BOARD MEMBERS

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Born and raised in Windsor, Ontario, Irene Moore Davis is an educator, historian, writer, podcaster, and activist who speaks, teaches, and writes about equity, diversity, inclusion, and African Canadian history. Irene’s previous publications have included poetry, journalism, and history, including a chapter in the collection A Fluid Frontier: Slavery, Resistance, and the Underground Railroad in the Detroit River Borderlands; her forthcoming book is titled Our Own Two Hands: A History of Black Lives in Windsor from the 1700s Forward. work has included poetry, history, and journalism. Her documentary producer credits have included the award-winning The North Was Our Canaan (2020) and the new Across the River to Freedom (currently in post-production.) Her many appearances as a content expert have included the Discovery Channel mini-series Secrets of the Underground Railroad and the CBC series Black Life: A Canadian History. Irene is a graduate of the University of Windsor, Western University, and Queen's University. She recently served as Project Manager of the McDougall Street Corridor Project, encompassing a walking tour, a digital archive, and other knowledge mobilization strategies regarding downtown Windsor's historic Black district. Irene fulfills community roles including President of the Essex County Black Historical Research Society, Chair of the Annual History Conference at the Buxton National Historic Site and Museum, Programming Chair at BookFest Windsor, co-host of the All Write in Sin City podcast, co-host of the Windsor television program Talkin' Real Melanin, and member of the University of Windsor Board of Governors. In 2022, Irene was the recipient of the Harriet Tubman Award for Commitment to a Purpose from the Ontario Black History Society and was named to the 100 Accomplished Black Canadian Women.

Cheryl Thompson is an Associate Professor in Performance at The Creative School, Toronto Metropolitan University. She is author of Uncle: Race, Nostalgia, and the Politics of Loyalty (2021) and Beauty in a Box: Detangling the Roots of Canada’s Black Beauty Culture (2019). In 2022, Dr. Thompson co-edited Creative Industries in Canada. She is the recipient of multiple Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) grants. In addition, Dr. Thompson is currently principal investigator on “Mapping Ontario’s Black Archives: Building An Inventory Through Storytelling,” an Early Ontario Researcher Award (2021-26) project that is cataloguing Ontario’s Black archival collections. Dr. Thompson's fourth book, Canada and the Blackface Atlantic: Transatlantic Slavery in the Age of Theatrical (Re)productions, 1604-1895 is currently under review with Wilfrid Laurier Press.

Educator, historian, and curriculum consultant. She is the author of Emancipation Day: Celebrating Freedom in Canada(June 2010) and Talking about Freedom: Celebrating Freedom in Canada (January 2012). Natasha is the president of the Ontario Black History Society. Through her various professional, academic, and community roles, Natasha’s work is grounded in her commitment to research, collect, preserve, and disseminate the histories of Black Canadians.

Professor in the Department of Humanities, School of Advancement at Centennial College. As well, she is a Communications Coach in leadership development with The Humphrey Group. Prior to teaching and coaching, Amanda worked in entertainment freelancing for large Canadian companies such as Corus, CCI, and Breakthrough Entertainment, and on shows such as Bake with Anna Olsen, Timeblazers, Kids World Sports, and animated series' Producing Parker, Atomic Betty, Jimmy Two Shoes and My Big Big Friend. She has been a member of the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television (ACCT), the Alliance of Canadian Cinema Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA), and Women in Film & Television (WIFT-T). She holds a Bachelor of Applied Arts; Radio and Television from Ryerson University.