Beyond The Glass Walls: Black Canadian Nurses, 1940-1970

The nursing profession in Canada was a completely different atmosphere than it is now. Black women up until the mid-1940s were denied the ability to train as nurses in Canada and it was not until the early 1950s that the first group of Black women were allowed into nursing schools (Flynn 129). Karen Flynn’s article, “Beyond the Glass Walls: Black Canadian Nurses, 1940-1970”, explains in great detail the immense amount of hard work and courage Black women endured in order to work in this profession. Since nursing at the time was predominantly done by middle-class White women, Victorian ideals of integrity and femininity were expected to be followed in the workplace (Flynn 131). For this reason, the history behind nurses of colour is incredibly valuable to know because without their determination, childhood experiences, and their cooperation as trailblazers, nursing could still be managed by mainly White women today.

Women of colour did not allow White hierarchy to dictate what they can and cannot do. They strived for the best and blew White colleagues, administrators, and patients away with their exceptional qualifications (Flynn 132). Even though Black women had a much more difficult time getting into nursing, they refused to allow future Black women to go through the same amount of hassle they did. They questioned nursing policies that prevented women of colour to enter this profession by campaigning. By 1944, The Canadian Nursing Association announced that nursing would no longer allow discrimination to occur (Flynn 133). Although, this did not completely eliminate prejudice towards Black nurses, it was a start. Black women’s dedication back then is the main reason nursing is now a safer and more pleasant place to