TORONTO/MONTREAL — CBC News today announced trailblazing Black journalist Ernest Tucker will be inducted posthumously into its Hall of Fame on December 15.
Born in 1931, Tucker (above) came to Canada from Bermuda at the age of 14. Despite experiencing the discrimination of the 1950s and ’60s, he persevered in his chosen profession of journalism, and in 1961 he joined the CBC where he is considered to be the corporation’s first Black reporter. Tucker died in January 2019 in Châteauguay.
Between his long career working at the CBC, first in Toronto and later in Montreal, and then as an educator at John Abbott College outside Montreal, Tucker became a beloved mentor and role model, says the CBC’s press release.
“The CBC News Hall of Fame was established to honour individuals who have ‘demonstrated a lasting impact on the CBC and Canadian journalism.’ It is a chance for CBC News to embrace and celebrate this legacy and the individuals who have helped define us,” said Susan Marjetti, general manager of news, current affairs and local for the CBC, in the press release. “Quite simply, Ernest Tucker made a difference in a lot of people’s lives at CBC.”
Here is some of the admiration expressed by CBC News staff who submitted nominations for Tucker’s induction into the CBC News Hall of Fame:
- “…a trailblazer who helped pave the way for many others to follow in his footsteps”
- “…one of the greatest mentors that I’ve had and taught me that one of the most vital skills when working in journalism and the news is to be a good listener”
- “As a Black journalist at CBC who has unfortunately encountered some racist attitudes that are slowly changing, I simply cannot imagine what Ernest had to endure…He is a perfect candidate for our Hall of Fame.”
On the afternoon of December 15, CBC News will welcome Tucker’s children, Rebecca, Jasmin and Julien, as their father is posthumously inducted into the CBC News Hall of Fame during a virtual induction ceremony.
Tucker will join previous inductees Knowlton Nash, Joe Schlesinger, Barbara Frum, Trina McQueen, Peter Stursberg and Matthew Halton.
