Detective Alton C. Parker
Police Officer.
Alton C. Parker was born in Windsor in 1907. Before joining the police force in 1942, he worked as a mechanic. Parker became the first Black Constable to be employed by the Windsor Police Department. Although he faced opposition upon entering the police force, Parker’s outstanding work and personality changed his fellow officer’s views on diversity in the work force. He enjoyed serving the community with dedication and pride, and in 1951 he was promoted to the rank of Detective – becoming the first black detective in Canada.
Parker was a founding member of “Apartment Living for Physically Handicapped Adults”, served on the board of directors of Goodwill Industries, and in 1966 began hosting the annual Uncle Al’s Kids Party. In 1976, Broadhead Park, the site of Uncle Al’s annual kids parties, was officially renamed Alton C. Parker Park in his honor.
Detective Parker was a recipient of many awards in recognition for his involvement with the community. In 1976 he received the Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship, in 1977 he was awarded the queen’s Silver Jubilee Medal, and in 1986 he received the Harry Jerome Award for his commitment to youth. In 1988 Detective Alton Parker was named The Person of the Year by the North American Black Historical Museum. He touched many lives and was a great role model for the community. Detective Alton C. Parker passed away in 1989.
Sources:
City’s first black cop honoured; Alton C. Parker joined force 70 years ago
Wilhelm, Trevor. The Windsor Star; Windsor, Ont. [Windsor, Ont] 01 Sep 2012: A.2.
Accessed from Canadian Reference Centre from Windsor Public Library’s Databases.
https://lifesatrip.ca/2015/02/17/meet-alton-c-parker-canadas-first-black-detective
https://www.police.windsor.on.ca/about/wps/Documents/Black%20History%20Month.pdf
https://archive.gg.ca/honours/search-recherche/honours-desc.asp?lang=e&TypeID=orc&id=1296