Violet King Henry Plaza

February is Black History Month and provides an opportunity to honour the legacy of Black Albertans, past and present. Like many other cultural groups who call Alberta home, they have contributed so much to make Alberta the welcoming and prosperous province it is today.

Alberta’s Government is planning a number of initiatives and events throughout the month to celebrate the many achievements and contributions of Black Albertans and their communities. We invite you to participate and share on social media.

Follow Alberta Culture on Twitter to stay up to date on celebrations and social media posts highlighting prominent Black Albertans. Over the next month, we will also showcase Johnny Bright’s favourite recipes. Johnny was a member of the Edmonton Elks football team (1954-1964) and received the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player Award in 1959, and his family is graciously sharing his most-loved dishes.

An online celebratory event will be held at the end of February, event details and log-in information coming soon! This event will feature community leaders and local performers. Everyone is welcome to attend via Zoom and share in the celebration.

On February 26, 2021, the Federal Building Plaza in Edmonton has been renamed to the Violet King Henry Plaza in honour of the first Black woman to practice law in Canada. Violet King Henry graduated from the University of Alberta Law School in 1953 and was called to the bar on June 2, 1954. Alberta Culture encourages all Albertans to honour Violet King Henry by visiting the plaza from February 1 – 28 and posting a selfie using #VioletKingHenryPlaza and/or #BlackHistoryMonthAB.