Project Investigators:
Nassisse Solomon (PhD Western University) is a lecturer in the history department at Huron University College, where she teaches courses in African history and Black Canadian studies. Dr. Solomon’s research focuses on the exploration of the history and diversity of the Black population in Canada. She specializes in the rooting of the Ethiopian diaspora in Canada. She is a core member of the Robbins-Ollivier Research Grant (which aims at enhancing the black experience at Western) and an SSHRC Partnership Grant that looks at the lived experiences of Black youth in Southwestern Ontario. In the past, she collaborated on another SSHRC project that focused on exploring the experiences of second-generation Ethiopian and Eritrean youth in Canada.
Nina Reid-Maroney is a Professor of History at Huron University College and co-director (with Thomas Peace) of the Huron Community History Centre. She is the author of The Reverend Jennie Johnson and African Canadian History, 1868-1967 (University of Rochester Press 2013) and co-editor of The Promised Land: History and Historiography of the Black Experience in Chatham-Kent’s Settlements and Beyond (University of Toronto Press 2014) and Women in the “Promised Land”: Essays in African Canadian History (Canadian Scholars/Women’s Press 2018). Her research is focused on the intellectual history of antislavery movements in the Great Lakes region, and on religion, Enlightenment, and antislavery in 18th-century Philadelphia. A co-edited collection (with Boulou Ebanda de B’béri and Claudine Bonner) titled The Black Press: A Shadowed Canadian Tradition is forthcoming from the University of Toronto Press.
Project Research Assistants:
Jose Gonzalez Sardina is a fourth-year student at Huron University College who is completing a B.A. with a Major in History. He was part of Professor Tim Compeau’s HISTORY 2801G History Wars class, in which he contributed to research on a team assigned to create a guided story map displaying the journey of the Harris Family of Eldon House across Hong Kong and Macao.
Neisa Long is currently an M.A. candidate pursuing her master’s in public history and is the EDI coordinator in the Office of the AVP, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) at Western University. She is a King’s Alumni, graduating in 2022 with a B.A. Hons in Criminology and History. As a first-generation graduate, Neisa views her academic achievement as a significant milestone. Neisa’s upbringing comes from a complex family dynamic, instilling in her a profound appreciation for diverse perspectives and identities. In her role at the Office of EDI at Western, Neisa supports students, staff, faculty, and community, by amplifying their voices and their sense of belonging. Neisa is also the acting Co-Chair of the campus Black Faculty and Staff Steering Committee and Pride Planning Committee. Neisa’s passion for history and uncovering silenced narratives exemplifies her dedication to scholarly inquiry and her relentless pursuit of social justice through storytelling and community engagement.
Jayden Wright is a third-year Political Science and English Major at Huron University College. She has previously worked as a research assistant studying Black Humanist authors. She is engaged in a range of advocacy roles on campus and is Vice President of Student Affairs for Huron University’s Student Council.
