Mary Ann Shadd Cary left a lasting legacy. She was an educator, activist, advocate, lawyer, journalist, and the list goes on. In North America, she was the first Black woman to publish and edit a newspaper.
Shadd Cary’s list of achievements is long. She was a trailblazer who set a standard for journalists everywhere. Her impact will never go unfelt or forgotten.
At Carleton University—that remains true.
In 2023, the Mary Ann Shadd Cary Centre for Journalism and Belonging was founded by Nana aba Duncan—who is Carty Chair in Journalism, Diversity and Inclusion Studies at the School of Journalism and Communication in Carleton University.
The Centre wears many hats, but all are based on community and inclusivity. The Centre produces research-based journalism and focuses on “race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, socioeconomic status and the intersections therein,” according to Carleton.
All of this is an effort to create a journalism industry that is welcoming to all.
This year, there is a new addition to the Mary Ann Shadd Cary, an initiative to honour Shadd Cary and her work: the Mary Ann Shadd Cary Lecture Series.
To inspire students and journalists to create and maintain inclusive media environments, each year the Mary Ann Shadd Cary Centre will host a speaker from underrepresented or misrepresented communities to deliver a lecture.
Lectures are also accompanied by relevant workshops for journalism students, which will be led by the speaker.
With this new series, Carleton says they aim to amplify voices, educate attendees, and foster diverse and equitable media landscapes.