asp

The Alberta Human Rights Commission has partnered with the Government of Alberta Ministry of Culture and Community Spirit and the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association on the Welcoming and Inclusive Communities (WIC) initiative. WIC is supporting the capacity of municipalities to become more welcoming and inclusive.
http://www.albertahumanrights.ab.ca/about/partnerships.asp

Ontario

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