Still Here

Mary McCarthy is a sixth-generation woman of African descent. A writer, educator, and historian, she is dedicated to preserving the histories of Black New Brunswickers. McCarthy holds a PhD from the University of Toronto’s Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, where her scholarly research focused on segregated and forgotten graveyards in New Brunswick. Dr. McCarthy has been featured in Chatelaine as one of “33 Black Canadians Making Change Now” for her work identifying systemic and anti-Black racism. She was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Letters from St. Thomas University in Fredericton for her social justice work in May 2022. Dr. McCarthy is the director of REACH in New Brunswick an organization dedicated to preserving Black history and graves. Thandiwe McCarthy is a seventh-generation African Canadian and a renowned spoken-word poet and writer. His unique narrative style interweaves the rich history of Black New Brunswick with contemporary experiences, emphasizing the significance of storytelling in preserving cultural heritage. A co-founder of the New Brunswick Black Artists Alliance, an advocate for the recognition of August 1st as Emancipation Day, and an organizer for the New Brunswick Emancipation Celebration event, Thandiwe was recognized by the CBC in 2023 as one of the 20 Black Changemakers in Atlantic Canada. Thandiwe is the culture correspondent for [Edit] magazine and author of the poetic memoir, Social Oblivion: Raised Black in Canada. Gary Weekes is a Fredericton-based documentary filmmaker and acclaimed photographer whose work explores alternative methods of visual storytelling and offers profound visual narratives of Black life in New Brunswick, his upbringing in the UK, the ten years spent in New York, and his constantly changing role as a father of three young women. In 2022, Weekes became the first Black New Brunswicker to have a solo show at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery, and several of his photographs are now in the gallery’s permanent collection. Weekes’s recent recognition as a CBC Black Changemaker underscores his pivotal role in highlighting the community’s vibrant culture and history.