Remembering an unsung pioneer: RSJ alumnus Ernest Tucker

Ernest Tucker (Journalism ‘54) is believed to have been the first Black student to attend Ryerson’s School of Journalism. The longtime reporter, broadcaster and journalism instructor will be posthumously inducted into the CBC Hall of Fame on Dec. 15. Ahead of the ceremony, former Tucker student and fellow Ryerson alumnus Brian Daly (Journalism ‘96) remembers the impact his mentor had on his career and that of many others.

I have lost or discarded most of the mementoes from my early life, but not this one. It’s the glowing reference letter that Ernest Tucker wrote in the spring of 1992 to help me gain admission into Ryerson’s School of Journalism. His generous endorsement touched off a career that has brought me 25 years of wonderful and exciting experiences, while also enabling me to earn a living and support my family.

My relationship with Ernest (we called him Ernie) went far beyond that of a student-teacher dynamic. Ernest was also a mentor and an inspiration.

Before coming to Ryerson, I studied radio and television production, under Ernest’s tutelage, at John Abbott College, not far from the suburban Montreal neighbourhood where I grew up. He taught valuable lessons about the craft of journalism while making only passing mention of his decades-long career as a print, radio and television reporter in Canada and in his native Bermuda.

What an extraordinary career of firsts! The first Black student at the Ryerson School of Journalism; the first Black journalist at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation; first at the CBC to report the assassination of John F. Kennedy; and a reporter at Toronto’s first Black newspaper.

Not that Ernie boasted about any of those firsts. Nor did he ever share the pain and disappointment that he must have felt in the 1950s when white Canadian news managers refused to hire him because of his dark skin.

No, Ernie always remained classy, dignified and soft spoken as he taught us the toolbox of skills we needed to succeed in the journalism business. Though we rarely used the word multimedia back in the 1990s, Ernest was every bit the multimedia journalist – equally adept at turning a phrase for a newspaper article or delivering CBC Radio bulletins in his rich baritone. He inspired me to think outside of the old barriers that separated the various news platforms at the time. This multimedia mindset has served me well in this current era of integration that has transformed our business in the 21st century.

Ernest was ahead of his time in crossing racial and institutional boundaries but at his core, he was all about nuts-and-bolts journalism. I know that if he were around today he would be one of those stalwarts who insist on never compromising on the fundamentals even while striving to find, and use, your own voice to tell stories.

As a young Black student, I also learned things from Ernest Tucker that transcended the lesson plan. I had never before met a Black man in a position of leadership in the media, and Ernest’s very presence in the classroom made a huge impact on me.

2020 will go down as the year that humanity faced its greatest public health crisis in 100 years. But I will remember 2020 for something else – the year that Black Canadians let everyone know that We’ve Been Here. We’ve Been Here as doctors, lawyers, newspaper publishers and Victoria-cross-winning Navy servicemen, and that was just in the 19th century!

Since then, We’ve Been Here as senators, cabinet ministers and CEOs, as school principals, university governors and Governor-General. Ernest Tucker belongs alongside these and many other Black achievers. His induction into the CBC Hall of Fame is long overdue, but nonetheless a seminal moment in the history of journalism. Ernest joins the likes of Knowlton Nash and Barbara Frum as individuals who have “demonstrated a lasting impact on the CBC and Canadian journalism.” And this quiet giant also made his mark far beyond the newsroom. His 36 years as a journalism instructor at John Abbott College provided him a platform to influence hundreds of young lives, including mine. Since his death last year at the age of 87, many of his former students have reconnected to share stories about Ernest’s influence, his love for journalism, and his dry sense of humour.

On Dec. 15, at his induction ceremony, Ernest Tucker’s three children will share their memories of a loving father and husband. I only knew him as one of the unsung heroes of Canadian journalism, and a personal hero.