1941–1970
Secular Black organizations in Alberta first emerged in the 1910s and 1920s. The Colored Protective Association, founded in 1910, organized social activities and fought organized discrimination. In Edmonton, the Universal Negro Improvement Association was dedicated to Black self-improvement, while the Negro Welfare Association of Alberta attempted to resolve the problem of unemployment among the Black community. Although most of these organizations floundered in the 1920s, their objectives would provide the impetus that allowed them to resurface in the 1940s with the onset of the Second World War. The war, despite all of its atrocities, created new economic opportunities for Alberta’s urban Black community. For example, Blacks made their first breakthrough in the provincial civil service when Ruth Heslep started a job as a stenographer.
Alberta’s
urban Black community made considerable strides—economically,
politically, and socially—during the 1940s. After the Second World War,
the emerging awareness of Hitler’s atrocities resonated worldwide and
created heightened sensitivity about the dangers of racism. Domestically, the
press began to publish accounts of racism in Calgary and Edmonton, an
interesting development, considering the tenor of earlier writing on Black
immigration. Most notably, it acknowledged local individuals and organizations
guilty of discriminatory practices. Local politicians became actively involved
in an effort to combat discrimination, particularly in the workforce.
In 1947, Blacks in Calgary founded the Alberta Association for the Advancement of Colored People (AAACP). With jazz musician Melvin Crump as president, the AAACP played an instrumental role in the social and political life of Calgary’s Black community for over a decade. The AAACP was a voice for Calgary’s Blacks and it gave them an opportunity to confront discrimination head-on. Moreover, the AAACP created scholarships for Alberta’s young Blacks and, with the assistance of Philip Randolph, head of the American-based Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, and Stanley Grizzle, a union organizer and well-known advocate for equal rights, it fought to change the public’s stereotypical image of Alberta’s Black community.
The development of the Civil
Rights Movement in the United States during the 1950s further
perpetuated the idea that racism and discrimination were unacceptable in
Canada. Canadians listened to the speeches of
Martin Luther King, Jr. and observed the tactics employed by
African-Americans, including boycotts, sit-ins, and
Freedom Rides.
By actively confronting
racism and discrimination, American Blacks, during the 1950s and 1960s,
regained their constitutional rights. These events led directly to increased
sensitivity about the existence of discrimination in Canada. By passing several
Acts aimed at curbing discrimination, and in particular, discrimination in the
workplace, the Government of Alberta soon became actively involved in the
process of raising awareness. In 1955, the provincial government passed theFair
Employment Practices Act followed by theEqual Pay Act two
years later. In 1966, a Human Rights Code was introduced. Criticism of the Acts
focused on the government’s inability to enforce specific mandates and on
the lack of punishment issued to individuals who violated them.
Regardless, the new legislation was seen as a step in the right direction.
The passing of
Alberta’s anti-discrimination laws opened more professional employment
opportunities to Blacks in Alberta. Some still worked in traditional labour
jobs; however, others were able to apply their skills in more specialized and
better-paying jobs. In a short time, Blacks in Alberta became middle-level
office managers, tradesmen, and heavy equipment operators. Black women became
secretaries, nurses, and teachers. Varying sociopolitical factors during this
era resulted in greater acceptance and increased integration of Alberta’s
Black community.