Al Hamilton Scholarship Fund

Supporting emerging Black journalists who aspire to affect social change.

Centennial College is proud to announce the creation of the Al Hamilton Scholarship Fund benefiting students enrolled in the Communications, Media and Design programs at Centennial College.

The new fund will support and nurture the education and careers of emerging black journalists, media professionals and the next generation of black Canadian leaders in communications in Canada through an annual scholarships of up to $1,000 each.

About Al Hamilton:

Born in Edmonton, Al Hamilton came to Toronto in the 1950s and worked on the advertising staff of Corriere Canadese, a Toronto Italian newspaper. He got the urge to go into business for himself and took over the floundering West Indian News Observer in February, 1969 and created Contrast, taking the focus away from solely the West Indian community and focusing on all of the black community. He fought for many causes while running Toronto’s first major publication serving blacks in Metro Toronto and across Canada. The weekly paper described itself as the "ears, eyes and voice of the black community" under Mr. Hamilton's guidance from 1969 to the early 1980s.

Former editor Hamlin Grange said the paper, which reached its peak in the 1970s, was "sometimes accused of sensationalism and being irresponsible" with its stories about racism and criticism of the Metro police. But Mr. Hamilton would say, "We've got to do it because nobody else would do it”.

"He was a street-smart type of man. He knew what was important to the community at the time. It was the right thing for Contrast at that time."

Because of Al Hamilton, Contrast was the launching pad for the careers of many black journalists in this city. "It was the only place to go when Toronto's media was almost all white," said Royson James, a Toronto Star reporter and former Contrast editor. But Mr. Hamilton was not content to take the young black reporters and keep them at his small weekly. He and other black leaders "made several trips to The Star and The Globe & Mail, demanding that their newsrooms reflect the makeup of Metro," said James.

Read what friends of Al Hamilton had to say about him:

• “Al wasn't a trained journalist but "he had a real keen sense of social justice and saw a newspaper as a vehicle to get that," said former managing editor Hamlin Grange, a Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reporter.
• "He was one who recorded the history of the black community - a man who was aware of his community and who worked hard to make sure its positive sides were accentuated," said Cecil Foster, an author, broadcaster and former Contrast editor.
• "He made a tremendous contribution to the black community," said longtime friend Bromley Armstrong.

Centennial College is the beneficiary of the Al Hamilton Scholarship, which recognizes the accomplishment of a second year Journalism student of colour, preferably Black, who demonstrates a willingness and ability to affect social change. The college is accepting donations to help raise funds for the Al Hamilton Scholarship, which will be matched by the Government of Ontario one-to-one.

If you are interested in supporting the Al Hamilton Scholarship Fund please download the pledge form, and return it by email to giving@centennialcollege.ca 

Quotes and note provided by Toronto Star article: Al Hamilton ran Contrast, paper serving Metro blacks, The Toronto Star, July 27, 1994