Contrast plaque, 2022.  

Plaque Text

Contrast newspaper — the "eyes, ears, and voice of Canada's Black community" — was published at 28 Lennox Street for 22 years.

Founded by Alfred Hamilton in 1969, Contrast covered stories about Black life in Toronto including the arts, community life, as well as racism, discriminatory policing, and other issues facing Toronto's Black communities. The first issue of Contrast covered the Sir George Williams affair in Montreal. Major stories included the deaths of Albert Johnson in 1979 and Lester Donaldson in 1988. Both were shot by Toronto police.

The paper nurtured many emerging Black writers, including Jojo Chintoh, Austin Clarke, Cecil Foster, Tom Godfrey, Hamlin Grange, Harold Hoyte, Royson James, Al Peabody, and Lorna Simms. The newspaper's office was also a meeting place for activists and community advocates. Its classified section was an important source of community information.

In the 1980s, Contrast demanded a boycott of South Africa due to its racial segregation and refused ads from businesses and people linked to the country. Due to its often outspoken editorial voice, the paper struggled to earn money.

Contrast closed in 1991, but many former staff stayed active journalists and 28 Lennox remained a significant Black community hub. The Ashanti Room, an arts and crafts store that was also a gathering space, was located in the building from 1995 to 2002.