At the Helm is the fourth and final volume in the innovative series In Words of Our Own: Black Women and Being, by and about Black Canadian women, centring Black feminist perspectives. In this groundbreaking text, the authors explore how Black women lead, influence, and create change across multiple social contexts and spaces, including places of work, communities, academia, and family life.
Through a diverse range of contributions, the collection examines both the systemic barriers Black women face and the acts of bold resistance, care, and leadership they employ while navigating institutions shaped by patriarchy, race, gender, sexuality, ability, and religious identity. It demonstrates how these intersecting forces both constrain and shape opportunities for leadership.
As one of the few edited collections devoted to Black women’s leadership in Canada, At the Helm challenges race-evasive narratives by centring Black women’s experiences, knowledge systems, and ways of knowing and being. Offering timely scholarship and critical perspectives, this text disrupts the status quo on equity, leadership, and social change.
This accessible text is well-suited for courses in women’s and gender studies, critical race studies, black studies, African studies, and sociology courses in both universities and colleges.
Features:
Centres Black feminist thought and intersectionality to examine leadership through multiple intersectional lenses
Highlights the lived experiences, histories, strategies, and contributions of Black women navigating and transforming systemic inequities
Explores the political, relational, and communal dimensions of Black women’s leadership across work, academia, and family life
Pedagogically designed for classroom use through accessible scholarship that supports discussion and critical engagement
Chapter 1: Navigating Black Women’s Leadership: Imposter Phenomenon and Intergenerational Mentorship in Post-Secondary Education
Janelle Joseph and Jodie Glean-Mitchell
Chapter 2: Black Canadian Women Leaders in the Academy: Strength, Power, Tenacity, Determination
Njoki N. Wane
Chapter 3: It’s Not Easy Being a Black Vice Principal
Kimberley Ann Tavares
Chapter 4: Beyond Survival – Strategies for Flourishing
Ezi Odozor and Janelle Brady
Chapter 5: The Sheer Unveiling: Black Women, Institutional Leadership, and Expenditure of Emotional Currency
Hillica Gayle Smith
Chapter 6: Emancipatory Sisterhood
Phiona Lloyd-Henry
Chapter 7: The Unwritten Rules: Leadership and Success from the Perspective of a Black Woman
Elizabeth Charles
Chapter 8: Black Women in Adventist Education Leadership
Nadine Joseph
Chapter 9: At the Feet of My Mothers: A Personal Narrative
Marjorie-Ann Knight
Chapter 10: Resisting anti-Blackness: The Advocacy and Activism of Black Girls
Georgiana Mathurin and Janelle Brady
Critical Questions
References
Contributor Biographies
Biography
Njoki N. Wane, PhD (she/her), is a Professor at the University of Toronto and former Chair of the Department of Social Justice Education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) from 2018 to 2024. A respected educator and scholar, she led the Office of Teaching Support at OISE from 2009 to 2012, placing equity at the centre of effective teaching. From 2011 to 2014, she served as Special Advisor on Status of Women Issues, focusing on the intersectionality of gender with race, disability, sexual orientation, and Indigenous identity. She also directed the Centre for Integrative Anti-Racism Studies (CIARS) from 2006 to 2014. Professor Wane is widely recognized for her work in Black feminisms in Canada and Africa, African Indigenous knowledges, anti-colonial and decolonizing education, and African women and spirituality. She has authored or edited 22 books, 59 book chapters, and 35 peer-reviewed journal articles, and has presented at over 300 conferences. She has supervised 61 PhD and 44 Master’s students and served as external examiner for 15 PhD dissertations. Her excellence in teaching and mentorship has earned her numerous awards, including the Harry Jerome Professional Excellence Award, the David E. Hunt Award, the President of Toronto Teaching Award, and many more. She is a prolific and influential voice in education and social justice.
Ezinwanne (Ezi) Toochukwu Odozor (she/her) is a writer, higher-education professional, and anti-racist practitioner who works between London, UK, and Toronto, Canada. Her writing—spanning fiction and non-fiction—delves into themes of bodies, identity, culture, gender, race, health, and intimacy. Ezi’s work has appeared in respected journals such as Hypatia, Room Magazine, and Arc Poetry Magazine. She holds an MSc in Psychology from the University of East London and a Master of Education (MEd) and an Honours Bachelor of Science (HBSc) from the University of Toronto. Her interdisciplinary research has focused on race, Black feminisms, anti-colonialism, and radical possibilities within global health and education. Ezi also leads a consulting firm, partnering with individuals and diverse organizations (e.g., The City of Toronto, CBC Kids, ACTRA) to achieve institutional and personal goals. She specializes in leveraging purposeful storytelling and strategic visioning grounded in a collaborative problem-solving approach.
Dr. Janelle Brady, PhD (she/her), is an award-winning Black studies scholar, author, and activist-researcher. Dr. Brady is an Assistant Professor in the School of Early Childhood Studies at Toronto Metropolitan University, where she curates and teaches courses on equity, Black childhoods, and social justice pedagogies. Her research focuses on Black mothering, Blackness in early childhood studies, and Black feminisms. Dr. Brady’s scholarship has been published in Bloomsbury Publishing, Springer, the Journal of Canadian Scholars, SAGE Publications, Demeter Press, and University of Toronto Press. She is the recipient of several awards, including the 2025 Provost’s Award for Teaching Excellence and the 2022 Viola Desmond Faculty Award—both from Toronto Metropolitan University—as well as the 2021 Emerging Leader Award and the 2019 International Day for the End of Racial Discrimination Award from the University of Toronto. Her expertise has been featured in various media outlets such as the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), CityNews, Global News Canada, CP24, and CTV News. She is also the co-founder and director of the Downsview Advocate, a community-based newspaper in Toronto’s north end. Dr. Brady has served as President of the Ontario NDP since 2022 and as a member of the Provincial Executive for several years prior.
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