Janet Judd
Janet Joyce Judd nee Saunders (1926-1991) was born in Seattle, Washington, emigrating to Vancouver, Canada two years later. She grew up in Strathcona, near Hogan’s Alley, the first and last Vancouver neighbourhood with a substantial concentrated black population. She served on student council at Strathcona School with children of Ukranian, Italian, and Japanese heritage and credits the Principal with fostering an environment of respect for all races and ethnicity. In 1943, she married her first husband, a construction truck driver. Janet worked with her family as a dancer, singer and actress. She was an activist in the black community and was Secretary of the Negro Citizens’ League by 1953. She was one of the first few women hired at the Vancouver Post Office (about 1960). She was very vocal around the poor working conditions and worked with the association of workers, later helping with organizing into a union. Judd continued her work in theatre, joining the all-black company, The Sepia Players. Through the 1970’s and early 1980’s she participated as an actor, director, and technician.