Noel Alexander, longtime leader in Montreal's Black community, had 'courage to stand up'
Noel Alexander was born outside of Montreal but made the city his home like few do. He was loud and outspoken but also made time to have a quiet word "anytime you were in need," said one of the many he mentored.
Alexander, the longtime president of the Jamaica Association of Montreal, has died at the age of 87.
Known for his activism against police brutality and for the fair treatment of all Black Montrealers, Alexander is being remembered as a beloved defender of his community who pushed the fight for equality a long way through endless concrete, creative projects and tireless one-on-one help.
"He was a pioneer; he was a trailblazer," said Denburk Reid, one of the younger generation whom Alexander took under his wing.
"He was one of those individuals who wasn't afraid to challenge... he was always there to be a voice for the community."
Alexander, or "Prezy," as he was affectionately known, was born in England and trained as a welder. After arriving in Montreal in the 1970s, he sat at his association’s helm for 34 years over his two terms.
"He was an inspiration to many of us," read an open letter posted online this week by current president Mark Henry.
"“[He was] a great source of knowledge and direction."
Alexander was known as someone who would tackle instances of police mistreatment. But, Henry wrote, he also built bridges with the police.
"He established bonds between the Montreal police force and the Black community, specifically the Caribbean community, which also exists today," wrote Henry.
First becoming leader in 1980, Henry says Alexander was "instrumental in establishing the organization to what it is."
He remained at the post until 1987 before resuming the leadership role two years later. He then stayed on as president for more than two decades before finally stepping down in 2016.
In that time, he founded projects for kids and for young mothers, and for people needing job skills. He organized cultural celebrations for everyone in the Jamaican community to take pride in their origins.
He also helped individuals through countless more personal episodes of mistreatment at the hands of police, in school or in other institutions.
"He was outgoing but always there when needed," said Reid, who went on to found a major community youth organization, Montreal Community Cares.
"You could call on him anytime... and he'd answer the phone."
If someone was having "issues with police, at school... he was always there," Reid said.
ALEXANDER ARRIVED IN A DIFFERENT MONTREAL
In 2015, Alexander was honoured with a medal of the National Assembly for his advocacy work in Montreal’s Black community.
At the time, he told CTV News that when he arrived in Montreal in 1974, he was shocked by the thinly-veiled racism present in everyday life.
"I remember picking up a newspaper and it said 'Room for rent. No blacks, no dogs, no Irish, no kids,'" he said.
"When I came to Montreal, they won’t tell you you can’t rent a room. They’ll tell you it was gone and still advertise it."
Beyond his own day-to-day projects, he was also always striving for a bigger goal, Reid said: mentoring younger people to learn to speak up as well, to take a big place in Montreal. He often pushed Reid (unsuccessfully, so far) to run for office, he said.
"That's something that he was always preaching and pushing, for us to take the chance and go out there and try," Reid said.
"At the end of the day it's about finding your voice, having the courage to stand up and be a voice for the voiceless."
Reid recalled coming into meetings or events in his younger years, and Alexander would call out to him and say "come sit down beside me," Reid said. He would always "give me some kid of lesson, give me some historical facts," or talk about his recent ideas of community projects.
Not only his projects live on, including the one for young mothers that is now a permanent fixture. His protegés will never forget his example, either, Reid said.
"I think the challenge is, he's done so many great things, so it's big shoes to fill for sure -- but I think we have to learn from what he's done," he said.
"He's going to be greatly missed, from his family and from the community, but I feel that what he would want is to take his life, celebrate his life and move it forward, and continue the good fight that he was doing to make sure that our community is safe and respected and has a place in the city."
He is survived by his wife Molly Young, his children and other family members.
--With files from CTV's Matt Grillo
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
NEW More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Polar ice is melting and changing Earth's rotation. It's messing with time itself
One day in the next couple of years, everyone in the world will lose a second of their time. Exactly when that will happen is being influenced by humans, according to a new study, as melting polar ice alters the Earth’s rotation and changes time itself.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.