Teneshia Samuel

There is a pandemic in Ontario that is affecting the Black community - specifically Black women - at alarming rates. This pandemic is shrouded in silence and shame and it is robbing Black women of the ability to live full and healthy lives. The stigma associated with it is alienating Black women from their friends, family and partners, making them feel unsafe to be open and honest about their experience or even hesitant to seek treatment.

As a Black Lives Matter Toronto steering committee member, Ravyn Ariah Wngz has been at the forefront of Canada's abolitionist movement, artist activism, and creative protests. She holds a transcendent and revolutionary stance on what liberation means in the Black community, the community as a whole, and within the context of environmental justice. Her mission is aligned with eradicating anti-Black racism in all forms, supporting Black healing, and liberating Black communities.

One of Canada’s best-kept secrets in hip-hop is Toronto-based rapper, music producer, and entrepreneur, MaizyF. As the founder of The Maze Entertainment Inc., MaizyF is a force of hip-hop innovation, a committed business leader, mentor in Canadian women’s hip-hop, and a skilled emcee and prodigy in music composition and mixing. With a long list of performance and composition credits to her name, MaizyF proves that hit singles are made when talent meets hard work and a star is rising.