A legacy of care: UTSC prof reflects on grandfather’s pioneering career in education and activism

U of T alumnus Wilson O. Brooks became the Toronto District School Board’s first Black principal in 1971. Photo courtesy of Nicole Bernhardt. 

Nicole Bernhardt keeps three artifacts in her office to remember her grandfather, Wilson O. Brooks (BA 1953 WDW, BEd 1957 OISE). 

They include his University of Toronto transcript, a stamped certification from the Registrar’s Office confirming the completion of his degree, and an article from Share magazine celebrating his retirement from the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) in 1986. 

With a nearly 40-year career in education, Brooks made history when he became the TDSB’s first Black principal in 1971. His influence reached beyond the classroom; Brooks was a dedicated activist who helped pave several initiatives to create a more equitable city.

“A legacy that I carry from my grandfather is a pedagogy of care,” says Bernhardt, an assistant professor of political science at U of T Scarborough. 

“The fact that he made long-lasting impacts and connections showed being in community is an important part of being an educator.”

One of three brothers, Brooks grew up in the Parkdale neighborhood of Toronto, with family ties in Windsor, Ontario. In April 1943, at the age of 18 he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and soon earned the rank of flying officer. He became one of the RCAF’s first Black commissioned officers to serve in a bomber squadron during World War II. 

After his service, Brooks applied to medical school, but was not accepted, and was instead directed to study in the West Indies. Using his veteran’s allowance, he enrolled at the University of Toronto, where he earned a bachelor of arts degree in 1953. While studying at the University of Toronto, he met his first wife, Phyllis, a fellow student. Brooks would later receive an master of education from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education in 1967. 

After teaching at an elementary school in Phyllis’ home country of Bermuda, Brooks returned to Toronto in 1952, where he taught grade 5 at Brock Public School, becoming the first Black male teacher in the TDSB. While he is considered the first Black male teacher, it was important to Brooks to recognize the contributions of Black women who came before him.

In a 1952 article from The Telegram, Brooks shared that he saw teaching as, “a means to break down the barrier of discrimination in the children’s minds before it has a chance to develop.” For Brooks, education was an avenue to challenge exclusionary components of education and create accessible and inclusive education systems for Toronto.

Supporting newcomers

Brooks went on to hold several vice-principal positions, first at Gledhill Avenue School in 1961 and later at Queen Alexandra Middle School and Lord Lansdowne Junior and Senior Public School. He was appointed principal of Shaw Public School in 1971, becoming the first Black principal in the TDSB.

While at Shaw, the TDSB introduced a multicultural education program in several schools to support newcomers, which Brooks talked about in an interview at the time: 

“They [new Canadians] have come to this city of ours for one thing, as far as children are concerned, to get ahead…if a school is to be used, that is the kind of support we get, to make sure they get ahead in school.” 

Brooks championed efforts to create more opportunities for Black Canadians in higher education. He served on the selection committee for the Harry Gairey Scholarship, established to help Black Canadians pursue and attend university. 

Active in multiple teachers’ organizations, Brooks served as president of the Ontario Public School Principals’ Association in 1983 and 1984. He retired in June 1986 after serving as principal of Glen Ames Public School. 

“My grandfather was dedicated to education and community. I don’t think he saw these things as separate,” Bernhardt says. 

“He approached teaching as a community-building activity. He saw education as a vehicle to further opportunities and social change for a more equitable future from that in which he grew up in.”

Committed to community 

In addition to education, Brooks was committed to community activism and social justice. In 1941, he joined the Anti-Discrimination Committee of Toronto. A young Brooks also co-led a protest challenging segregationist policies at the Palais Royale in October 1942. The demonstration responded to management’s refusal to allow Black individuals attend a performance of American jazz pianist Earl “Fatha” Hines. The event is referred as one of the first protests to address discrimination in Toronto.

He and Phyllis organized events in Toronto, hosting activists and leaders from the United States, including the famous singer, actor and civil rights advocate Harry Belafonte. Brooks was also a member of the Toronto Negro Business and Professional Men’s Association and served as president until the mid-1960s. He was one of several Torontonians to establish the Urban Alliance on Race Relations in 1975 to address hate-motivated violence in the city.

Much of Brooks’ civil rights work was carried out alongside sociologist and human rights specialist and U of T alumnus, Daniel G. Hill (MA 1951, PhD 1960, Hon. LLD 2000). 

Together with others, Brooks and Hill lobbied the Ontario government to establish the Ontario Human Rights Commission. A year later, various anti-discrimination laws were combined to create the Ontario Human Rights Code, making Ontario the first province in Canada to establish a human rights commission and code.

In 1978, Brooks and Hill co-founded the Ontario Black History Society, the first public organization in Canada dedicated to preserving Black history. The following year, they successfully petitioned Toronto City Hall to recognize February as Black History Month.

Inspiring the next generation

Brooks passed away in April 1994. As the eldest of four grandchildren, Bernhardt not only recalls Brooks’ deep love for his family but also the admiration many had for him. Former students and colleagues frequently approached him to express their gratitude for his teachings and mentorship.

Bernhardt’s decision to pursue a career in higher education was shaped by Brooks’ dedication to teaching, human rights and community building. Her research focuses on human rights policy as a response to structural racism. She also serves on the executive team for the Black Canadian Studies Association.

“It would amaze him that I’m a professor here now,” Bernhardt says.

Bernhardt’s daughter, Zadie, in turn, proudly shared a story about Brooks’ enduring legacy to her senior kindergarten class last year, in the very Parkdale neighborhood Brooks grew up.

“My grandfather instilled in his kids, and my mom instilled in me, a real love and respect for education,” Bernhardt says. 

“He was very proud of what he had accomplished, and we are all so proud of who he was. It’s something that continues to the next generation.” 

Originally published by Black Research Network.