Social justice | The Harriet Tubman Institute

Adonika Wilkes

rebsl — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 17:10:37 +0000

Adonika Wilkes is a PhD candidate in the Socio-Legal Studies Program at 91��ɫ. Bridging together feminist theory and critical race theory, her research looks at Black Canadian history, chronicling its effect in contemporary times. Her past research looked at the racialization of space and how Blackness is expressed and regulated in different areas. Her upcoming research will further expand on this topic, specifically looking at the surveillance Black Canadian women are subject to.

Keywords: Critical Race Theory, Feminism, Social Justice, Race, Anti-Black Racism

Belul (Bella) Bereket

rebsl — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 16:20:38 +0000

My name is Bella. I am a second generation Eritrean Canadian.
I have completed a Bachelors of Science in both kinesiology and Nursing at 91��ɫ. I am currently working as a Registered Nurse at Toronto General in the ICU.
I am now pursuing a Masters of science in nursing (PHCNP) at 91��ɫ U.
My interests lie in social justice, equity, and anti-black racism. As a second-generation immigrant and Black woman I am passionate about serving my community.

Keywords: Nursing, Nurse Practitioner, Health Equity, Social Justice, Anti-Black Racism, Black Health

Joan Osa Oviawe

rebsl — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 15:57:09 +0000

Joan Osa Oviawe, PhD is a scholar–practitioner whose work focuses on African education systems, governance, gender, and the African diaspora. Her research examines the intersections of institutional reform, social justice, and community development in Africa and its global diasporas. She has held appointments as a Visiting Fellow at the Institute for African Development and as a Visiting Scholar at the Africana Studies and Research Center at Cornell University.

Dr. Oviawe’s professional work spans more than two decades and includes serving as Commissioner for Education and Executive Chairperson of the Edo State Universal Basic Education Board in Nigeria, where she led large-scale foundational learning reforms and evidence-based system strengthening initiatives. Her scholarship and practice engage themes of African statecraft, women’s leadership, child protection, memory and identity in the diaspora, and the political economy of education.

She has contributed to international research collaborations with the Institute of Public Administration of Canada and the UNESCO Slave Route Project at 91��ɫ. Dr. Oviawe is the founder of the Africa Special Interest Group of the Comparative and International Education Society and participates in several interdisciplinary networks focused on African and diaspora studies. She brings to the Harriet Tubman Institute a sustained commitment to African-centered inquiry, public scholarship, and transformative community engagement.

Keywords: African education systems, foundational learning, diaspora studies, gender and leadership, African statecraft, institutional reform, social justice, child protection, community development, decolonial education, political economy of education, African governance, vulnerable children, African women’s leadership, public policy in Africa

Karine Coen-Sanchez

rebsl — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 15:34:34 +0000

Dr. Karine Coen-Sanchez is an independent sociologist and Founder and Executive Director of the Coen-Sanchez Research & Policy Institute (CSRPI), a federally incorporated Canadian not-for-profit research institute advancing interdisciplinary research, public policy, governance, and institutional equity. Her research examines institutional governance, race, migration, identity, and public policy.

She is the developer of Human Systems Mediation, an original interdisciplinary framework examining how governance systems, organizational cultures, and human experience interact to shape policy implementation and institutional outcomes. Her scholarship has also contributed conceptual perspectives such as Polite Racism, advancing research on institutional racism, equity, and organizational change.

Her work bridges sociology, governance, organizational studies, and policy research, with particular attention to Afro-Caribbean communities, institutional trust, and democratic governance. Her current research explores governance innovation, artificial intelligence, and evidence-informed policy to strengthen equitable and responsive institutions.

Through CSRPI, Dr. Coen-Sanchez extends this scholarship into applied research, policy development, and knowledge mobilization, connecting critical sociological research with practical approaches to institutional and public-policy challenges.

Keywords: Institutional Governance; Public Policy; Race and Racism; African Diaspora; Afro-Caribbean Studies; Migration; Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI); Human Systems Mediation; Organizational Change; Artificial Intelligence and Governance; Knowledge Mobilization; Social Justice; Institutional Trust; Policy Implementation; Qualitative Research.

Oladotun Larry Anifowose

rebsl — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 17:31:21 +0000

Dr. Oladotun Larry Anifowose is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Entrepreneurship, School of Logistics and Innovation Technology, Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Nigeria, and an Associate Fellow of the Harriet Tubman Institute for Research on Africa and its Diaspora at 91��ɫ, Canada. He holds a PhD in Economics from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, an MSc in Banking and Finance, and a BSc in Economics.

His research interests include development economics, financial inclusion, poverty reduction, public finance, entrepreneurship, digital financial technologies (FinTech), inclusive growth, and quantitative and applied econometrics, with a particular focus on Africa. His research examines how financial systems, digital technologies, entrepreneurship, and public policies can contribute to poverty reduction, economic inclusion, food security, and sustainable development.

Dr. Anifowose has published in peer-reviewed journals and has extensive experience in teaching, postgraduate supervision, research collaboration, and academic development. His current research interests include digital financial inclusion, agricultural value chains and food security, financial inclusion and insurance, energy and food poverty, and technology-driven approaches to inclusive development in Africa.

As an Associate Fellow of the Harriet Tubman Institute, he is interested in advancing interdisciplinary research on Africa and its diaspora, strengthening international research collaborations, contributing to research clusters and knowledge-exchange activities, and supporting research and capacity development involving emerging scholars and students.

Keywords: Development Economics, Financial Inclusion, Digital Financial Inclusion, FinTech, Entrepreneurship, Poverty Reduction, Inclusive Growth, Public Finance, Economic Development, Agricultural Finance, Food Security, Agricultural Value Chains, Energy Poverty, Financial Technology, Social Justice, Applied Econometrics, Quantitative Research, Africa

Margaret Ofori Asubonteng

rebsl — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 19:58:59 +0000

Margaret Ofori Asubonteng is a Black African Human Resource Management student at 91��ɫ with interests in Black studies, labour, equity, law, student engagement, and community development. Her academic and leadership pursuits explore the intersections of Black lived experiences, institutional systems, social justice, and belonging within educational and professional spaces.

She currently serves as an Upper-Year Experience Mentor and LA&PS Student Ambassador at 91��ɫ, supporting student transition, engagement, and peer connection. Margaret is also the Founder and President of The Story Room at 91��ɫ U, a student-led initiative that creates space for storytelling, dialogue, and the sharing of lived experiences within the university community.

In addition to her work in student engagement, Margaret serves as Vice President of Marketing and Media Relations for the Black Women in Law Association and Associate of Marketing for the Human Resource Management Student Association. Through these roles, she contributes to student programming, community building, communications, and initiatives that support student development and engagement.

Margaret's commitment to student leadership and service has been recognized through several honours, including a Certificate of Distinction for Excellence from Student Community & Leadership Development, the Best College Crew Volunteer Award (2024–2025) from the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, and recognition for her contributions to the Human Resource Management Student Association community. She was also recognized for her presentation at 91��ɫ's International Career Ready Conference, where she shared insights on navigating university life as an international student.

Passionate about advocacy and community-centred engagement, Margaret hopes to continue contributing to research, dialogue, and initiatives that affirm the richness, complexity, and diversity of African and diasporic experiences while creating spaces where students feel seen, heard, and connected.

Keywords: Black Studies, African Diaspora, Labor, Equity, Social Justice, Student Engagement, Community Development, Law, Belonging, Youth Leadership, International Students

Olayinka Akinseesin

rebsl — Tue, 16 Sep 2025 15:54:40 +0000

Olayinka Akinseesin is a PhD student in Law at 91��ɫ. His research explores the intersections of intellectual property law, artificial intelligence, and social justice, with particular attention to how emerging technologies impact African and diasporic communities. He holds an LLM from 91��ɫ and a Bachelor of Laws from Afe Babalola University, and he has been called to the Nigerian Bar. His academic interests are rooted in advancing critical perspectives on law, technology, and race, with the goal of informing equitable policy and practice in Canada and globally.

Keywords: Intellectual property law, artificial intelligence, social justice, Africa and the diaspora, technology and society, anti-Black racism, bias, policy development, human rights, equity and inclusion

Bashir Munye

rebsl — Mon, 07 Apr 2025 19:43:28 +0000

Chef Bashir Munye is a Somali-born, Italian-raised culinary educator, food advocate, and co-founder of the African Food Study Centre. With over 25 years of experience, he is committed to decolonizing culinary practices and promoting food sovereignty.

Bashir has served as a culinary professor at George Brown College, where he designed inclusive curricula and mentored future culinary leaders. As a community advisor, he played a pivotal role in the development of the Toronto Black Food Sovereignty Plan, approved by City Council in 2021, addressing systemic barriers to food security for Black communities.

Through his work at Black Creek Community Farm, Bashir developed sustainable food initiatives that merged cultural relevance with economic viability, strengthening community engagement. His efforts emphasize culturally appropriate foods, equitable systems, and the celebration of African culinary traditions.

Bashir’s interdisciplinary approach aligns with the Harriet Tubman Institute’s mission to advance research on African and diasporic histories, fostering a deeper understanding of social justice issues. His advocacy for food justice and sustainability continues to inspire systemic change, making him a leader in advancing inclusive culinary practices and community empowerment.

Keywords: Afrofuturism, Decolonization, Culinary Education, Food Sovereignty, African Foodways, Sustainability, Diaspora Studies, Culturally Appropriate Foods, Social Justice, Ancestral Knowledge, Community Engagement, Anti-Colonial Practices, Food Systems Equity, Interdisciplinary Research, Performative Learning

Clifton Grant

rebsl — Tue, 16 Apr 2024 19:21:57 +0000

Clifton Grant is a Graduate Student in the Department of Social Legal Studies at 91��ɫ and an Executive Member of the Harriet Tubman Institute. His research interests explore the intersectionality of race, education and criminality primarily by exploring the "school to prison pipeline" that disproportionately impacts marginalized and racialized communities. The Canadian mosaic has a "discourse of denial" of discriminatory and racist policies manifested from the discourse of institutionalized racism. This has intentionally created an oppressive pipeline that is characterized by under resourced schools, overuse of suspensions and expulsions aided by the overuse of Police in schools. Clifton's objective is to engage in solution-based discourses that provide methodologies to decrease criminalization of youth, reduce barriers to education and break the generational cycle of incarceration. His research hopes to facilitate the creation a paradigm shift of reform that empowers systematic changes to the punitive system of retributive justice that will manifest into the significant use of the restorative social justice model that emphasizes healing, reconciliation and community involvement. His research also plans to explore the removal of the stigmatization of criminality that will many positive repercussions for Canadian society including the assimilation of individuals who have paid their debt to society facilitating their transformation to becoming productive members of society with the ultimate beneficiary goal of the elimination of criminal recidivism. Clifton's active community engagement and advocacy at 91��ɫ continues to embolden his academic and civil pursuits as an impactful changemaker.

Keywords: Race, racism, discrimination, oppression, criminality, policing discourse of denial. liberation, freedom, social justice, education, stigmatization, incarceration, recidivism, reconciliation, restorative justice.

Molade Osibodu

rebsl — Wed, 03 Aug 2022 16:54:55 +0000

Molade Osibodu is an assistant professor of education at 91��ɫ. Her research interests include understanding how to make mathematics humanizing for Sub-Saharan African youth; harnessing mathematics education to redress injustices related to race (particularly anti-Blackness), equity, and power; and exploring African immigrant and refugee math experiences; and African indigenous mathematics practices. Dr. Osibodu situates her work in the realm of critical mathematics education and is guided by decolonial theory, along with decolonizing, participatory, and critical methodologies in her research.

Keywords: Black youth, math education, social justice, decoloniality, participatory research