The pursuit of education and opportunity in equal measure led one young man living in a fishing village on the Atlantic coast of a small Caribbean island to embark on the journey of a lifetime. In 1951, leaving the “continent of Tobago”, as he liked to say, to the bustling metropolis of Montreal, an exceptionally bright Eldon Williams would attend undergraduate and medical school at McGill University. He arrived with a bold sense of optimism while recognizing, but not being tempered by, the reality of racial prejudice. Eldon commonly faced the challenges of being a “visible minority” particularly as a medical student where black people were not commonly seen as a legitimate part of the so-called “professions”. Indeed, until 1947, hospitals in Montreal did not accept black medical students for residency, and even in the late 50s and well beyond, there was still an elitism to these programs which made access restricted. In 1958, post-graduation, Eldon was able to find residency positions at Queen Mary Veteran’s Hospital, the Reddy Memorial Hospital, and the Montreal Jewish Hospital and was affiliated with these institutions after he entered practice in 1962. In 1968, the now Dr. Williams moved to Toronto with his wife Rosalind and their five children where he built two successful medical and surgical practices: one in the heart of Little Italy in the Downtown area and the other in the east suburbs of Scarborough. His legacy after 92 years, up and until his passing in January 2021, was a lifetime of service and devotion to his multi-generational family, his patients, and the local and global community.
My father, Dr. Williams, has a story not unlike that of many new immigrants to Canada, including those of Caribbean or African origin, who brought with them their aspirations, talents and enthusiasm combined with a strong work ethic and resilience. Many became highly successful, overcoming the true hardships of discrimination, growing their families, and instilling in their children the same reverence for education, work ethic, and community. However, although the path has been well laid by both black immigrants and the multi-generations of Canadian black communities (even before Confederation), the ability to succeed as a community and be included in the economic, health and education mainstream is still impeded by the continued challenges of systemic racism.
Black History Month is an opportunity to honour, remember, acknowledge and celebrate the contributions of Black Canadians (both natural-born citizens and immigrants), and this rich and critical history. As Canadian novelist Lawrence Hill writes, the story of Canadians with African heritage spans four hundred years, including the original sin of “slavery as well as abolition, pioneering, urban growth, segregation, the civil rights movement and a long engagement in civic life”. While this dense and complicated history is not to be reduced to just a single month, we want to celebrate these achievements with a reverence to the great opportunities and challenges that are still in hand, all of which are highlighted during “Black History Month”.