Emcee:
Alexa Joy Potashnik
Alexa is the founder of Black Space Winnipeg, Host of Raw Colours CKUW 95.9 FM and the Racialised Student Commissioner with the Canadian Federation of Students – MB. Alexa’s work aims to provide safe space for people of colour while challenging white/male privilege and supremacy that fosters discrimination for marginalized groups. Alexa is an undergraduate at the University of Winnipeg majoring in Human Rights with a central focus in critical race and intersectional oppression theory.

Blessing & Speaker:
Elder Mae Louise Campbell
Elder Mae Louise is a member of the Ojibwa-Saulteaux Métis Nation, and carries the gift of Women’s Medicine. She believes that reverence for Women’s Ways must be honoured to bring balance back to our communities and our Earth Mother. Only when our Women take their rightful places as healers, leaders, and Grandmothers – all walking tall and proud – will our families and communities heal across our nations. She is Grandmother/Elder/Advisor to many organizations in Winnipeg, in Manitoba and across Canada who use Indigenous value-based healing systems in their approach to working with our families, communities and All Our Relations. In 2016, she received the Inspire National Aboriginal Achievement Award in the Spiritual-Cultural category.

Speakers:
Amal Shire- IRCOM
Amal was born in Somalia and immigrated to Canada with her family in December of 1997. She attended primary school in Winnipeg but later moved with her family to Sudan, Pakistan, Kenya, and Switzerland where she completed her high school studies with the International Baccalaureate (IB) Certificate. She then returned to Winnipeg to pursue her undergraduate degree at the University of Manitoba and completed her Bachelors in Science majoring in Psychology and Biological Science in 2013. Having been a resident of 95 Ellen Street, she is very proud to be part of the staff that has devoted their time and efforts to assist many newcomers in Canada.

Cynthia Fortladge
Cynthia is an international award winning information technology executive for the past 29 years with a privately owned Winnipeg company. She is a board member with various organizations including Rainbow Resource Centre. Cynthia came to terms last year with a 41 year denial of her true gender identity. She identifies as a trans woman and is the parent of two young adults.

Joan Dawkins – Women’s Health Clinic
Joan has dedicated her career to social justice, advocating for equality and human rights and advancing reproductive choice and justice in Canada. She is a lesbian who has experienced exclusion and who acknowledges the privilege of her heritage and the many gifts life has given her. Joan has a long history of working in inner city communities, with individuals and families living in poverty, those experiencing homelessness, Indigenous people and communities, newcomers to Canada and adults and children with disabilities.

Uzoma Asagwara
Uzoma is an entrepreneur, registered psychiatric nurse, member of the Premier’s Advisory Council on Education Poverty and Citizenship, former member of the Canadian Women’s National basketball team, and is the founder of QPOC Winnipeg. QPOC Winnipeg creates safer space for  Queer and Trans People of Colour.

Johise Namwira
Johise is a young Congolese born Canadian woman who takes pride in her African heritage. She speaks English, French Swahili and Intermediate Spanish. Her cross cultural upbringing has led her to understand how language and discourse can silence minorities. With a background in music, theatre, film and martial arts, Johise mixes activism and artistic language to empower others. She was the first ever recipient of the Margret Bennedictsson Scholarship as well as this years recipient of the Nellie McClung Foundation Bursary, both honouring two Winnipeg Suffragettes. She is a 3rd year student at the University of Manitoba doing an honours degree in Women’s and Gender Studies. Johise hopes to go into the field of International Human Rights with a special interest in gender equity and decolonization.

Performers, Drummers/Singers & Photographers

Queen Tite
Charlene Gladu & Jamie Goulet
NEWC Buffalo Gals
Caged Heart Photography
Taylor Kerelluke Photography