Lincoln MacCauley Alexander was born in Toronto on 21 January 1922 to a family of Caribbean immigrants. He served in the Royal Canadian Air Force during the Second World War, then studied law and became a lawyer, starting his own firm. He was appointed Queen's Counsel in 1965.
In 1968 Alexander was elected to the House of Commons for Hamilton West as a Progressive Conservative, becoming the first Black Member of Parliament in Canadian history. He served in the House until 1980 and was re-elected several times, representing his constituents for twelve years.
In 1979 he became federal Minister of Labour in the short-lived government of Joe Clark, the first Black member of a federal cabinet. After leaving Parliament he chaired the Workers' Compensation Board of Ontario, where he worked to improve services for injured workers.
In 1985 Alexander was sworn in as the 24th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, the first Black Canadian, and the first member of a visible minority, to serve as the Queen's representative in a Canadian province. He held the office until 1991 and was widely admired for his work with young people and his campaign against racism. Afterwards he became chancellor of the University of Guelph.
He died on 19 October 2012, aged 90. The Lincoln M. Alexander Parkway in Hamilton, known to locals as the Linc, bears his name. In 2015 the federal government declared 21 January, his birthday, Lincoln Alexander Day, and a number of schools and public buildings are also named in his honour.
- First Black Member of Parliament in Canada, 1968
- First Black federal cabinet minister, 1979
- First Black lieutenant governor in Canada, Ontario 1985–1991
- Chaired Ontario's Workers' Compensation Board
- Served as chancellor of the University of Guelph
- Firsts matter when they open doors. Alexander used each barrier he broke to speak for young people and for equality.
- Public service can span several offices. He moved from the law to Parliament, the cabinet, a provincial board and the vice-regal office.