To mark 15 years of Black History Month celebrations, the Durham BHM Planning Committee introduced a Lifetime Achievement award to recognize contributions by leaders of African descent in the broader community in Canada. The inaugural honouree, Rosemary Sadlier, is among those leaders who have not only served for many years but whose contributions have directly laid the foundation for the work of own our volunteer Black History Month committee. Keep reading to learn more about Rosemary and her pioneering work in Ontario.

Rosemary Sadlier OOnt (Order of Ontario) is a social justice advocate, researcher, writer, consultant, and international speaker on Black History, anti-racism and women’s issues. She is the past President, serving for 22 years as the unpaid leader of the Ontario Black History Society – being the driving force of the secured commemoration of February as Black History Month at all levels of government; she secured August 1st as Emancipation Day municipally in 1995 and provincially in 2008 with a national declaration pending. She saw to the creation of the national day for the Hon. Lincoln Alexander. She is the Royal Commonwealth Society Equality Lead for the Americas and the Caribbean and has given deputations to the UN Rapporteur on Race Relations, the Federal and Provincial Governments and on consultative work with the Royal Ontario Museum, CMHR, The Ward heritage interpretative group, the Bi-National Study of the Underground Railroad and heritage conferences. Previously she served on the final selection committee of the national Mathieu Da Costa Challenge for Canadian Heritage and is a past member of the Canada Post Stamp Advisory Committee. An educator, she has developed or contributed to African Canadian curriculum, resources, national exhibits and she was an appointed member of the College of Early Childhood Educators. She was among the first Canadians designated a Global Defender of Human Rights (CTF & Robert Kennedy Center). An author, Sadlier has written 7 books on African Canadian history. Sadlier is dedicated to social justice and using the frame of Black History, seeks to educate and empower others.