List of black Canadians

This is a list of black Canadians, inclusive of multiracial people who are of partially black heritage.

A

• Anderson Ruffin Abbott, in 1861 became the first black Canadian physician; was among a select few at the deathbed of Abraham Lincoln
• Wilson Ruffin Abbott, successful businessman and landowner in Toronto
• Wayne Adams, Nova Scotia's first black MLA, Liberal
• Zanana Akande, former Ontario Member of Provincial Parliament and cabinet minister
• Philip Akin, director
• Lincoln Alexander, first black Member of Parliament in Canada; former Lieutenant Governor of Ontario
• Toya Alexis, R&B/pop singer and Canadian Idol season 1 finalist
• Jean Alfred, first black Canadian member of the National Assembly of Quebec
• Lillian Allen, dub poet
• Archie Alleyne, jazz musician
• Osborne Perry Anderson, resident of the Chatham-Kent area; involved in the raid at Harper's Ferry
• Marie-Joseph Angélique, executed for setting fire to Montreal
• Joel Anthony, NBA basketball player with the Miami Heat
• Trey Anthony, playwright (Da Kink in My Hair)
• Gary Archibald, weathercaster for NBC Weather Plus and MSNBC
• Bromley Armstrong, community activist
• Yvonne Atwell, Nova Scotia's first black woman MLA, NDP
• Jean Augustine, former Member of Parliament, first black Canadian Cabinet Minister, former deputy Speaker of the House of Commons
• Edem Awumey, writer
• Malcolm Azania, writer and activist

B

• Matte Babel, MuchMusic VJ
• Cameron Bailey, film critic and artistic director of the Toronto International Film Festival
• Donovan Bailey, first Canadian to win an Olympic gold medal in the 100m sprint (1996 Atlanta)
• Vivian Barbot, Bloc Québécois member of parliament for the riding of Papineau
• Emery Barnes, first black Speaker of the British Columbia Legislative Assembly and CFL defensive end
• Angèle Bassolé-Ouédraogo, poet
• Gary Beals, pop singer and Canadian Idol season 1 first runner-up
• Shawn Belle, NHL prospect
• Frantz Benjamin, Montreal city councillor
• Anthony Bennett, NBA player (first overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft)
• Cle Bennett, actor
• Tyrone Benskin, actor and director; Member of Parliament; national vice-president of ACTRA
• Ardon Bess, actor (Heritage Minute commercial, Trailer Park Boys, King of Kensington)
• Carrie Best, activist and humanitarian
• James Calbert Best, diplomat and public servant
• Margarett Best, Ontario Member of Provincial Parliament and Cabinet Minister
• Salome Bey, jazz, blues and gospel singer (U.S. citizen, Canadian permanent resident)
• Tim Biakabutuka, former NFL player
• Henry Bibb, an author and abolitionist
• Charlie Biddle (Sr.), one of Canada's greatest bassists
• Jully Black, R&B/pop singer
• Lindsay Blackett, Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, the province's first black cabinet minister
• Walter Borden, actor and playwright
• Cory Bowles, actor (Trailer Park Boys)
• George Boyd, playwright
• Lawrence Ytzhak Braithwaite, dub poet and novelist
• Dionne Brand, author
• Fred Brathwaite, NHL goalie
• Shelton Brooks, popular music and jazz singer, songwriter, and pianist and vaudeville and musical theatre performer who wrote some of the biggest hits of the first third of the 20th century
• Divine Brown, R&B/soul singer and musical theatre performer
• Denham Brown, professional basketball player in Europe
• Rosemary Brown, British Columbia legislator; first black woman to run for the leadership of a political party in Canada (the federal New Democratic Party)
• Measha Brueggergosman, opera singer
• Matthew Bullock, fugitive from the U.S. who became a cause celebre in the 1920s
• Nate Burleson, NFL player

C

• Dayana Cadeau, Haitian-born Canadian American professional bodybuilder
• Cadence Weapon, rapper
• Herb Carnegie, star of Quebec professional hockey league
• Anson Carter, NHL star
• Rubin Carter, former boxer, now activist
• Jazz Cartier, rapper
• Mary Anne Chambers, former Ontario Member of Provincial Parliament and cabinet minister
• Keshia Chante, singer
• David Chariandy, writer
• Gregory Charles, pop and gospel singer
• Sean Cheesman, dancer and choreographer
• Ulrick Chérubin, mayor of Amos, Quebec, one of the first black mayors of any city in Quebec
• Jojo Chintoh, longtime Citytv reporter
• Choclair, rapper
• Rae Dawn Chong, actress (The Color Purple)
• Jarvis Church, singer (The Philosopher Kings and solo) and music producer (Nelly Furtado)
• Austin Clarke, novelist (The Polished Hoe, Growing Up Stupid Under the Union Jack)
• George Elliott Clarke, poet and playwright (Whylah Falls, George and Rue)
• Devon Clunis, chief of Winnipeg Police Service and Canada's first black Canadian chief of police
• Caroline Cole, vice-president, Business Development Bank of Canada
• Wayde Compton, poet
• Anne Cools, Canada's first black senator
• Afua Cooper, poet and historian
• Michael Coteau, Ontario Member of Provincial Parliament
• Deborah Cox, R&B singer
• Archie Crail, writer
• Laura Creavalle, Guyanese-born Canadian/American professional bodybuilder
• Roger Cross, actor (24)
• Alvin Curling, Ontario Member of Provincial Parliament and Speaker of the Legislature of Ontario

D

• Samuel Dalembert, NBA player with the Dallas Mavericks
• Trevor Daley, NHL player with the Dallas Stars
• Delos Davis, first black lawyer in Canada
• Hubert Davis, Academy Award-nominated documentary filmmaker
• Rob Davis, former York and Toronto city councillor
• Nigel Dawes, NHL player with the New York Rangers
• Buddy Daye, former boxer and activist in Nova Scotia
• Jonathan De Guzman, soccer player
• Julian De Guzman, soccer player
• David Defiagbon, boxer
• Simone Denny, house music vocalist
• Robert Nathaniel Dett, composer
• Rita Deverell, broadcaster and journalist, founder of Vision TV
• Devon, hip-hop musician ("Mr. Metro")
• Alpha Yaya Diallo, musician
• George Dixon, first black world boxing champion in any weight class
• Fefe Dobson, pop punk singer
• James Douglas, early governor of Vancouver Island and British Columbia
• James W. Douglas, British Columbia MLA
• Orville Lloyd Douglas, poet, writer, and journalist
• Stan Douglas, installation artist
• Ray Downey, former boxer who medalled in the 1988 Olympics
• Drake, actor (Degrassi: The Next Generation) and rapper; real name Aubrey Graham
• Dream Warriors, hip hop duo
• Dwight Drummond, television journalist
• Dubmatique, Québecois rap group
• Emmanuel Dubourg, Quebec Liberal Party MNA for Viau
• Rob Ducey, former Major League Baseball player
• Arlene Duncan, actress, singer (Little Mosque on the Prairie)

E

• Gordon Earle, former NDP Member of Parliament for Halifax West
• Rosey Edeh, ET Canada reporter and former MSNBC meteorologist
• Esi Edugyan, novelist
• Phil Edwards, track athlete
• Nneka Elliott, television weathercaster for The Weather Network
• Natasha Eloi, science reporter for Space channel
• Ray Emery, NHL goaltender
• Jonathan Emile, poet, composer and entrepreneur
• Tyler Ennis, NBA player with the Phoenix Suns
• Robert Esmie, Olympic gold medalist 4x100 relay (Atlanta 1996)

F

• Lennox Farrell, community activist
• Perdita Felicien, track athlete
• Melanie Fiona, R&B singer
• Farley Flex, music promoter and Canadian Idol judge
• Melyssa Ford, professional model and actress
• Keith Forde, the first visible minority Deputy Chief of Police in the history of the Toronto Police Service
• Rose Fortune, first female police officer in Canada
• Cecil Foster, novelist and sociologist
• Rick Fox, NBA player
• Mayann E. Francis, Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia (2006- ), former director and CEO of the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission
• Grant Fuhr, ex-NHL goalie elected to Hockey Hall of Fame

G

• Matt Galloway, CBC Radio host
• Ghetto Concept, hip hop group
• Mifflin Gibbs, merchant and member of Victoria City Council in the 1860s
• Glenroy Gilbert, Olympic gold medalist 4x100 relay (Atlanta 1996)
• Malcolm Gladwell, journalist
• George Godfrey, former boxer originally from Prince Edward Island
• Gary Goodridge, former mixed martial artist and kickboxer
• Kamala-Jean Gopie, activist and political candidate
• Dirk Graham, first NHL captain of African descent
• Jean-Luc Grand-Pierre, former NHL defenseman, currently playing in Europe
• Anais Granofsky, actor (Degrassi)
• Stanley G. Grizzle, judge, community activist

H

• William Hall, first Nova Scotian, third Canadian and first black person to be awarded the Victoria Cross
• Kevin Hanchard, actor
• Adrian Harewood, CBC Radio journalist and host
• Josiah Henson, former slave, believed to be the inspiration for the novel Uncle Tom's Cabin
• Dan Hill, pop singer/songwriter
• Daniel G. Hill, sociologist and first head of the Ontario Human Rights Commission
• Lawrence Hill, novelist and memoirist
• Jennifer Holness, film and television writer and producer
• Charmaine Hooper, soccer player; retired as leader in appearances and goals for the women's national team
• Nalo Hopkinson, science fiction author
• Jennifer Hosten, Canadian High Commissioner to Grenada and diplomat
• William Peyton Hubbard, former Toronto alderman, controller and acting mayor

I

• Israel Idonije, defensive end for the NFL's Chicago Bears
• Marci Ien, Canada AM and CTV News Channel anchor
• Daniel Igali, Olympic gold medalist in wrestling (Sydney 2000)
• Jarome Iginla, NHL All-Star and Olympic gold medalist (Salt Lake 2002)
• Orin Isaacs, bandleader (Open Mike with Mike Bullard, The Mike Bullard Show), musician and music producer
• Tajja Isen, actress/singer (Atomic Betty)

J

• Ovid Jackson, former Member of Parliament and former mayor of Owen Sound
• Angela James, hockey player and Hockey Hall of Fame inductee
• Royson James, Toronto Star columnist
• Yolande James, Quebec Minister of Immigration and Cultural Communities
• Olivier Jarda, singer-songwriter
• Sterling Jarvis, actor and musician
• Michaëlle Jean, former broadcaster and former Governor General of Canada, the first black person in Canadian history appointed to that position
• Jelleestone, rapper
• Marlene Jennings, first black woman from Quebec to be elected to Parliament
• Harry Jerome, sprinter and first Canadian to hold an official track and field world record
• Ferguson Jenkins, baseball star and first Canadian elected to the (U.S.) Baseball Hall of Fame
• Ben Johnson, Olympic sprinter disqualified in 1988 drug scandal
• Chris Johnson, boxer
• Clark Johnson, actor (Homicide: Life on the Street)
• Dwayne Johnson, professional wrestler and actor
• Kirk Johnson, boxer
• Molly Johnson, rock and jazz vocalist
• Rocky Johnson, professional wrestler
• Taborah Johnson, singer, actor and radio broadcaster
• Denham Jolly, broadcast executive
• Danko Jones, rock singer and guitarist
• Mark Jones, sportscaster for ESPN and ABC
• Oliver Jones, jazz pianist
• Paul Jones, sportscaster and Toronto Raptors radio play-by-play voice
• Spider Jones, journalist and former boxer
• Cory Joseph, NBA player

K

• k-os, hip-hop musician
• Shadrach Kabango, hip hop artist
• Evander Kane, professional ice hockey player
• Tommy Kane, former NFL wide receiver
• Kardinal Offishall, rapper
• Carl Kennedy, stage actor
• Namugenyi Kiwanuka, Rogers Sportsnet basketball commentator and former MuchMusic VJ
• Maka Kotto, author and actor from Quebec elected to Canadian Parliament in 2004 (Bloc Québécois)
• Pierre Kwenders, musician

L

• Sonnet L'Abbé, poet and critic
• Dany Laferrière, novelist
• Artis Lane, sculptor and artist
• Sam Langford, former boxer
• Georges Laraque, NHL player
• Tobi Lark, jazz, blues and gospel singer
• Scott Laurie, CTV News Channel anchor and reporter
• Olivier Le Jeune, believed to have been the first slave purchased in what later became Quebec
• Karen LeBlanc, actress
• Ranee Lee, jazz singer
• Michael Lee-Chin, business leader
• Sandra Levy, Olympic field hockey player
• Andrea Lewis, actress (Degrassi: The Next Generation)
• Daurene Lewis, first black woman mayor in North America
• Glenn Lewis, R&B singer
• Lennox Lewis, Olympic Gold medalist boxer
• Ray Lewis, first Canadian-born black person to win a medal in the Olympics
• Murray Lightburn, rock singer/songwriter (The Dears)
• Little X, director
• Rich London, rapper
• Nicole Lyn, actress

M

• Maestro, hip-hop musician, first Canadian rapper to have a Top 40 hit
• Jamaal Magloire, NBA player
• Atlee Mahorn, sprinter
• Ahdri Zhina Mandiela, director
• Egerton Marcus, boxer
• Amanda Marshall, pop singer/songwriter
• Mike Marson, second black player in NHL history
• Lesra Martin, crown attorney and speaker, involved in his youth in freeing Rubin Carter
• Russell Martin, MLB player
• Beverly Mascoll, entrepreneur and community leader
• Denise Matthews, former model, actress and lead singer of Vanity 6 turned evangelist
• Rueben Mayes, former NFL player
• Suzette Mayr, writer
• Alexis Mazurin, CBC Radio host
• Trent McClellan, comedian
• Kandyse McClure, actress (Battlestar Galactica)
• Elijah McCoy, origin of "the real McCoy", inventor
• Howard McCurdy, Member of Parliament, first black male to run for the leadership of a political party (the federal New Democratic Party)
• Yanna McIntosh, actress
• Tony McKegney, NHL player
• Mark McKoy, Olympic gold medalist 110 m hurdles (Barcelona 1992)
• Brandon Jay McLaren, actor (Power Rangers S.P.D.)
• Tessa McWatt, novelist
• Rollie Miles, CFL player
• Shadrach Minkins, American-born fugitive slave rescued from federal custody in Boston in 1851 who settled in Montreal.
• Moka Only, rapper of the Swollen Members
• Firmin Monestime, mayor of Mattawa, Ontario; first black mayor in Canada
• Dwayne Morgan, spoken word artist
• Vanessa Morgan, actress and singer (from Ottawa)
• Paul S. Morton, pastor of St. Stephen Baptist Church in New Orleans, a church with over 20,000 members
• Aaron Albert Mossell, first black person to graduate from the University of Pennsylvania Law School
• Nathan Francis Mossell, first black person to graduate from the University of Pennsylvania Medical School
• Jane Musoke-Nteyafas, poet

N

• Haydain Neale, R&B/soul singer (Jacksoul)
• Ray Neufeld, former NHL player
• Carlos Newton, former mixed martial artist (UFC Welterweight Champion)
• Andrew Nicholson, NBA player

O

• Charles Officer, film director
• Lana Ogilvie, fashion model/TV hostess
• Donald Oliver, first black senator from Nova Scotia
• Willie O'Ree, first black hockey player in the National Hockey League
• Milton Ottey, world champion high jumper

P

• John Paris Jr., hockey coach
• Stuart Parker, leader of the Green Party of British Columbia 1993 to 2000, the first (and only) black leader of a political party in Canada
• Oscar Peterson, jazz pianist
• M. NourbeSe Philip, poet, novelist and essayist
• Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips, Islamic Scholar and founder of the Islamic Online University
• Joseph Jomo Pierre, actor and playwright
• Burr Plato, town councillor for Niagara Falls (1886-1901)
• Juliette Powell, television host, first black Miss Canada (1989)
• Rev. Richard Preston, anti-slavery activist and founder of African Baptist Association of Nova Scotia
• Prevail, rapper of the Swollen Members

Q

• Quanteisha, R&B singer
• Quddus, MTV VJ

R

• Rascalz, hip hop group
• Pokey Reddick, Stanley Cup Champion, Edmonton Oilers goalie
• Gloria Reuben, actress (ER)
• Jackie Richardson, jazz, blues and gospel singer
• Kim Richardson, pop, jazz, blues and gospel singer
• Bill Riley, third black player in NHL history
• Charles Roach, Canadian civil rights lawyer; activist in the black community in Toronto; had many contributions to the wider community in Toronto, including being one of the founders of what was known as Caribana in 1967
• Kenny Robinson, stand-up comedian, TV host Rodriguez, Percy
• George Rogers, former mayor of Leduc, Alberta, current MLA for the riding of Leduc-Beaumont-Devon
• RT!, director
• Calvin Ruck, senator

S

• Shakura S'Aida, jazz and blues singer
• Samito, musician
• Sophia Santi, pornographic actress of Black, Gypsy, Mongolian, Native American and European descent.
• Mairuth Sarsfield, novelist (No Crystal Stair)
• John Saunders, sports journalist for ESPN and ABC
• Mark Saunders, chief of the Toronto Police Service
• Alison Sealy-Smith, actress (This is Wonderland)
• Djanet Sears, playwright (Adventures of a Black Girl in Search of God)
• Olive Senior, poet and short story writer
• Mary Ann Shadd, first female newspaper publisher
• Jackie Shane, R&B singer
• Tony Sharpe, sprinter
• Liberty Silver, R&B and jazz singer
• Makeda Silvera, novelist
• Wayne Simmonds, NHL player
• Denis Simpson, actor and children's television host (Polka Dot Door)
• Eon Sinclair, bassist (Bedouin Soundclash)
• Shawn Singleton, actor/musician
• Slakah the Beatchild, soul/R&B singer and record producer
• Makyla Smith, actress (Queer as Folk)
• Frances-Anne Solomon, director
• Chris Spence, director of education of the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board and then the Toronto District School Board, previously a CFL running back
• Tony "Wild T" Springer, blues rock guitarist
• Ordena Stephens, actress (Da Kink in My Hair)
• Anthony Stewart, NHL player with the Florida Panthers
• Malcolm Subban, professional ice hockey goaltender
• P. K. Subban, NHL ice hockey defenseman
• Cree Summer, actress
• Bruny Surin, Olympic gold medalist 4x100 relay (1996 Atlanta)
• David (Sudz) Sutherland, director (Love, Sex and Eating the Bones)
• Sylvia Sweeney, television broadcaster (W-FIVE) and former basketball player

T

• Tamia, R&B singer and actress
• Bobby Taylor and his band, The Vancouvers, a popular Motown act who were instrumental in getting The Jackson 5 signed to the label and produced the earliest Jackson 5 records
• Dione Taylor, jazz singer
• Julian Taylor, rock musician (Staggered Crossing)
• Tamara Taylor, actress (Bones)
• Angella Taylor-Issajenko, sprinter
• Tebey, country and pop songwriter and singer
• Michael Thompson, current Toronto city councillor
• Tristan Thompson, NBA player
• Thrust, rapper
• Yanic Truesdale, actor (Gilmore Girls)
• Kreesha Turner, R&B singer

V

• Vanity, performer
• Christian Vincent, actor (Noah's Arc)
• Nerene Virgin, CBC anchor of Network Saturday Report, Newsworld, Newsworld International, host of CTV, co-star of Today's Special
• Clement Virgo, director

W

• Rinaldo Walcott, professor and Canada Research Chair at OISE/The University of Toronto
• Carol Wall, social activist and labour leader
• Dwight Walton, former Team Canada Basketball player
• Joel Ward, professional ice hockey player
• John Ware, former slave, Alberta cowboy
• Jackie Washington, blues musician
• Kevin Weekes, NHL goalie
• The Weeknd, R&B singer of Ethiopian descent; real name Abel Tesfaye
• Juanita Westmoreland-Traoré, first appointed black judge in the history of Quebec
• Bill White, musician and political candidate
• Jack White, union activist
• Portia White, gospel singer
• Sheila White, political strategist
• William A. White, only black officer of the No. 2 Construction Battalion
• Andrew Wiggins, NBA player with the Minnesota Timberwolves
• Desai Williams, sprinter
• Nigel Shawn Williams, actor
• Stephen Williams, director
• Tonya Lee Williams, longtime actress on The Young and the Restless
• Trevor C. Williams, former Team Canada Basketball player
• Tyrone Williams, former CFL and NFL wide receiver
• Nigel Wilson, baseball player (first draft pick by the Florida Marlins, 2nd overall, in the 1992 Expansion Draft)
• Paul Winn, human rights activist, director of Canadian Race Relations Foundation, former television personality
• Mary Matilda Winslow, first black female graduate of the University of New Brunswick
• Maurice Dean Wint, actor
• Ken Wiwa, journalist and author, and son of executed Nigerian political prisoner Ken Saro-Wiwa
• Peter Worrell, NHL player

Y

• Wayne Yearwood, former Team Canada Basketball player
• D'bi Young, dub poet
• Marcia Young, CBC Radio broadcaster and host of The World This Hour

See also

• List of Canadians
• Black Nova Scotians
• Who's Who in Black Canada