Frances Henry

Frances Henry is a Canadian scholar and Professor Emerita at York University.^[1] She is a member of the Royal Society of Canada^[2] and the Caribbean Studies Association (CSA).^[3]

She specializes in Caribbean Studies and is considered one of Canada's leading experts in the study of racism and anti-racism. She is the first scholar to conduct research on racism in Canada publishing a study of racial discrimination in employment in 1975. She has a long list of books, reports and articles on many aspects racism in Canadian society.

Her Caribbean studies include: The Caribbean Diaspora in Toronto: Learning to Live with Racism (1994)^[4] and Reclaiming African Religion in Trinidad: The Sociopolitcal Legitimation of the Orisha and Spiritual Baptists Faiths (2003).^[5]

In 2009, she co-authored the fourth edition of The Colour of Democracy: Racism in Canadian Society^[6] that is widely used in universities as a text.

Henry’s most recent work relates to racism at Canadian universities. Her books include: Racism in the Canadian University (with C. Tator) "The Equity Myth: Racialization and Indigeneity at Canadian Universities (developed and edited) He Had the Power: Pa Neezer, the Orisha King of Trinidad, about ‘Pa Neezer’ (Ebenezer Elliott).^[7]

In recognition of her research on racism in Canada, she was invested into the Order of Canada in 2022.

Henry is a life long Wagnerian serves as Chair of the Toronto Wagner Society.^[8]