Government of Canada recognizes Albert Calvin Jackson, one of the first mail carriers of African descent, as a person of national historic significance

TORONTO, Sept. 16, 2024 /CNW/ – Today, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, announced the designation of Albert Calvin Jackson as a person of national historic significance under Parks Canada’s National Program of Historical Commemoration.

A voice for employment equity in 1880s Toronto, Jackson became one of the first, if not the first, mail carriers of African descent in Canada.

Born November 2, 1857, in Delaware, USA, Jackson was one of more than 30,000 African American freedom seekers to come to Canada on the secret routes of the Underground Railroad. The son of an enslaved mother and a free father, Jackson was also legally enslaved. His father died before he was born, stricken with grief at the sale of his two oldest sons. Albert was just a year old when his mother, Ann Maria Jackson, took him and his remaining six siblings to what was then the Province of Canada.

In May 1882, Jackson was hired as a letter carrier in Toronto for Royal Mail Canada, which today is Canada Post. However, when he showed up for work, he was barred from taking up his position and demoted due to race-based discrimination. Toronto’s African Canadian community protested his mistreatment and appealed directly to the Prime Minister. By June, Jackson was given his uniform and trained before he embarked on a 36-year career delivering the mail. Today, Jackson is remembered for his fight against racism and his contributions to Canada’s cultural, economic, and social life.

The Government of Canada, through the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, and Parks Canada, recognizes significant persons, places, and events that have shaped our country as one way of helping Canadians connect with their past. National historic designations recall moments of greatness and triumph or cause us to contemplate the complex and challenging moments that helped define the Canada of today. By sharing these stories, we hope to foster understanding and reflection on the diverse histories, cultures, legacies, and realities of Canada’s past and present.

Quotes

“Today, on behalf of the Government of Canada, I am honoured to recognize Albert Calvin Jackson as a person of national historic significance. Jackson and his family escaped enslavement in the United States and fought against racist discrimination in Canada. His 36 years of service as one of Canada’s first mail carriers of African descent is a testament to his perseverance and conviction.”

The Honourable Steven Guilbeault
Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada

“Albert Jackson showed true strength and dignity while being persecuted for being a Black man in a white man’s world. The designation of our great-grandfather as a national historic person has surpassed our family’s wildest dreams! Jacksons have come together from far and wide to celebrate the many honours bestowed on him. The most indelible legacy he has left us with is the importance of family and never backing down! The Jackson family wishes to thank the Government of Canada for this wonderful honour.”   

Shawne Jackson-Troiano
Great-granddaughter of Albert Calvin Jackson, on behalf of the Jackson family

Quick Facts

Albert Calvin Jackson was the first, or one of the first, mail carriers of African descent in Canada, where he fought against racial discrimination to serve 36 years delivering the mail in Toronto.After protests from Toronto’s African Canadian community, Prime Minister John A. Macdonald instructed Postmaster T.C. Patterson to give Jackson the position for which he had been hired. By June 7, 1882, Jackson was in uniform, training to become a mail carrier.Created in 1919, the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada advises the Minister of Environment and Climate Change regarding the national significance of persons, places, and events that have marked Canada’s history. Together with Parks Canada, the Board ensures that subjects of national historic significance are recognized under Parks Canada’s National Program of Historical Commemoration and that these important stories are shared with Canadians.To date, more than 2,240 designations have been made nationwide through Parks Canada’s National Program for Historical Commemoration. To nominate a person, place or historic event in your community, please visit the Parks Canada website for more information.Parks Canada is committed to working with Canadians in our efforts to tell broader, more inclusive stories in the places that it manages. In support of this goal, the Framework for History and Commemoration outlines a new, comprehensive, and engaging approach to sharing Canada’s history through diverse perspectives, including shedding light on tragic and difficult periods of Canada’s past.

Related Document

Backgrounder: Albert Calvin Jackson

Related Links

Parks CanadaHistoric Sites and Monuments Board of CanadaFramework for History and Commemoration

Stamp commemorating Albert Calvin Jackson
© Canada Post Corporation/Library and Archives Canada

SOURCE Parks Canada (HQ)