| Ralph Thomas | |
| Birth Place: | Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada |
| Occupation: | Activist |
| Spouse: | Judith Meinert |
Ralph Thomas (born 1938) is a Canadian activist and former amateur boxer from Willow Grove, New Brunswick, Canada.[1] He was the president of Pride of Race, Unity and Dignity through Education (PRUDE), a New Brunswick-based organization promoting inclusion. He is also a co-founder of the New Brunswick Black History Society, an organization dedicated to promoting and preserving Black history in New Brunswick.[2]
Thomas was born in 1938[2] in Saint John[3] and was raised in Willow Grove,[4] a nearby settlement founded by Black refugees.[5] Thomas grew up at a time where racism and racial segregation existed in Saint John, and siblings of his who lived there were restricted from entering certain establishments such as the Admiral Beatty Hotel.[6]
For a large part of his career, Thomas worked in the automotive trade industry.[4] He also had a career in amateur boxing, in which he had a nickname "Tiger".[6]
In 1966, Thomas founded the New Brunswick Amateur Boxing Association and served as its president for 20 years.[7] He was also a 28-year long member of the board of directors of the Canadian Amateur Boxing Association.[8] In 1968, he created Golden Gloves, a boxing club based in Saint John.[2] [7] In 1976, Thomas was inducted into the Canadian Boxing Hall of Fame as well as the New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame in 2000.[7]
In 1997, Thomas became the president of PRUDE Inc. (Pride of Race, Unity and Dignity through Education),[9] an advocacy group dedicated to assisting visible minorities and newcomers in Saint John.[6] [8] [10] Through his advocacy work, Thomas has educated young people in the province about Black history.[11]
In June 2010,[12] Thomas co-founded the New Brunswick Black History Society (NBBHS),[2] serving as the group's project coordinator.[13] [14] Through his advocacy work with other NBBHS and PRUDE Inc. members, Thomas has done several presentations educating others about Black history in New Brunswick.[14] Through his work with the NBBHS, Thomas has contributed towards changing geographical names tied to racism and slavery,[15] renaming them to honour historical Black figures in the province such as Abraham Beverley Walker.[16] [17]
Thomas has received multiple awards and accolades for his advocacy work, including the New Brunswick Human Rights Award in 2012,[2] [8] an honorary doctorate from the University of New Brunswick in 2019,[2] the Sovereign's Medal for Volunteers in 2020,[18] and the Order of New Brunswick in 2021.[3]