Meet the M.A.C.C.A. (Mainly African Canadian Caribbean Authors) and indie writers we’re proud to share.
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Asali Quamina is a seasoned leader, educator, and advocate for empowering children and women. For over 25 years, she has been the executive director of a nonprofit children’s centre where she has dedicated her life to creating supportive spaces for growth and learning.
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Aubrey was born in Georgetown Guyana and immigrated to Canada as a young boy. Aubrey worked with children for a number of years. He worked as a Youth Leader for the City of Toronto’s Parks and Recreational Programs and as a Community Youth Leader and mentor at one of Toronto’s largest evangelical churches. Sam & Rita Burke, Aubrey’s uncle and aunt were both educators and opened one of Canada’s largest African / Caribbean and Multicultural bookstores. That was where Aubrey fell in love with children’s literature. Through selling books to schools, childcare centres, teacher conferences, and community events Aubrey’s passion for children’s literature grew; He was already writing poetry and performing spoken word across North America then fell into storytelling naturally. “Fly Little Blackbird Fly”, was written in 1998 after Aubrey attended his first Harry Jerome Awards. There he was inspired to write a story that would touch, effect, empower and change lives positively. Aubrey, a man of many talents also wrote the lyrics to the song “Fly Fly Way Up High”, that is featured in “Fly Little Blackbird Fly.” In 2016 Aubrey launched a GoFundme campaign that went viral and was able to raise $67,000 in 7 days to bring a young lady home in an air ambulance to Canada from Trinidad after fallen 40 feet from a cliff. He has a huge heart and helps many people throughout the community. He is a radio advertising specialist and the owner of a Media Sales and Marketing company and enjoys helping clients grow their business. He started working in radio in 2001 and since then he has helped secure radio station licenses for a company and consulted various others. His media company also teams brands up with social influencers and writes jingles. In the Photos to the right, you will see renown poet: Lillian Allen, Actor: Ariana Williams (Madzie on Shadow Hunters) Actor: Nalini Ingrita. and Bishop TD Jakes
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Audra Townsend is a free-spirited British-born Jamaican Canadian Data Privacy Specialist and abstract mixed-media artist in Toronto, Ontario. As director and founder of Audra 3,0 Inc., Audra’s management consulting firm, she has provided privacy support for the work of Ontario’s Digital First Strategy and Digital First for Health Strategy.
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Helen Pearman Ziral, Phd, is a professor, purpose-driven wellness coach, facilitator, and author passionate about forgiveness, personal transformation, and holistic wellness. Her work inspires meaningful change and fosters lasting well-being.
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Herma Killenbeck was born in Jamaica and moved to Canada at twelve. Proudly identifying as Jamaican-Canadian, she built a successful career in the corporate world before taking early retirement to pursue her first loves: reading, writing, and exploring the magic of words.
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Hermia Martin Anthony is a sister, feminist, social justice activist, community organizer, and educator. Her latest work, Women In The St. Kitts Island Uprising, is a testament to her unwavering commitment to sharing empowering narratives from women.
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Murphy Browne is an African woman born in South America and grew up in an African-centered community where the elders told stories about their ancestors and culture before the Maafa. She hosts two weekly radio programs at www.radioregent.com and is a retired African Heritage instructor with the Toronto District School Board.
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Nancy Fraser is a college professor whose work focuses on the intersection of race, gender, and education, particularly within Caribbean families. Her favourite quote is “If you are silent about your pain, they will kill you and say you enjoyed it” (Zora Neale Hurston).
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Pauline Taylor – Bloomfield is a retired elementary school teacher and author of the book, What Makes the World Beautiful? Pauline enjoys traveling and writing.
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My name is Rahma Mohamed, and I was born and raised in Hargeisa, Somaliland. At the age of eight, my family immigrated to Canada. We arrived in Quebec, where I attended my first formal school in French. The first few years were challenging, I experienced bullying due to me being the only Black Muslim girl in my class and my inability to speak the language. But eventually, I would be the first to graduate from University in my family, having mastered both French and English. Once I became a mother, I set out to self-publish children’s books to encourage youth to be proud of their uniqueness by celebrating diversity. Reflecting on my struggles of growing up in a foreign country, I became determined to offer books centered on characters that are Muslim and with African roots. I firmly believe that children need to be able to identify themselves in the book they read to enhance their self-confidence as well as bolster their sense of pride. I write under the pen name RahmaRodaah which is my first name and my middle name combined. I now juggle the joys of motherhood as I chase my four kids, homeschooling, and finally, my writing, which happens during nap times, after bedtime or any other moment I can find.
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Sam & Rita Burke have been educators for over 4 decades. Their life’s mission is to curate and connect books to people and people to books. In 1994, they started an Afrocentric bookstore in Toronto, Canada. The bookstore morphed into a community hub, for authors, artists, and events for the enrichment of Toronto’s Black and Caribbean community. Sam & Rita believe that their bookshelves tell the Black experience authentically and accurately.
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Apply to sell your books through I Like Being Me Books. The Burkes review every application personally.
