Leonard Braithwaite

Lawyer Leonard Braithwaite is the first Black Canadian to be elected to a provincial legislature. Born in Toronto to West Indian immigrants and raised during the Great Depression, Braithwaite served overseas with the Royal Canadian Air Force during the Second World War. In 1963, he was elected to the Ontario Legislature as a Liberal member, where he served as critic of labour and welfare, advocated for the admission of female pages and helped revoke a regulation that had allowed for racial segregation in schools. He has been recognized with numerous awards, including U of T’s Chancellor’s Award and the Black Alumni Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award.