Dan Philip, the former president of the Black Coalition of Quebec, died Monday at the age of 87, according to the organization.
Philip “was a man of conviction and tirelessness, always ready to give of his time and to express frankly what he thought of bad deeds or social abuses, contrary to the public interest,” the coalition said in a press release.
“He has been and remains a source of inspiration and will remain in the collective memory, for his constancy and remarkable patience.”
A pillar of the community, Philip led the coalition for about 40 years, defending the rights of Black Quebecers and promoting equality.
He retired in 2020 but stayed on the organization’s board.
Philip was on the frontline of protests to desegregate the taxi industry in Montreal in the 1980s, pushed the Quebec government to change legislation that discriminated against Black tenants and fought against police brutality.
‘Almost single-handedly changed Quebec’
Max Stanley Bazin, the coalition’s current head, said Quebec has just lost a giant.
“This was someone who was very open and someone who thought of the common good. In his soul he wanted society to improve,” said Bazin.
Former Montreal city councillor Marvin Rotrand remembered Philip fondly, saying he knew how to appeal to people’s better instincts and build bridges between communities.
Philip also believed in the power of education and pushed the province to reckon with its history of slavery, Rotrand said.
“Before I met Dan, he had already almost single-handedly changed Quebec by fighting overt discrimination,” he said.
Former Notre-Dame-de-Grâce MP Marlene Jennings met Philip in the 1970s.
As commissioner for police ethics for the province in the 1990s, she consulted Philip for the creation of what she described as Quebec’s first-ever police ethics code.
He then helped educate the community on understanding their rights and how to advocate for themselves, she said.
“Quebec has lost a strong voice, a strong believer in fundamental human rights for everyone, and someone who understood that the better our society is at ensuring the rights of racialized minorities — and in particular Black racialized groups and protecting their rights — the better it is for everybody,” said Jennings.
Philip had been given awards and recognition from both the City of Montreal and the Quebec National Assembly for his contributions to society.
He had suffered a stroke in recent years.
“His sudden death will leave no one indifferent because he was not only a distinguished character recognized for his commitment and his fight for justice and the defence of rights,” the Black Coalition of Quebec said.