In celebration of Black History Month, Catherine reflects on the Innovation Hub’s process of creating personas and her experience as a black-disabled artist.
Written by Catherine Dume, Community Coordinator, Master of Arts, Political Science
Black History Month is a time when we reflect on black experiences, whether history or culture. It is also that time of the year when black people are expected to celebrate their identities, by writing blogs, attending events, or even producing art that showcases the tapestry of their lives. However, to focus on solely my black identity is to deny the other parts that influence my unique experience. So today, for Black History Month, I am going to reflect on my experience with blackness and disability in a discussion about intersectional representation in art and design.
The Black-Disabled Experience is a Lonely One
When I set out to write for Black History Month, I was a bit unsure because I didn’t know what to write about. Despite having dark skin, I didn’t grow up in black culture, but in a global context where I learned that race doesn’t define who you are, or what you can achieve in life. Sure, I am proud to say that I am Haitian Jamaican, and I can talk for hours about our history, culture, politics and food. But it is easier for me to write about my disabled experience than my black experience, as I am reminded of my hearing-loss every time I communicate with other people. I never had the opportunity for both identities to co-exist.
When I started working at the Innovation Hub, I was drawn to the iHub’s Persona Compendium. A persona is a fictional character that is based on aggregated data of real student experiences. It is a useful storytelling device that conveys unique experiences; and helps community partners to better understand certain student groups, what issues they face, and what they need to make their campus experience better.
As I was reading the Commuter Spaces report, I came across this persona named “Ade.” He is a second-year mature PhD student who commutes using the TTC, and he is black with an invisible chronic disability. As someone with a similar experience, I connected with Ade’s story. How it feels to lack spaces where others address both sides to your identity. To be both is to be stranded in the in-between and alone. But because this is the story of a persona, it implies that there are other students who are experiencing the same thing. We aren’t truly alone.
How Intersectionality Shows Up in Art
After reading Ade’s story and learning how Innovation Hub designs its personas, it reminded me of when I created my own persona. Because the life of a person with an intersectional identity can feel alienating, it is important to have representation in all forms of media, including art. Thus, as an artist, I have incorporated my unique experience into some of my writing projects. For example, in “Death of an Author,” a poem I wrote for Accessibility Services’ annual magazine, I wrote about creating my writing persona “Amelia Arrows.” Amelia Arrows was one of the first fictional characters I created and was the name I gave myself for my writing pursuits. However, Amelia, who is supposed to represent me, doesn’t look like me. She was white and able. This is because when eight-year-old me first created her, I lived in Quebec where I was one out of four black students in the entire elementary school. I was made fun of my patois accent, and my lisp didn’t do me any favours. I didn’t feel like I belonged, so I decided to create a persona that would belong.
Over the years I have realized that when we create personas based on what we lack and disregard who we truly are, it fosters insecurities rather than producing stories that inspire or at least educate us. When we create personas, we need to root them in the real and honest experiences of students, so that we feel connected to them.
Intersectional Storytelling is Intentional
Intersectional storytelling is more than just slapping an intersectional identity into the narrative. It has to make sense for the story. In Ade’s story, he was sharing the struggles of being a commuter student. So, the way his identity shows up in the narrative is related to the struggles of commuting. In doing so we can connect to it.
Now as I write about experiences, I will strive to focus on how I can represent unique experiences while also maintaining a universal connection. I still use Amelia Arrows as my writing persona; but I have redesigned her to be her own character. Just because I am black and disabled does not mean all of my characters are black and disabled. Instead of focusing on characteristics, I now focus on writing about my experiences that my readers can connect with. After all, I didn’t connect to Ade because he is black and disabled, I connected with him because he understands the struggles of commuting. Experience will always be more powerful than just characteristics.
Black & Disabled Events & Communities
While writing and creating personas may be one way to celebrate intersectional experiences, another way is to attend and participate in events or programs that feature intersectionality. I have listed a few campus events that celebrates Black and Disabled experiences, as well as a few organizations that support people with these intersectional backgrounds.
- Accessibility Services & Black Student Engagement’s Children of Paradise Unveiling with Andre Lopez – an art showcase – March 3, 2026
- Hart House Black History Month Luncheon – February 26, 2026 – 11:30 AM – 2 PM
- Innis College & Woodworth’s Black History Triva Night – February 11, 2026 – 6 PM, at Innis College Residence Event Room.
- Canadian Film Forum’s special screening of Dinner With Friends (2025) – February 2, 2026 – 7 PM, at Innis College Town Hall.
- Accessibility Services & Health Services’ From Access to Advocacy: Black Disabled Experiences in the Health System – February 28, 2026 – 10 AM-11:30 AM – Hybrid, Accessibility Services Office
If you are a black-disabled student looking for a community of advocates, I suggest checking out:
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