Dionne Brand

Dionne Brand born in 1953 is a poet, novelist, essayist and documentarian. She was Toronto‘s (from September 2009 to November 2012) first Black Poet Laureate.

Read more "Dionne Brand"

Allen Toussaint

Allen Toussaint (1938-2015) musician, songwriter, arranger, and record producer, in January 2025 was honored by the United States Postal Service on a forever stamp in the Black Heritage series

Read more "Allen Toussaint"

Favorite pair of shoes

Tell us about your favorite pair of shoes, and where they’ve taken you. When I was in high school more than 50 years ago I had a pair of red, white, and blue shoes. I thought they looked good. At some point some Black kids in my high school began teasing me about the shoes: […]

Read more "Favorite pair of shoes"

E. Denise Simmons

E. Denise Simmons born 1951 is the first openly lesbian mayor in the United States. She was elected in 2008 and still serves as of 2025. She is also a Justice of the Peace and a notary public.

Read more "E. Denise Simmons"