In this 2025 Q&A, as one of TMU's new Canada Research Chairs, I discussed my project "Mapping Ontario’s Black Archives" (MOBA), the importance of collaboration in reshaping historical narratives, the challenges of documenting Black expressive culture, and my advice for those pursuing a Canada Research Chair.

In September 2025, I presented an engaging session on how Black cultural practices, across music, fashion, and performance, are archived and remembered. I shared my expertise in archiving cultural artifacts and speak to the importance of documenting Black creativity. This conversation highlighted how Black heritage and culture can be preserved and rediscovered through the archive.

In 2022, TMU featured me as one of Canada’s leading Black studies scholars. They described my work as being internationally recognized as a key thinker on media and archives. “Her work on blackface has broadened the scope of Canadian history, performance and theatre studies, archival and museum studies. The recipient of numerous SSHRC grants, in 2021, she won an Ontario Early Researcher Award,” TMU noted.

In October 2021, I joined the NIA Centre to give a seminar on various research methods, including those rooted in Afro-Diasporic traditions and how we can begin to incorporate these methods into the creation of artistic projects. Whether you’re looking to enhance your skills to do research when visiting archival sites or articulate your findings, I provided support in developing a strong concept, helping attendees take their research to the next level and activate their research as it relates to an artistic project. ⁠⁠ As part of this conversation, interdisciplinary artist, designer and writer Shaya Ishaq provided an artistic perspective on how she incorporates research into her practice. ⁠

In November 2019, I moderated a panel featuring Cheryl Nembhard, Kevin Ormbsy and Charles C. Smith, and we explored the arts — a universal element in Black cultures — on how policy has shaped the arts scene in Toronto and for Toronto’s Black creatives as one of two morning breakout sessions at the inaugural 2019 Toronto Black Policy Conference.

In 2019, The Creative School Catalyst chose to feature me and my research in a video profile of scholars whose work is having an impact. I discuss my research approach and why I study history through archives.