Trinidad-born Dr. Clarence Bayne, an educator and leader in Montreal’s Black community, died on September1last. He was 91.

He was a professor and lecturer at Concordia University and was also a founding member of the Black Studies Centre and Black Theatre Workshop in Montreal.

“Dr. Bayne was a pillar of strength and a guiding light for our community,” the Black Community Resource Centre noted. “His lifelong dedication to championing the rights and voices of the English-speaking Black community in Quebec has left a profound impact on all of us.”

Bayne came to Canada in 1955 to attend the University of British Columbia.

His honours have included a Governor General’s Award and the Black Theatre Workshop’s Martin Luther King Jr. Award.

Bayne was “Montreal’s English language theatre community’s greatest advocate and supporter, dedicating countless hours and resources to its success,” the Black Theatre Workshop, Canada’s oldest Black theatre company, noted in a social media post.

“Balancing his involvement with numerous other companies and associations,” it added, “he has consistently not only opened doors and uplifted others, but through his life of advocacy, ensured that those doors remained open.”

  Montreal Quebec