ABOUT THE PANELISTS
ERICA NEEGANAGWEDGIN (TAINO)
Erica Neeganagwedgin (Taino) is an assistant professor in Critical policy Equity and Leadership Studies at Western University with a specialization in Indigenous Education.
TEAJAI
teajai (he/him) is an Afro-Indigenous Artist/Activist born and bred in close proximity to the fluid frontier, in colonized Waawiyaataanong, the traditional lands of First Nations people. He has a curiosity for human behavior and the ways in which people of colour navigate institutional systems of oppression, while having to exist in a vacuum of euro-colonialism and white supremacy. Through his art, teajai is sharing the stories of silent tongues, while also observing, critiquing and engaging with institutional injustice by inserting himself into predominantly white spaces.
JEREMIAH BOWERS
Jeremiah Bowers is of mixed Jamaican & Indigenous ancestry. He is in his 4th Year of Political Science at the University of Windsor. He currently sits as the Special Projects Coordinator on Anti-Black Racism Initiatives at the University of Windsor.
As the Chair of the National Black Students’ Caucus, an arm of the Canadian Federation of Students representing over half a million students from coast to coast, his advocacy work is centred around Black liberation, dismantling racial inequities, youth empowerment, and student leadership development.
He recently ended three terms as the youngest President of the University of Windsor Students’ Alliance. In his role, he negotiated a permanent student transit pass for the University of Windsor students and helped to form equity collectives on campus, which serve as safe(r) spaces for BIPOC and other marginalized students to find community and develop strategies to combat institutional oppression.
Ultimately, Jeremiah’s goal is to build towards a world free from racism, colonial systems of power, oppression, and inequity. Through his work, he hopes to create a safer and positive future where youth, as well as all Black and Indigenous peoples, feel empowered to reimagine and pursue the endless possibilities for themselves.
IRENE MOORE DAVIS
Born and raised in Windsor, Ontario, Irene Moore Davis is an educator, historian, author, and activist who enjoys speaking about equity, diversity, and African Canadian history to a wide variety of audiences. She fulfills a variety of community roles including President of the Essex County Black Historical Research Society, Co-Chair of Black Women of Forward Action, founding member of the Windsor-Essex Diversity and Inclusion Task Force, Programming Chair at BookFest Windsor, and co-host of the All Write in Sin City podcast. Irene's forthcoming book is titled Our Own Two Hands: A History of Black Lives in Windsor from the 1700s Forward. A graduate of the University of Windsor, Queen's University, and Western University, Irene is an administrator at St. Clair College, where she also teaches English and history.
APRIL ROY
April Roy (B.A. Hons., B.Ed.) has been teaching secondary English for over 15 years. She is a passionate educator, learner, and human rights activist. She was raised in a French-Catholic family and understands her connections to colonization and her role in decolonizing spaces of which she's in charge. She works to be an agent for positive change and understanding, and to have courageous conversations about race. She challenges the thinking of people in her life who have a difficult time understanding intersectionality. She's always working on being a better ally creating safe spaces for marginalized and racialized individuals.
ABOUT THE PANEL MODERATOR
KAT PASQUACH, Aboriginal Outreach and Retention Coordinator, Aboriginal Education Centre will host a discussion on Black & Indigenous solidarity exploring the topics of kinship and relocation. Students, Staff and Faculty from the University of Windsor and St. Clair College are encouraged to attend.
ABOUT THE FILM CURATORS
TALYSHA BUJOLD-ABU (she/her) is an artist, illustrator and arts educator – with a Masters of Fine Arts (MFA) from the University of Windsor (2018). Of recent, I have participated as an artist in residence with ArtsPond, Toronto ON (2020), the Black Creators Series/Discussion with the Art Gallery or Windsor, Windsor ON (2020), and a completed publication with Intermediality - History and Theory of the Arts, Literature and Technologies (Number 34, Fall 2019), Montreal QC.
JULIE RAE TUCKER is the Director of Public Programs & Advocacy at the Arts council Windsor & Region. She is a Windsor-based artist, independent curator, and cultural worker. Tucker, earned her BFA from Nova Scotia College of Art and Design and MFA from the University of Windsor. She is Lunaapeewi from the Munsee Delaware First Nation and is of settler descent.