Black History Month is in February
February is Black History Month in Canada. The role of Black Canadians, their contributions, leadership and communities have largely been ignored as a key part of our national history and education. This February, and throughout the year, take the time to learn about the historic and contemporary Black Canadians whose contributions have shaped Canada and contributed to its growth.
Violet King Henry was an activist, trailblazer and a tireless advocate for racial and gender equity. Born in 1929 in Calgary, King attended the University of Alberta in 1948. She graduated in 1953 and was admitted to the Alberta Bar in 1954. In doing do, she became the first Black woman lawyer in Canada, the first Black person to graduate from law in Alberta, and the first to be admitted to the provincial bar.
King was also engaged in labour and community advocacy, serving as treasurer for a local labour union, the Calgary Brotherhood Council. Shortly after being called to the Bar, her achievements were recognized by the International Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters and Maids, the first labour union organized by African-Americans to be affiliated with the American Federation of Labor.
While practicing law in Calgary, King frequently spoke on issues of race and gender relations and challenged racism in the workplace. Around 1956, she moved to Ottawa to join the federal civil service in a senior administrative role at Citizenship and Immigration Canada. In this capacity, she played an influential role in efforts to combat systemic racial and gender injustices.
Violet King Henry is remembered for fighting oppression both in society and in the workplace, first in Calgary and later in Ottawa, and finally in the United States, where she became the first woman in a senior management position for the national YMCA. She passed away at the age of 52, leaving behind a powerful legacy of barriers broken, fierce advocacy, and academic and career excellence.
Photo: "Violet King, lawyer, Calgary, Alberta.", 1954-06, (CU1140946) by De Lorme, Jack; Calgary Albertan. Courtesy of Glenbow Library and Archives Collection, Libraries and Cultural Resources Digital Collections, University of Calgary.