Black at McGill
A look at McGill’s history (and necessarily Montreal’s history) within the larger currents of Black history
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1848
William Wright, first person of colour to earn a medical degree in Canada
Born in Quebec City, William Wright graduated with a degree from McGill’s Faculty of Medicine in 1848, becoming the first person of colour to earn a medical degree in British North America (now known as Canada).
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1910
Dr. Ernest Melville DuPorte, leading entomologist and parasitologist
Born on the island of Nevis, British West Indies, Dr. DuPorte was a ground-breaking entomologist and parasitologist.
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1916
West Indian medical students protest admission quotas
In 1916, a group of West Indian medical students rallied the Gamma Medical League to protest and petition the Board of Governors over “quotas” put in place by McGill’s Faculty of Medicine.
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1926
Kenneth Melville, a towering champion of pharmacology and civil rights
Born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica, Kenneth Melville graduated at the top of his class, earning the Holmes Gold Medal for his year (1926). In 1930, he was awarded a postdoctoral fellowship at the prestigious Institut Pasteur in Paris.
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1936
Juanita Corinne DeShield, first Canadian-born Black woman graduates from McGill
In 1936, Juanita Corinne DeShield became the first Canadian-born Black woman to graduate from McGill. She earned a BA Honours degree in French, graduating at the top of her class.
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1940
McGill’s first Black student group
The British West Indian Society, the first known Black student group at McGill, was established in 1940.
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1949
Beryl Dickinson-Dash, first Black woman to become Carnival Queen
In 1949, Beryl Rapier (then Beryl Dickinson-Dash), a third-year Arts student, became the first Black woman to be crowned Carnival Queen. Winter carnival was considered a staple of student life, and thousands of McGillians voted on the Carnival Queen title.
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1951
The McGill African Students’ Association is founded
The McGill African Students’ Association, the second Black McGill student organization, was founded in the fall of 1951.
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1956
Frederick Phillips, first Black McGill Law graduate and first Black lawyer in Quebec
In 1956, Frederick Phillips became McGill’s first Black Law graduate, the first Black lawyer in Quebec upon passing the bar.
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1957
Neville Linton, first Black McGillian to head a student publication
Guyanese-born Neville Linton was appointed Editor-in-Chief of the McGill Daily in the 1957-1958 academic year.
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1984
Anne Cools, first Black member of the Senate of CanadaĚý
Born and raised in Barbados, Cools immigrated to Canada in 1957 and first drew public attention as a student leader during the Sir George Williams (Concordia) sit-ins. After graduating from McGill, Cools pursued a pioneering career as a social worker before being appointed as Canada's first Black Senator in 1984.
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1985
Student activists campaign against Apartheid
After a prolonged student-led campaign organized by the McGill African Student Society (MASS) and the Black Students Network (BSN), McGill became the first Canadian university to announce it would divest in companies with ties to Apartheid South Africa.
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2017
First full Black History Month at McGill
In February 2017, McGill hosted the University’s first official Black History Month celebration. This was an especially important year as it marked the 10th anniversary of February being officially recognized by the Quebec government as Black History Month.
See the full story on the.
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2020
Action Plan to Address Anti-Black Racism
In September 2020, McGill its Action Plan to Address Anti-Black Racism.Ěý
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