In 1957, Canada elected its first Prime Minister without English or French roots, John Diefenbaker. While growing up in the city of Toronto, because of his German name, he was often teased. [1] He grew up as an outcast and therefore was able to relate to the discrimination and inequality felt by many minorities in Canada. This essay will attempt to answer the question: To what extent did Prime Minister John Diefenbaker help promote equality in minority communities? . Minorities in this time period were women, Aboriginal people and immigrants. During his time as Prime Minister, he was able to help protect the rights of this group because many of their rights were being abused by society. Diefenbaker also helped minorities defend themselves and other groups. Diefenbaker was able to bring positive change to minority communities by drafting an official Bill of Rights and appointing people from discriminated groups to parliament while other members were not. John Diefenbaker was able to achieve his main goal while in the Prime Minister's chair. He was able to promulgate the Bill of Rights “under which freedom of religion, of speech, of association… freedom from capricious arrest and freedom under the rule of law.” [2] He turned it into an official document that would prevent the continued abuse of the rights of many minority groups. He had seen discrimination with his own eyes during his early years with Aboriginal people, "[he was] distressed by their conditions, the incredible poverty and injustice inflicted on them". case with Japanese citizens in 1942. During World War II, the government did not declare that all the people of... middle of paper... l in this country."[13]Works Citedhttp:// www.archivescanada. ca/english/search/ItemDisplay.asp?sessionKey=1149011692062_206_191_57_196&l=0&lvl=1&v=0&coll=1&itm=251492&rt=1&bill=1 http://www.parl.gc.ca/parlinfo/Files/Parliamentarian.aspx ?Item=502cf d3e -8f6d-413d-a07f-9de82704f340&Language=E&Section=FederalExperience http://www.ourfutureourpast.ca/loc_hist/page.aspx?id=803591 http://www.cowboycountrytv.com/trailblazers/jamesgladstone.html "Bill of Rights (Canada), August 4, 1960." Discovering World History. Detroit: Gale, 2003. Canada in Context. Network. December 4, 2013. "Ellen Fairclough, 99, Canadian Cabinet Member in the 1950s." New York Times November 16, 2004: A25. Canada in Context. December 3, 2013. Burke, Marie. “Seven Aboriginal Senators: 40 Years (Looking Back at Aboriginal Representatives in the Senate).” in context. Network. December 3. 2013.