Commemorative bust of Ontario’s first black lieutenant governor installed at legislature

TORONTO:

Visitors to the Ontario Legislature, Queen’s Park, will be able to view a new commemorative bust of Canada’s first black member of parliament, first black Canadian cabinet minister, and Ontario’s first black Lieutenant Governor Lincoln MacCauley Alexander.

It will be officially unveiled on his birthday, January 21, – what has been known nationally as Lincoln Alexander Day since 2015 – at a ceremony hosted by Ted Arnott, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. Alexander was born in Toronto on January 21, 1922, and died on October 19, 2012, at the age of 90.

Sculpted by award-winning Afrofuturist artist, Quentin VerCetty, the bust is the first instance of any such monument honouring a black Canadian political figure to be displayed in any parliamentary setting in Canada.

His granddaughter, Erika Alexander, says her grandfather would have been very supportive of the collective effort to honour him in this way. “My grandfather was very supportive of the arts and would have been thrilled with the outcome of the bust itself. He was very humble, but he definitely loved to be in celebrations,” she said, noting that he spent a lot of time at Queen’s Park, which was like a second home for him, and the bust signifies that time of service.

Lincoln Alexander – whose mother was from Jamaica and father from St Vincent and the Grenadines – was elected to the House of Commons as MP for Hamilton West in 1968 and served as the federal minister of labour in 1979.

From 1985 to 1991, he was the lieutenant governor of Ontario, and became the sixth and longest-serving chancellor of the University of Guelph from 1991 to 2007. In 2006, Alexander wrote his memoir, “ Go to School, You’re a Little Black Boy” The Honourable Lincoln M. Alexander.

“I’m very proud that this is happening; I’m proud for my family. I’m very proud of the committee for putting all this effort in for the past few years and really pushing to get something so honourable, such as a bust, and especially being the first black figure in Queen’s Park – that really aligns with the trajectory of my grandfather’s life and the milestones that he made,” said Erika, noting that, as people walk through Queen’s Park, they will see a face that looks like someone they know or someone in their family.

MASSIVE LEGACY

The bust was made possible through a partnership between the Black Opportunity Fund, the LINC Bust Committee, and Licensed to Learn (L2L). There was also support from the RBC Foundation and individual donors.

VerCetty drew inspiration from his personal connection to the late lieutenant governor –he attended Lincoln Alexander Secondary School and met Alexander while he was a student there. The statesman told him in an exchange that he could see him doing great things.

The artist gave the sculpture the nickname ‘The LINC Bust - Suited for Greatness’.

“The story that I want people to remember is coming from him, which is his quote. A student asked him while he was still chancellor of the University of Guelph in his 80s, what keeps you going? He said, ‘Every day I wake up and I suit up to be greater than I had been before.’ I hope that anyone who sees this statue will also see how they can be greater than they’ve ever been before,” said VerCetty whose work is inspired by his great grandfather, who was a blacksmith in Clarendon, and Jamaican sculptor Basil Watson.

The bust, in finished bronze, is a 3-dimensional head-and-shoulders cast of Alexander’s likeness, crafted with rich organic compounds, and depicts a dignified figure, decorated in medals which Alexander received and wore regularly during the course of his official duties. The bust is available for viewing by all, from school groups to public tours, during regular public hours, to the legislature.

Rosemary Sadlier, chair of the LINC Bust Committee, described the bust as an exceptional piece of art, noting that it speaks volumes to the legacy of Alexander as a great Canadian whose excellence “transcended many facets of national life across political service, the military and law, spanning a massive legacy of equity and advocacy”.

The committee was formed to ensure a tangible reflection at Queen’s Park of the first black Canadians to serve the lieutenant governor of Ontario.

Craig Wellington, executive director of Black Opportunity Fund, said the project will help to enshrine the extraordinary legacy of Alexander, and will inspire generations of Canadians to come.

Meanwhile, Zeib Jeeva, chair of the board of directors of Licensed to Learn (L2L), said Alexander’s lifetime of hard work, integrity, and commitment to human rights was instrumental in breaking down barriers and changing attitudes, which helped to shape Canada today. Alexander was the organisation’s patron, and a passionate advocate for its programmes.