British Columbia Association for the Advancement of Coloured People members
*The British Columbia Association for the Advancement of Coloured People is celebrated on this date in 1958. This was the first racially oriented, non-violence/activist organization in British Columbia.
At an "overflowing" mass meeting in Vancouver, A. Phillip Randolph, one of the founders of the Brotherhood, set up the city's division and established a branch of the Canadian League for the Advancement of Coloured People (CLACP), later named the British Columbia Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (BCAACP). It provided a community voice and support for self-definition through the census.
It supported/liaised with other Canadian and American organizations and endeavored to influence the curriculum in BC schools. It supported individuals facing discrimination in education, housing, and the justice system. Frank Collins, President of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, Vancouver division, was one of the founding members and served as its first President. He was a business agent and representative for the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU), as well as retaining his role as President of the BCAACP. The association was active until the 1980s.
