Patron of the National Employment Equity Council
The Honourable Jean Augustine P.C., C.M., O.Ont., C.B.E.
On June 30, 2026, the National Employment Equity Council unanimously appointed the Honourable Jean Augustine, P.C., C.M., O.Ont., C.B.E., as its inaugural Patron, recognizing her extraordinary record of public service and longstanding contributions to employment equity, human rights and the advancement of Black Canadians.
As Patron, the Honourable Jean Augustine serves as an honorary ambassador of the Council, lending her leadership and public standing to advance employment equity and strengthen engagement with leaders and institutions across Canada.
Jean Augustine is one of Canada’s most distinguished public figures. In 1993, she became the first Black woman elected to the Parliament of Canada and later the first Black woman appointed to the federal Cabinet. In 1995, she introduced the motion that led the House of Commons to unanimously recognize February as Black History Month across Canada. Her decades of service as an educator, parliamentarian, minister and community leader have helped expand opportunity and strengthen the participation of historically underrepresented communities in Canadian institutions.