Jean Augstine

Do you know who has won six different awards and is the first Black Canadian woman to serve as a Federal Minister of the Crown and Member of Parliament? Well I do! It’s Jean Augustine! If you want to learn more about Jean including her back story, personal life, and work accomplishments then you are in the right place!

Jean was born September 9, 1937 in St. Georges, Grenada, but immigrated to Canada in 1960. After university, she worked as an elementary school principal with the Metropolitan Separate School Board in Toronto. Jean served on boards such as York University, The Hospital for Sick Children, the Stephen Lewis Foundation and Harbourfront Corporation. She also served as the National President of the Congress of Black Women of Canada.

In 1968 she married Winston Augustine, and they had two daughters Valerie and Cheryl but unfortunately, Jean and Winston got divorced in 1981 and Jean Augustine raised Valerie and Cheryl as a single mother.

Jean has many awards, for example In 2007, Jean was nominated by the Government of Ontario to become the first Fairness Commissioner and retired in 2015, In 2021 Jean was given the Lifetime Achievement Award from Maclean’s Magazine, as part of its 12th annual Parliamentarians of the Year awards, In 2011 Jean was one of the Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Award winners And more!

I hope you enjoyed learning about Jean Augustine, a loving, award-winning, black Canadian woman politician.