Barbara Howard (1920–2017), a record-breaking sprinter, educator, community front-runner and UBC alum, was the first Black female athlete to represent Canada internationally.
At a time when few opportunities were created for Black female athletes, she ran a path for next generations and paved her way into history.
Having broken the British Empire record at 17 for the 100-yard dash, Howard was selected for the British Empire Games in Sydney, Australia.
There, Howard made a sensational impact, receiving gifts and starring in newspapers. “It was exciting, but I didn’t realize at the time how much of a novelty I was considered,” she recalled. “Australia didn’t allow foreigners in then, and because they saw very few Black people they thought I was pretty special.”
She brought two medals for relay runs but not for the 100-yard dash. Howard ambitioned to conquer this race at the upcoming Olympic Games, but the Second World War broke out and ended her career.
Howard began a new track. When asked what she wanted to be when she grew up, she would say, “a P.E. teacher.” Howard got her bachelor’s degree in education at UBC in 1959 and belonged to the Delta Kappa Gamma sorority for over four decades.
Upon graduation, she worked as a teacher in Port Alberni, BC. She recalled not factoring in her colour when applying but later found by the hiring principal that “he had to [go] out of his way to get [her] that first job.” At a time when most ethnic minorities were barred from teaching, she soon became the first person of a visible minority hired by the Vancouver School Board. For over 40 years, she taught in various schools and emphasized to all her students the importance of staying active.
A trailblazer, her life leaves a legacy of athletic achievements and dedicated community engagement. In 2010, the Vancouver Park Board awarded Howard the Vancouver Remarkable Women Award. She was inducted into the Burnaby Sports Hall of Fame, the BC Sports Hall of Fame and as one of “The Legends” in the Canada Sports Hall of Fame in the following years. In September 2018, the City of Vancouver renamed the Cambie Street Plaza to the Barbara Howard Plaza in celebration of her contributions.
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