Ralph Thomas ONB (born 1938) is a Canadian activist and former amateur boxer from Willow Grove, New Brunswick, Canada.
[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.
[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.
[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.