Black History Month 2024
by Ralph Lucas – Publisher
(February 29, 2024 – Toronto, ON) With this extra day in February, I thought we would use it to recap the actors and directors we highlighted during Black History Month 2024. We wish the month was longer and next year we’ll look into doubling or tripling each day’s posting.
Following is a list in chronological order of those Black Canadian film stars we honoured this year. With the unexpected passing of Charles Officer on December 1 of last year, we thought it was appropriate to begin with a look back at his life and career. We link to the filmographies, where you can find links to longer, detailed biographies for most of those on this list.
Charles Officer
Melanie Nicholls-King
Ardon Bess
Jennifer Hodge de Silva
Clé Bennett
Mouna Traoré
Corey Bowles
Karen LeBlanc
Maurice Dean Wint
Amanda Brugel
Jessica Lucas
Clement Virgo
Rachel Crawford
Lamar Johnson
Arlene Duncan
Phil Akin
Anais Granofsky
Clark Johnson
Jackie Richardson
Mpho Koaho
Vinessa Antoine
Lyriq Bent
Enuka Okuma
Benz Antoine
Gloria Reuben
Stephan James
Tonya Williams
Those we were able to highlight this month are a small sampling of Black Canadian performers and filmmakers featured on the pages of Northernstars.ca. Drake, Richard Chevolleau, Eli Goree, Kardinal Offishall, Nabil Rajo, Derwin Jordan, Abdul Ayoola, Ronnie Rowe Jr., Jahmil French and many more actors. Shailene Garnett, Mishael Morgan, Karen Robinson, Yanna McIntosh, Genelle Williams, Oluniké Adeliyi, Chantel Riley, Kylie Bunbury, Tymika Tafari and many more actresses.
There was no decision involved when Northernstars™ first went online. That is, from day one “inclusion” was just part of the job of promoting the wealth of screen talent we have in Canada from cast to coast to coast. Something we’ve been able to do for more than a quarter century without the support of any film-related organizations or associations. Imagine what we might accomplish with just a little help.
Ralph Lucas is a former broadcast executive and award-winning director in high-end corporate video production. The founder and publisher of Northernstars.ca, online since 1998, he began writing about film and reviewing movies while in radio in Montreal in the mid-1970s.
