Meet the 2024 CBC Black Changemakers

CBC Black Changemakers was created to celebrate and amplify the voices of Black individuals across fields — from entertainment to corporate leadership. 

Four years later, it still feels like we're just getting started, but this project has quickly become a meaningful source of information, inspiration and empowerment.

This year, there are a few changes. The most obvious one? Well, we're a few months away from Black History Month. Instead of the usual 28 days of Changemakers in February, CBC Quebec decided to make this a year-round project.

Three months ago, we put out a call for submissions and per tradition, nominators made it hard for the jury to choose. We thought we might choose 12 Changemakers for this new format. We ended up with 22.

We'll be rolling out their stories over the next eight months. This year's cohort is made up of folks who have taken to the streets or taken up a pen, all of them driven to affect positive change. We'll also be introducing you to our annually rotating jury of past Changemakers and a variety of community members from different professions and backgrounds.

Expect to read, hear and see it all about the 2024 CBC Black Changemakers: 

"What makes Ade's work so impressive is how he brings people together. Church is often a place of segregation, but his vision is one of collaboration and interdependence." - Rev. Linda Buchanan, nominator

Adedeji Sunday Akintayo is a Nigerian refugee working with Beaconsfield United Church. Five years ago, he created a refugee integration and support program, the success of which has led to it being replicated in other locations.

In addition to his work as a community organizer, Akintayo has added a new title to his resume: author. He recently released a book about the refugee experience in Canada.

"She has had a persistent duty to the Black community in Montreal." - Wendel James, nominator

From child participant to president, Ayanna Alleyne has grown up within the walls of the Côte-des-Neiges Black Community Association (CDNBCA). She has seen firsthand how critical the decades-old organization has been to the city's Black communities.

Now, as the CDNBCA's president, she is on a mission to build on its legacy of strengthening families, preserving culture and equipping youth to succeed.

Carla Beauvais is best known as the co-founder of the Fondation Dynastie, the institution behind the Gala Dynastie — a series that highlights and celebrates creators from Quebec's Black communities in media, arts and culture.