Jean Augustine was born in Granada in 1937 and, like many of the Sleeping Car Porters, moved to Canada as a domestic worker for a year to gain permanent residency status. After completing her year as a domestic, Ms. Augustine attended the Toronto Teacher’s College and then started her teaching career with the Toronto Catholic School Board, where she later became a principal. During her career Ms. Augustine also earned a B.A. from U. of T. and a M. Ed. from York University.
Ms. Augustine, always concerned with social issues, has been involved in many committees over the years. In 1967 she was on the committee for Toronto’s first Caribana Festival and in 1973 she founded the Toronto Chapter of the Congress of Black Women of Canada. She was later the Chair of the Toronto Housing Authority.
In 1993 Ms. Augustine threw herself into politics and won her first of three terms as MP for the riding of Etobicoke-Lakeshore. During her time in Parliament, she held various positions: Parliamentary Secretary; Chair of the Standing committee on Foreign Affairs; Secretary of State (Multiculturism, Status of Women), becoming the first black women in Cabinet; member of the Queen’s Privy Council of Canada; Minister of State; and Assistant Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons. Throughout this time, she advocated for women’s rights, human rights, HIV/AIDs, economic development and industry, immigrant rights, and racial justice.
In the early 1990s, Black History month was not celebrated nationally, although it was recognized by various cities and provinces. In 1995 Ms. Augustine put forth a motion to name February as National Black History month. The motion passed unanimously.
Although Ms. Augustine left federal politics in 2006, she has continued work for social justice, acting as the Ontario Fairness Commissioner from 2007 to 2015 and receiving several honours for her work. In 2007 she received the Order of Canada for “her distinguished career as an educator, politician and advocate for social justice in Canada”. In 2014 she was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire for her service to education and politics and in 2020 she received the Order of Ontario. She has also received honorary doctorates from five Ontario universities.
Through her fierce determination and dedication to social justice, Jean Augustine paved the road, not only for African Canadian women, but for all women.
