For Lincoln Alexander – It’s a Question of Doing the Right Thing | Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization

CIRO Black History Month Initiative Adds to the History Books

Black History Month is a time to celebrate and honour Black leaders and trailblazers in Canada. Sometimes that includes making sure the history books are accessible to all Canadians.

This year, as Black History Month approached, CIRO employee Lisa Anderson was researching Lincoln Alexander Day—an official day in Canada celebrated on January 21 each year since 2014. She noticed that the English Wikipedia page for Lincoln Alexander was full and in-depth, but the French page was a “stub,” lacking detail and depth of information.

“When we put together EDI-AR materials for our national organization, we try to ensure we have a balance of English and French language materials. In this case, it was clear that the French page for Lincoln Alexander was much less fulsome,” said Lisa Anderson, Senior Manager, Analytics. “I felt CIRO was in a good position to be able to correct this imbalance with a modest contribution from our EDI-AR budget, and that doing so would be perfectly aligned with a goal of not just celebrating Black history but contributing in a tangible way to the accessibility of Black history for our employees, Canadians, and the world. How awesome is that!”

Alexander with police horses at the 2005 Royal Winter Agriculture Fair

Lincoln Alexander was the first Black Member of Parliament and the first Black lieutenant-governor in Canada. He was a lawyer and public servant, who worked in Canada and internationally to improve the lives of Black people everywhere.

With CIRO’s mandate to provide information to Canadians in both official languages, Anderson brought the idea to use our incredible translation team to correct this imbalance. CIRO’s Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism committee felt that this project aligned perfectly with the organization’s value of doing what is right. Sometimes that means simply making sure the history books are correct and available in both official languages of Canada.

“As the chair of the EDI-AR committee, and as a Black lawyer in Ontario, I am proud that we have been able to support the legacy of Lincoln Alexander,” said Sylvia Samuel, Senior Enforcement Council. “We hope that students, youth, and every Canadian who is curious can learn about Alexander’s career and his work, and we are thrilled to dedicate our Black History Month project to building his legacy, even in this modest way.”

The Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism committee at CIRO advises the organization on initiatives and supports the delivery of EDI-AR projects, while fostering a culture of inclusion.

Check out the Lincoln Alexander Pages at the links below: