UPCOMING COMMUNITY EVENT - Saturday April 12, 2025

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Uju Umenyi is a multi-disciplinary storyteller dedicated to illuminating the rich and often overlooked stories of the Black, African and Caribbean diaspora of Canada. Her artistic practice often sits at the intersection of historical research and creative storytelling, dramatizing the experiences of early Black settlers who helped shape Canada as well as the stories of immigrants from African and the Caribbean who settled and now call Canada home.

Shantelle Browning-Morgan is a Black Canadian educator, curriculum developer, and sixth-generation Underground Railroad descendant. She teaches with the Greater Essex County District School Board and holds multiple degrees from the University of Windsor. Shantelle is a longtime community leader and the recipient of numerous awards, including the Governor General’s Award for Excellence in Teaching Canadian History. She has contributed to several major Black Canadian history curricula across Ontario and beyond.

Catherine MacDonald is an award-winning educator with 35 years of experience in elementary and secondary education. She holds multiple degrees from the University of Toronto and has received numerous teaching awards, including the Governor General’s Award for Excellence in Teaching Canadian History. Catherine is a founding member of the Jackson Park Project and a dedicated contributor to Black and Indigenous history education. She has authored and developed educational resources for museums, conferences, and historic commemorations across Canada.

Isabella Conte has a BA in Arts and Contemporary Studies, History Minor from Toronto Metropolitan University. She has experience in education programming and curation in art galleries and community museums. 

Heather Fraser is an experienced GLAM sector administrator with an MA in Art History, BA in Art History & Criticism, and a Bachelor of Education. 

Emily Ing holds a BA in History from McMaster University and is currently working across the museum and library sectors, while also serving as a Director at a national health charity.

Irene Moore Davis is an educator, public historian, writer, and advocate known for her work on Black Canadian history and equity. A sixth-generation Underground Railroad descendant, she teaches at St. Clair College and Huron University and serves as President of the Essex County Black Historical Research Society. Irene has produced award-winning documentaries and been featured on CBC and Discovery Channel. Her many honours include the Harriet Tubman Award, the King Charles III Coronation Medal, and the University of Windsor’s Alumni Award of Merit.

Tonya Sutherland-Stewart - Archival Coordinator and Research Tonya Sutherland-Stewart is a heritage professional living in the Bay of Quinte region. With a background in History and Museum Studies, she finds herself drawn to community organizations. Tonya has worked in several community-focused not-for-profits, including the Quinte Arts Council, the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre, and The ArQuives: Canada's LGBTQ2+ Archives. She applies her passion for preserving heritage and community outreach by leading the development of a JPP Digital Archive.

Dr. Natasha Henry-Dixon is an assistant professor of African Canadian History at York University, award-winning author, and curriculum developer. Her work centers on the experiences of Black Canadians, including two books on Emancipation Day and contributions to the Canadian Encyclopedia. She recently curated a walking tour on Mary Ann Shadd Cary and published a special series on enslaved Black individuals in colonial Ontario. Her work preserves and amplifies Black Canadian history across education and public platforms.

Kimberly Simmons, an Underground Railroad and Mayflower descendant, traces her heritage in North America back 400 years, and as third great granddaughter of freedom seekers Caroline Quarlls and Allen Watkins, she belongs to a family that has been in the Detroit River Region for over 185 years. She has spent her career as a leader in the non-profit and for-profit sectors and is Executive Director of the Detroit River Project, a non-profit organization she founded in 2010 with the core project of designation of the Detroit River as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.​ She has been profiled in the media locally, nationally, and internationally and has lectured widely. In 2022 she was named Michigan Humanities Champion of the Year.

Leslie McCurdy is an award-winning playwright, actor, dancer, and singer with over 28 years of international performance. Known for her powerful one-woman plays like *The Spirit of Harriet Tubman* and *Things My Fore-Sisters Saw*, Leslie uses art to uplift Black history and social justice. Recently honored with the King Charles III Coronation Medal, she continues to inspire through theatre, education, and community work.