Rella Braithwaite’s writing and research recorded the history of Blacks in Canada.
By Kathryn Stocks
February is Black History Month, and this year’s theme is: “30 Years of Black History Month: Honouring Black Brilliance Across Generations – From Nation Builders to Tomorrow’s Visionaries.” The idea of honouring Black brilliance across generations reminded me of Rella Braithwaite, a Black woman who lived a remarkable life in this community, and died here in 2019 at the age of 96. Janice Bennink wrote about her for the May 2017 issue of Centennial News and here is most of that story for those who don’t know about Rella’s legacy.
Rella and her husband, Bob Braithwaite, a World War II veteran, purchased their property on Centennial Road in 1946. They were one of the first Black families in Scarborough. Rella and Bob became very active in school, church and community groups in Scarborough, and Rella attended the Home and School Association meeting in 1949 when the topic was “Should the Centennial School site be utilized as a Recreation Centre?” The results of this meeting led to the formation of the CCRA.
The Braithwaites’ six children attended Centennial Road Public School, where Rella would later receive a Lifetime Achievement Award for her involvement with the school for over 25 years. She also wrote a column entitled “Scarborough Board Happenings” for West Hill News.
Rella’s passion for writing grew after recognizing the need to share her rich cultural heritage with her children. Born near Listowel, Ontario, Rella was one of the last surviving elders who had grown up in the Wellington County Black community, the first African-Canadian Black pioneer community in Upper Canada. It was formed in the late 1700s.
Since the 1960s, Rella’s research and writing recorded the history of Blacks in Canada. Her publications made significant contributions to the existing body of work available here today. She wrote for Contrast newspaper for 10 years, producing columns on Black history and she co-authored a booklet, Women of Our Times, for the first Black Women’s Congress.
In 1975, she published a book on outstanding Black women, The Black Woman in Canada; and in 1978, worked with teachers at the Ontario Ministry of Education on a Black Studies Guide for students. She played an important role in the formation of the Canadian Negro Women’s Club and National Congress of Black Women.
Although a humble and soft-spoken woman, her writing is powerful, fueled by the belief that sharing Black history benefits all Canadians. In a 1976 presentation, she wrote, “For any race or nation to achieve recognition, it has to have an identity. This identity will become a source of pride, because a country without a history is a country without a future.”
For her well-respected work, Rella was honoured with inclusion in Who’s Who in Black Canada (2002 and 2006); Hall of Fame Award, ACAA (1998); Scarborough Bicentennial Civic Award (1996); Kay Livingstone Award, Congress of Black Women (1989); Accomplishment award, Association of Black Women (1983); Black Woman of the Year, Negro Colour Guard (1973). She was also selected for inclusion on Scarborough’s Walk of Fame, but declined as she was unable to attend the ceremony.
If you’d like to learn more about Black history in Canada, here’s the link to Rella’s foundation: rellablackhistoryfoundation.ca