Don Oliver, on his life as Canada’s first Black man appointed to the Senate

Former Senator Donald Oliver talks about his book, A Matter of Equality: The Life's Work of Senator, and about growing up Black in Canada in the 1940s and 1950s, and why he hopes it will become a call to action for leadership in all levels of society.

Former Senator Don Oliver, who is also a former deputy Senate Speaker, pictured Feb. 9, 2012, in the Senate Chamber. Sen. Oliver retired on Nov. 16, 2013, and has recently written a book about his life. 'I wanted to write a short book about some of my life’s experiences and how I dealt with anti-Black systemic racism in Canada. I outlined some specific steps I took through lived experiences of turning anger into action to attempt to bring racism to an end. My hope is that the book can become a call to action for our leadership in all levels of our society.'The Hill Times photograph by Jake Wright

Feature

BY KATE MALLOY

November 5, 2021

Former Conservative Senator Donald Oliver, 82, who was the first Black man appointed to the Upper Chamber in 1990, grew up in the only Black family in Wolfville, N.S. His great grandparents fled slavery in the U.S., and he was raised to "work hard, be humble, love the Lord, and do all you can to he...

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