Bio

Samantha is a non-binary Black queer femme lawyer, educator and writer, whose work focuses on labour, employment and human rights law. Samantha completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Toronto (Equity Studies, Political Science and French), their graduate studies at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (Sociology and Equity Studies in Education) and is an alumna of the University of Ottawa, Faculty of Law with specializations in public law and dispute resolution and professionalism.

Samantha articled in a bilingual (French/English) capacity at a national union in Ottawa, Ontario where she represented workers across Canada in industries such as social services, emergency services and education. Following the completion of her articles, Samantha took a hiatus from the practice of law to engage in work at the intersection of law, education and policy, ranging from law reform initiatives to legal education to legislative research.

Samantha is deeply committed to community and legal work related to anti-violence, workers’ rights and combatting misogynoir in workplaces and beyond. In 2016, she co-created a one-year public legal education initiative funded by the Law Foundation of Ontario which put complex legislation into plain language, offered free legal education and engaged in progressive advocacy. Presently, they are the National Vice-President of Equity and Anti-Oppression at the Canadian Association of Labour Lawyers, a member of the City of Toronto’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Two-Spirit (LGBTQ2S+) Council Advisory Body, and a Volunteer Lawyer at The 519.

BIO

Sherifa completed her Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Criminology at the University of Ottawa before receiving her Juris Doctor at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law. She articled at two Canadian law firms with a specific focus on employment law. Prior to articling, Sherifa worked at the Canadian Labour Congress as a Legal Researcher. In 2007, she co-founded a workshop, CrossOver, which equipped first-generation high school students interested in accessing elite professional programs such as medicine and law, with the academic and social supports required to succeed in the post-secondary environment.

Sherifa is a vocal advocate for students, particularly low-income students, and was instrumental in encouraging her alma mater to remove a policy that barred students with outstanding balances on their student accounts from attending convocation. Sherifa is an active member of her community and spends much of her free time involved in various youth mentorship and leadership initiatives.

Bio

Yamikani is a facilitator who works with organizations and communities, and movements. Yamikani is committed to a practice of anti-oppression, equity, diversity and inclusion using popular culture, creative facilitation, emergent strategy and digital engagement. Ze completed hir Master’s degree in Women and Gender Studies at Carleton University and a Certificate from Michigan State University on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and Organizational Change.

Yamikani has held positions such as Black Academic Success and Engagement Coordinator at Humber College and Vice-Chair of Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centre.

In 2013, Yami founded UBUNTU Consulting, which focuses on equity, anti- oppression, inclusion training, conflict resolution and organizational development for grassroots organizations and nonprofit agencies. They have worked with Amnesty International Canada, Greenpeace Canada, Association of Women in Development, the City of Toronto, Peterborough Pride, Tools for Change, LGBT Youthline, University of Toronto, and more.

Yamikani has been featured in Macleans Magazine, The Walrus, Chatelaine Magazine, Now Toronto, and CBC National for hir work around equity, diversity and inclusion.

Bio

Jill is the MPP for Toronto-St.Paul's. Jill serves as the Ontario NDP Culture Critic and Women's Issues Critic for the Official Opposition. Jill is also a member of the Ontario NDP Black Caucus, a first of its kind in Ontario legislative history. Jill also sits on the Standing Committee on Public Accounts. Jill is the first Black and Queer person to be elected to the Ontario Legislature and reportedly in Canada. Jill was named Best MPP - First Runner Up by NOW Magazine Reader's Choice Awards - an exciting acknowledgement for a rookie MPP. Outside of politics, Jill is also co-founder of Body Confidence Canada and is an award-winning educator and former columnist, equity and body- image advocate, speaker and writer. Jill holds a Child & Youth Worker diploma from Humber College, a Bachelor of Education (BEd) from York University among her other undergraduate degrees, a Master’s degree in Women and Gender Studies from the University of Toronto and a PhD from York University’s Faculty of Education. Jill's PhD dissertation explored the trifecta of racism, sexism and fat hatred experienced by Black women in the GTA, their strategies of both accommodation and resistance as well as every day, systemic and policy reform necessary to facilitate change against anti-Black racism, gendered violence and weight discrimination.

Bio

Kimalee is an experienced social justice and organizational learning consultant, facilitator, writer, educator and researcher whose work is deeply grounded in, and informed by Black feminist thought and practice. She completed her Bachelor’s degree in Human Rights and Law and her Master’s degree in Legal Studies which focused on field and theoretical research on the coloniality of gender and violence in Grenada. She sits on the Board of Trustees with the Groundswell Social Justice Fund, organizes with the Caribbean Solidarity Network and now works as a Human Rights Representative with Canada’s largest public sector union, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), and does movement-support work with the Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID).

Bio

Simone is a graduate of McGill Law (B.C.L./LL.B.) and holds an Honours BA (High Distinction) in Health Studies, Ethics and African Studies. Inspired by her Ghanaian roots, Simone is a lawyer and educator in the pursuit of gender, economic and racial justice.

At McGill, Simone trained in Critical Race Theory and was the Managing Editor of the McGill Law Journal. She also worked on the Educational Equity Advisory Group to amplify the voice of Black, LGBTQ2S+, Indigenous and (dis)abled students.