By Jess Horton
Toronto’s history is filled with black women who have been foundational to the city’s cultural, political, social, and economic development. These women have evolved this wonderful city, bringing innovative ideas, new perspectives, and a hunger for seeing the version of Toronto they know this city can be. Although there are a whole slew of black women in our city’s history — from anti-slavery activists, to entrepreneurs, to artists and academics — I wanted to focus this post on some of the women who are currently revolutionizing Toronto’s present history with their work. These women are the here and now of black history and the women’s movement. They are inspirations for modern women all over the world, but especially for their fellow Torontonians.
Rosemary Sadlier
I’ve decided to start this list of women off with a bang! Rosemary Sadlier is a through-and-through Toronto woman who has been, according to the City of Toronto Archives, an active “social justice advocate for African Canadian achievement and advancements in the education system.” She was the President of the Ontario Black History Society from 1993-2015 and is recognized as being part of the fight for the city to celebrate Black History Month and Emancipation Day since 1995. Sadlier is also a published author of African Canadian history, contributing to her passion for educating Canada about its incredible black heritage and history. Her work, books, and over 2,000 presentations on Black History in schools and other community settings are only a fraction of Sadlier’s phenomenal achievements.
Catherine Addai
In this world of constant uncertainty, where dreams feel like they can so easily fall to the wayside, Catherine Addai is the person to look to for following your passions and never giving up on dreams. Moving from the health sector to the fashion industry may not have been easy, but I think it’s safe to say that Addai has succeeded in creating something so beautiful and important in her work as a clothing designer, lead stylist, and CEO of her Toronto-based company Kaela Kay. Her clothes are inspired by her Ghanaian roots, and Addai says her brand was created “as a lifestyle brand for the modern woman who wants to express her inner colours in an outward way.”
Marci Ien
Prior to October 2020, when Marci Ien was elected to the House of Commons as the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, the MP had “an award-winning career in journalism and television that spanned three decades.” Before leaving her former career to become the Liberal MP of the Toronto Centre Riding, Ien worked on the daytime talk show The Social and as a broadcast journalist covering a wide variety of important Canadian stories. Ien is the first Black woman to hold her current position as MP in Canada’s Parliament, a spectacular move toward a more representative country in all socio-political and cultural sectors. She also released her first book, Off Script: Living Out Loud, the day after being elected to Parliament (such a badass move!), which describes her “personal milestones, tales of resilience and kindness, dramatic moments from her career as a journalist, and insights from the many unforgettable people she has met and interviewed.”
Eugenia Duodu
As an academic myself, I’ve got a huge soft spot for wonderful people like Eugenia Duodu. During her time as a student at the University of Toronto (receiving an HBSc in Chemistry and Biology and a PhD in Chemistry!), Duodu volunteered for Visions of Science at a science fair. After receiving her PhD, she went from being a part-time organizational worker to full-time CEO. Visions of Science Network for Learning is a STEM-based, charitable organization “that empowers youth from low-income communities through meaningful engagement in STEM.” Duodu continues to work in her Toronto community, as well as with global outreach initiatives to encourage and develop opportunities for young people to explore the field of STEM. Under Duodu, Visions of Science went from working in six communities in the GTA in 2015, to serving 1,500 students from 29 communities across Ontario.
This is definitely someone to look to for the future of science!
Dionne Brand
The world would be a dark and dismal place without poetry and literature. Dionne Brand, one of Canada’s most distinguished writers, is best known for her poetry, but has also written short stories, essays, and non-fiction books “often addressing the intersections of race and gender in Canada.” Before moving to Toronto from Trinidad, Brand wrote poems under the pseudonym Xavier Simone (a shoutout to the iconic Nina Simone). She also graduated from the University of Toronto with a BA in English and Philosophy and an MA in the Philosophy of Education. Brand is not only a writer, she is also a documentary filmmaker, and I would call her a social revolutionary. According to the Quill & Quire newsletter, “she has organized meetings and handed out leaflets and worked for social change. She went to Grenada for the revolution. She was at Oka. And now, she is tired.” Among her many awards, Brand was named Toronto’s third poet laureate in 2009 and was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2017.
Michelle “Michie Mee” McCullock
Spoiler alert: Michie Mee is so cool. McCullock is a Jamaican-born, Toronto-bred rapper who has been breaking through the male-dominated genre since the late 80s (when she was a teenager!). Considering how tough, cut-throat, and discriminatory we know the music industry has been in the past and often still is today, Michie Mee’s rise to fame and success was not an easy one. Having to overcome the racism and sexism that dominated the music industry (especially the hip hop and rap industry) of the late 80s and 90s, the fact that Michie Mee is the first Canadian hip hop artist to sign a major record deal with a U.S. label is all the more impressive. Respectfully known as the “godmother of Canadian rap,” Michie Mee has never been afraid to speak out about her experience with sexism and racism during her decades as an artist. I’ll leave you the most badass Michie Mee line I’ve ever come across: “No one wants to hear what this rapper girl has to say. They want to know, ‘OK, who is the Black guy in charge of her and then who is the white guy in charge of him?’”P.S. She’s set to release her memoir in fall 2023… safe to say this is something to look forward to!
Emily Mills
There are so many astounding people in the world. Emily Mills is definitely one of the people on that list. This woman has dedicated her entire life to connecting and showcasing the stories of Black Canadian women. In 2010, Mills launched How She Hustles, “a Toronto-based network that connects diverse women through social media and special events.” According to the site, Mills has a “small but mighty” freelance team that digitally reaches 18,000 diverse women! This platform is so important, not only because it hosts “sold-out brunches, panels, meet-ups and other events for thousands of women,” but because it connects women to strong networks of support and industry opportunities in the realm of white boys’ clubs. Mills, a graduate of Ryerson and York Universities with degrees in journalism and music, has hosted a women’s roundtable with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and was invited to meet Michelle Obama (dream team!). If that’s not enough, she was also a senior communications officer at the CBC, where in 2017, she created HERstory in Black. Originally, this was a digital photo series which, according to the CBC, gathered 150 women for a photoshoot “to celebrate their life experiences and achievements.” HERstory in Black was popular all over the nation, and became an hour-long TV documentary (linked here).