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‘It is not your duty to be average’: Here is why we celebrate Lincoln Alexander’s legacy

Former Conservative MP Lincoln Alexander recently passed away. From Wikipedia

Lincoln MacCauley AlexanderPCCCOOntCDQC (January 21, 1922 – October 19, 2012) was a Canadian lawyer who became the first black Member of Parliament in the House of Commons, the first black federal Cabinet Minister (serving as federal Minister of Labour), the first black Chair of the Worker’s Compensation Board, and the 24thLieutenant Governor of Ontario from 1985 to 1991. He was the first person to serve five terms as Chancellor of the University of Guelph, from 1991 to 2007.[1] Alexander was also a governor of the Canadian Unity Council.

In 1965, Alexander ran in the Canadian federal election as the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada candidate in the Hamilton West electoral district but was defeated.[6] He ran again in the 1968 federal election and on June 25, 1968, he won the seat, becoming Canada’s first black Member of Parliament.[6]

On September 20, 1968 he made his maiden speech in the House of Commons saying:

I am not the spokesman for the Negro; that honour has not been given to me. Do not let me ever give anyone that impression. However, I want the record to show that I accept the responsibility of speaking for him and all others in this great nation who feel that they are the subjects of discrimination because of race, creed or colour.[3]

If Conservatives have a supposed history of racism how can this be. Here’s a whole article about his legacy and his political affiliation is not mentioned. Of course calling Conservatives racist is just politics and has no basis in history. Be proud of our history.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/opinion/opinion-lincoln-alexander-day-1.5426137

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