By: Donna Lawrence
As we approach Black History Month (BHM), I find myself reflecting deeply on Ontario’s theme, “Black Legacy and Leadership: Celebrating Canadian History and Uplifting Future Generations”. For me, this is not symbolic or performative. It is deeply personal and reflective. With all the work I have done in collaboration with the RNAO’s Black Nurses Leading Change Interest Group, and my ongoing advocacy as a Registered Nurse, BHM is about honouring those who cleared paths while carrying burdens most never had to explain. January 2026 is my 20th anniversary of starting my RN career path at the University of Manitoba.
Black Excellence deserves to be celebrated. From pioneers like Marissa Scott (first Black person to graduate and practice as a nurse in Ontario in 1950), Jean Augustine (who reshaped education and public life in Canada), to leaders such as Dr. Onye Nnorom, (who continue to challenge inequities in health care systems today), Black Canadians have always contributed to this country in meaningful ways. Black excellence exists in every sector, including hospice palliative and end of life care, even when it goes unnamed. As a Black nurse working in palliative care, I have companioned people during the most vulnerable moments of their lives. I have known encouragement, support, and deep appreciation from patients, their families, and my own colleagues. Those moments matter. They sustain me. Those moments remind me why this work is sacred.
But there is another truth that must be spoken. I have also faced racism on the job in ways that are undeniable. Physical and verbal attacks. Criticism of my appearance and intelligence. Questioning of my professional credibility. Excessive monitoring, unfair workloads, and lack of opportunities to name a few. The question becomes constant. Do I endure quietly, or do I risk everything by naming what is happening? For Black health care providers and patients, reporting racism often increases vulnerability instead of protection. When leaders fail to respond with integrity, people are watching. Their response sets the tone for the entire organization. It negatively impacts how Black staff are treated, and whether values are truly lived out. Staff wellness is patient safety. One cannot exist without the other.
It should never fall on the harmed person to prove racism as it compounds the trauma. A just approach asks instead, “How do we demonstrate that racism is not present?” If examined honestly, inequity becomes impossible to ignore. This Black History Month, we honour Black legacy not only in history books, but at bedsides, in quiet rooms, and through compassionate hands doing challenging work every day. We are here. We belong here. Representation matters. We will continue to lead, care, and rise; to keep carrying that torch. As a collective, we must continue fixing issues to promote fairness for those who will come long after us. Advocacy comes with great personal sacrifice. Sometimes, the sacrifice is our personal time. Sometimes it makes us the targets of hate. We accept the cost, because silence costs far more than speaking ever will.
