Gail Arlene Ito, Author at • Page 2 of 4

Independent Historian

Gail Arlene Ito is a retired Elementary School Administrator from Regina, Saskatchewan .She has a 30 year background in elementary education, special education and administrative roles in several elementary schools. Ito attended the University of Regina, Seattle Pacific University and the University of Washington, earning a Bachelor of Education, a Post Graduate Diploma and a Masters Degree in Curriculum and Instruction.

Ito has a 40 year involvement in the community of Regina and many volunteer activities include being a member and coach of the Saskatchewan Field Hockey Assoc. helping to organize the annual tournaments at Taylor Field. Ito has worked with the Regina Teachers Club to raise funds for research for Parkinson’s disease. She has also been a member of the Saskatchewan Roughriders committee to promote ticket sales and donations for the Food Bank.

Dr. Alfred Schmitz Shadd (1870-1915)

Alfred Schmitz Shadd, a black educator, physician, farmer, politician, editor and civic leader was born in Raleigh, Ontario in 1870. He was the fourth son of Garrison and Harriet Poindexter Shadd, a distinguished abolitionist family. Shadd planned to become a doctor but trained as a … Read MoreDr. Alfred Schmitz Shadd (1870-1915)

Eugene Upshaw (Gene) Thurman (1945-2008)

Gene Upshaw was a Hall of Fame professional football player for the Oakland Raiders and Executive Director of the National Football League (NFL) Players’ Association. Upshaw was born in Robstown, Texas in 1945 where he picked cotton as a child and played high school football. … Read MoreEugene Upshaw (Gene) Thurman (1945-2008)

Isaac Hayes (1942-2008)

Academy Award-winning composer and musician Isaac Hayes, Jr. was born to Isaac Sr. and Eula Hayes on August 20, 1942 in Covington, Tennessee. Hayes began his career at the age of 20 when he joined Stax Records as a studio musician. By the late 1960s … Read MoreIsaac Hayes (1942-2008)

Damon Allen (1963- )

Damon Allen is a professional football player in the Canadian Football League (CFL). In 2007-08 he completed his 24th season with the CFL. A graduate of California State University, Fullerton, Allen is the younger brother of former National Football League (NFL) star Marcus Allen. Damon … Read MoreDamon Allen (1963- )

George Elliott Clarke (1960- )

George Elliott Clarke, a poet, playwright and literary critic is also the E.J Pratt Professor of Canadian Literature at the University of Toronto (Ontario). Clarke was born near the Black Loyalist community of Windsor Plains, Nova Scotia. He is a seventh generation Canadian descendant of … Read MoreGeorge Elliott Clarke (1960- )

Measha Brueggergosman (1977- )

Measha Brueggergosman, Canada’s most recognizable young opera star, is working hard to bring classical music to a popular audience. The Canadian soprano has emerged as one of the most magnificent performers and vibrant personalities of the day. She is critically acclaimed by the international press … Read MoreMeasha Brueggergosman (1977- )

Willie O’Ree (1935- )

Willie O’Ree, the National Hockey League’s (NHL) first black player, is an African–Canadian, born on October 15, 1935, in Fredricton, New Brunswick. He began skating at an early age and quickly developed into one of the best players in eastern Canada. O’Ree joined the Quebec … Read MoreWillie O’Ree (1935- )

Lenny Wilkens (1937- )

Leonard Randolph (Lenny) Wilkens was born in Brooklyn, New York, on October 28, 1937, son of an African American father and white mother. He grew up in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section, one of the toughest sections in the city, where he endured many hardships, including the … Read MoreLenny Wilkens (1937- )

Rosemary Brown (1930-2003)

Rosemary Brown has the distinction of being the first black woman in Canada to be elected to public office. She was elected to the British Columbia Legislative Assembly in 1972 and served in the provincial legislature until 1986. She was also the first woman to … Read MoreRosemary Brown (1930-2003)

Stanley G. Grizzle (1918- )

Stanley G. Grizzle founded the Railway Porter’s Trade Union Council and served as president of the Toronto Canadian Pacific Railroad (CPR) Division of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP) from 1946 to 1962. Grizzle was born in Toronto, Ontario in 1918, to Jamaican parents … Read MoreStanley G. Grizzle (1918- )