Braithwaite, Leonard (1923-2012), was the first Black parliamentarian in Canada. He represented the Etobicoke riding (electoral district) in the provincial parliament of Ontario from 1963 to 1975. Braithwaite was a member of the Ontario Liberal Party. As a legislator, he worked to further civil and minority rights.
Leonard Austin Braithwaite was born on Oct. 23, 1923, in Toronto, Ontario. His parents were working-class immigrants from Barbados and Jamaica. He joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1943 and served in England during World War II (1939-1945). Braithwaite received a bachelor’s degree in commerce from the University of Toronto in 1950. He then received a master’s degree from Harvard Business School in 1952 and a law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1958. Following graduation from law school, Braithwaite established a small law practice in Etobicoke, a Toronto suburb.
During the early 1960’s, Braithwaite held a number of positions in city government. He became the first Black person elected to the Etobicoke Board of Education and the Etobicoke City Council. In 1963, Braithwaite won election to Ontario’s Legislative Assembly, becoming Canada’s first Black parliamentarian.
Braithwaite’s work as a legislator led to the abolition of a law that had permitted racial segregation in Ontario public schools. Braithwaite also helped open the way for female pages (messengers) in the Legislative Assembly. In 1971, he was appointed queen’s counsel, an honorary title awarded for contributions to the legal profession.
Braithwaite lost his seat in parliament in an election in 1975. He later returned to city government, serving for several years as controller of Etobicoke. He ran again for the provincial legislature in 1985 but lost to the Conservative candidate in his riding. In 1999, Braithwaite became the first Black person elected to the board of directors of the Law Society of Upper Canada, an organization that regulates Ontario’s lawyers.
In 1997, Braithwaite was appointed as a Member of the Order of Canada, one of Canada’s highest civilian honors. He was appointed to the Order of Ontario, the province’s highest honor, in 2004. Braithwaite died on March 28, 2012.
