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Black women's participation in nursing in Canada has been marked by a long history of discrimination and exclusion, even after they were formally permitted to enter the profession in the mid-1940s. Examining mainstream Canadian newspaper coverage, this study traces anti-Black racism in Canadian nursing from the 1940s to 2020. Newspaper database keyword searches using contemporary and contextually employed descriptors identified 13 newspapers with substantial coverage across the 80-year period. Thematic analysis of relevant articles generated four narrative frames: (1) 1940s-1950s: claims of "no barriers" to nursing education; (2) 1960s-1970s: clear acknowledgment of racism against Black nurses; (3) 1980s-1990s: incipient recognition of systemic nature of discrimination; and (4) 2000s-2020: deepening understandings of systemic racism in nursing. The extent and nature of coverage within and across timeframes varied, influenced by each newspaper's editorial stance and ideological leanings. Some outlets highlighted the lived experiences of racism reported by Black nurses; others downplayed or denied that racism existed. Overall, the findings show that despite some progress and growing public recognition of anti-Black racism, systemic discrimination remains deeply embedded within Canadian nursing. Addressing these longstanding inequities requires sustained, multi-level action. Although this study is Canada-focused, the methodological approach and findings have broader relevance for other societies with histories of anti-immigrant and racial discrimination. Trial Registration: N/A.
Oneka et al. (Wed,) studied this question.