Since as early as the eighteenth century, Black Canadian women have achieved tremendous successes and accomplishments in many fields, giving Canada its unique identity. From Marie-Joseph Angélique in the early 1700's; Mary Ann Shadd Cary, women's rights activist and the first Black woman to publish a newspaper in North America; Viola Davis Desmond, who fought racial segregation; Carrie Best, who, in 1946, founded The Clarion, the first Black-owned and published Nova Scotia newspaper; Rosemary Brown, feminist and Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, from 1972 to 1986; to Hon. Dr. Jean Augustine, social activist, trailblazing politician and educator, who was the first African-Canadian woman to be elected to the House of Commons, the first African-Canadian woman to be appointed to the federal Cabinet, and the first Fairness Commissioner of Ontario; and thousands of distinguished women, they have overcome massive obstacles and achieved tremendously. Through a potent combination of immense brain power, dogged determination, tireless resilience and stick-to-it-ness, Black Canadian women have not only distinguished themselves in their professional careers, but also strengthened, bolstered and uplifted their families, communities, professions, and the Canadian societal tapestry. And, they continue to trailblaze and excel, throughout all facets of Canadian society, although not always being acknowledged publicly - but no longer. This second edition of the book, "100 Accomplished Black Canadian Women 2018", unveils another 100 stellar stories, chronicles and shines a bright spotlight on the successes of Canada's Accomplished Black Women.

This 2016 edition is the first of its kind, celebrates Black Canadian women in terms of government, not-for-profit, financial, legal, real estate, health, education/academic, entertainment, fine arts, unsung heroes, trailblazers, first, and posthumous heroes. 100 Accomplished Black Canadian women were identified through a nomination and selection process with the goal of highlighting, documenting, acknowledging, and supporting their accomplishments as an incentive to women worldwide. Each of their stories reveals historical moments that will draw you into their world and path to success, despite a myriad of trials. These brave women never gave up, and the silver thread that runs through each story is an example of hope, inspiration, determination, belief in the outcome, and details of their honorable achievements.For more details about the co-authors and these amazing 100 women, we welcome you to visit the website www.100abcwomen.ca.

Women in the “Promised Land” reframes Canadian history through the lens of African Canadian women’s lived experiences. This collection of original essays spans the period from slavery and abolition through to women’s activism in the 20th century, focusing on themes of race, migration, gender, community, religion, and the struggle for social justice. Re-examining familiar figures in African Canadian women’s history, including abolitionist and feminist Mary Ann Shadd Cary and civil rights activist Viola Desmond, the volume considers them in the wider context of scholarship on Canada and the African diaspora. Drawing on insights from cultural studies, communications, literary studies, and visual culture, the contributing authors use rich primary sources to ground their analysis in the details of women’s historical experiences. Together, the chapters work to unsettle Canadian history and demonstrate its urgent relevance to the present, encouraging readers to interrogate the concept of Canada as a “promised land.” Edited by leading scholars in the field, this accessible, interdisciplinary collection includes suggested further readings, chapter overviews, and discussion questions, making it an essential read for students in women’s studies, African studies, and history.

This introductory text explores the lives of 100 Black women and their unique and meaningful legacies upon the history, society, and culture of the USA. Today, the names and remarkable achievements of Black women such as Maya Angelou, Serena Williams, Michelle Obama, and Oprah Winfrey are well known to many Americans. Yet throughout American history, many lesser-known Black women like them have made invaluable contributions to sports, science, the arts, medicine, politics, and civil rights. Josephine St. Pierre Ruffin, who published the first newspaper written for and by African American women, championed the cause of women's suffrage. Matilda Sissieretta Jones, whose father was an enslaved person, toured Europe and performed at the White House in front of four different presidents as one of the great sopranos of her generation. Augusta Savage, overcoming racism and sexism, became one of the most celebrated sculptors in history. This book serves as an important reminder that the story of America cannot be told without the Black women who, with strength and determination, have always pushed America forward even when others held them back.

*Selected as One of the Best Books of the 21st Century by The New York Times* *Named a Best Book of the Year by The New York Times, Publishers Weekly, NPR, Broadly, BuzzFeed (Nonfiction), The Undefeated, Library Journal (Biography/Memoirs), The Washington Post (Nonfiction), Southern Living (Southern), Entertainment Weekly, and The New York Times Critics* In this powerful, provocative, and universally lauded memoir—winner of the Andrew Carnegie Medal and finalist for the Kirkus Prize—genre-bending essayist and novelist Kiese Laymon “provocatively meditates on his trauma growing up as a black man, and in turn crafts an essential polemic against American moral rot” (Entertainment Weekly). In Heavy, Laymon writes eloquently and honestly about growing up a hard-headed black son to a complicated and brilliant black mother in Jackson, Mississippi. From his early experiences of sexual violence, to his suspension from college, to time in New York as a college professor, Laymon charts his complex relationship with his mother, grandmother, anorexia, obesity, sex, writing, and ultimately gambling. Heavy is a “gorgeous, gutting…generous” (The New York Times) memoir that combines personal stories with piercing intellect to reflect both on the strife of American society and on Laymon’s experiences with abuse. By attempting to name secrets and lies he and his mother spent a lifetime avoiding, he asks us to confront the terrifying possibility that few in this nation actually know how to responsibly love, and even fewer want to live under the weight of actually becoming free. “A book for people who appreciated Roxane Gay’s memoir Hunger” (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel), Heavy is defiant yet vulnerable, an insightful, often comical exploration of weight, identity, art, friendship, and family through years of haunting implosions and long reverberations. “You won’t be able to put [this memoir] down…It is packed with reminders of how black dreams get skewed and deferred, yet are also pregnant with the possibility that a kind of redemption may lie in intimate grappling with black realities” (The Atlantic).

“It’s a good thing that this is only the first book of a trilogy, because after getting to know Tabitha, you won’t want to leave her at the end. . . . Written intimately as if you’re peering into the mind of a close friend, this book is a true testament to the stresses on women today and how great girlfriends (and grandmothers) are often the key to our sanity.” — Good Morning America The first novel in a captivating three-book series about modern womanhood, in which a young Black woman must rely on courage, laughter, and love—and the support of her two longtime friends—to overcome an unexpected setback that threatens the most precious thing she’s ever wanted. Tabitha Walker is a black woman with a plan to “have it all.” At 33 years old, the checklist for the life of her dreams is well underway. Education? Check. Good job? Check. Down payment for a nice house? Check. Dating marriage material? Check, check, and check. With a coveted position as a local news reporter, a "paper-perfect" boyfriend, and even a standing Saturday morning appointment with a reliable hairstylist, everything seems to be falling into place. Then Tabby receives an unexpected diagnosis that brings her picture-perfect life crashing down, jeopardizing the keystone she took for granted: having children. With her dreams at risk of falling through the cracks of her checklist, suddenly she is faced with an impossible choice between her career, her dream home, and a family of her own. With the help of her best friends, the irreverent and headstrong Laila and Alexis, the mom jeans-wearing former "Sexy Lexi," and the generational wisdom of her grandmother and the nonagenarian firebrand Ms. Gretchen, Tabby explores the reaches of modern medicine and tests the limits of her relationships, hoping to salvage the future she always dreamed of. But the fight is all consuming, demanding a steep price that forces an honest reckoning for nearly everyone in her life. As Tabby soon learns, her grandmother's age-old adage just might still be true: Black girls must die exhausted.

Concerned scholars and educators, since the early 20th century, have asked questions regarding the viability of Black history in k-12 schools. Over the years, we have seen k- 12 Black history expand as an academic subject, which has altered research questions that deviate from whether Black history is important to know to what type of Black history knowledge and pedagogies should be cultivated in classrooms in order to present a more holistic understanding of the group’ s historical significance. Research around this subject has been stagnated, typically focusing on the subject’s tokenism and problematic status within education. We know little of the state of k-12 Black history education and the different perspectives that Black history encompasses. The book, Perspectives on Black Histories in Schools, brings together a diverse group of scholars who discuss how k-12 Black history is understood in education. The book’s chapters focus on the question, what is Black history, and explores that inquiry through various mediums including its foundation, curriculum, pedagogy, policy, and psychology. The book provides researchers, teacher educators, and historians an examination into how much k- 12 Black history has come and yet how long it still needed to go.

“A passionate, incisive critique of the many ways in which women and girls of color are systematically erased or marginalized in discussions of police violence.” —Michelle Alexander, author of The New Jim Crow Invisible No More is a timely examination of how Black women, Indigenous women, and women of color experience racial profiling, police brutality, and immigration enforcement. By placing the individual stories of Sandra Bland, Rekia Boyd, Dajerria Becton, Monica Jones, and Mya Hall in the broader context of the twin epidemics of police violence and mass incarceration, Andrea Ritchie documents the evolution of movements centered around women’s experiences of policing. Featuring a powerful forward by activist Angela Davis, Invisible No More is an essential exposé on police violence against WOC that demands a radical rethinking of our visions of safety—and the means we devote to achieving it.