# data[].attributes.headline
Lawrence Hill (born in Newmarket, ON, 1957)

# data[].attributes.subject
Lawrence Hill (born in Newmarket, ON, 1957)

# data[].attributes.body
Born to a black father and white mother who were American immigrants (they came to Canada the day after they were married).  Lawrence was greatly influenced by their work in the human rights' movement.  Award-winning author of 2007 novel "The Book of Negroes" which later went on to become a six-part television miniseries.

# data[].attributes.headline
Andrew Wiggins (born in Toronto, ON, 1995)

# data[].attributes.subject
Andrew Wiggins (born in Toronto, ON, 1995)

# data[].attributes.body
Professional basketball player in the NBA, currently plays for the Minnesota Timberwolves.  On August 20, 2015, Wiggins was named on the Canadian national team roster for the 2015 FIBA Americas Championship, a qualifying tournament for the 2016 Summer Olympics.

# data[].attributes.headline
Viola Desmond (born in Halifax, NS, 1914, died in New York, NY, 1965)

# data[].attributes.subject
Viola Desmond (born in Halifax, NS, 1914, died in New York, NY, 1965)

# data[].attributes.body
Businesswoman, civil libertarian, opened a beauty school to support employment of black women.  Her act of refusal to comply with an act of racial discrimination led to a movement in Nova Scotia and across Canada to change discriminatory practices of segregation.  Some refer to her as "The Rosa Parks of Canada."

# data[].attributes.headline
Mary Ann Shadd (born in Wilmington, Delaware, 1823, died in Washington, D.C., 1923)

# data[].attributes.subject
Mary Ann Shadd (born in Wilmington, Delaware, 1823, died in Washington, D.C., 1923)

# data[].attributes.body
Was an American-Canadian anti-slavery activist, journalist, publisher, teacher and lawyer. She was the first black woman publisher in North America and the first woman publisher in Canada.  She fought for the right to have racially integrated schools.

# data[].attributes.headline
Michaëlle Jean (born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, 1957)

# data[].attributes.subject
Michaëlle Jean (born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, 1957)

# data[].attributes.body
Came to Canada as a refugee and later became a reporter, filmmaker, and broadcaster for Radio-Canada.  Was Canada's first governor general of Caribbean origin and served in this role from 2005-2010.   Has done work for women's shelters and immigrants.

# data[].attributes.headline
Perdita Felicien (born in Pickering, ON, 1980)

# data[].attributes.subject
Perdita Felicien (born in Pickering, ON, 1980)

# data[].attributes.body
She is the first Canadian woman to win a medal at the World Championships.  Still holds the Canadian record for 100m hurdles.  Perdita is a proud supporter of Count Me In, the largest youth-run organization in Canada. She spoke at the 2013 Count Me In Conference in Toronto, inspiring thousands of students to get involved in their communities through volunteerism.  Perdita is also an active ambassador for Right To Play.

# data[].attributes.headline
Dwayne Johnson aka "The Rock" (born in Hayward, California, 1972)

# data[].attributes.subject
Dwayne Johnson aka "The Rock" (born in Hayward, California, 1972)

# data[].attributes.body
Played college football for University of Miami and also for the Calgary Stampeders in the NFL.  Now an American and Canadian actor, he was inspired by his father (Rocky Johnson, of Black Nova Scotian descent) to become a professional wrestler.  In 2006, he founded a charity called  The Dwayne Johnson Rock Foundation, which works with at-risk and terminally ill children.

# data[].attributes.body
R&B singer-songwriter and actress who has received numerous Juno awards and nominations.  Fans and peers often refer to her as "Canada's Queen of R&B."  In February 2015, she waived her usual artist fee to performat a charity concert for Care Canada in Ottawa, ON.  This charity supports people in the poorest communities in 95 countries around the world.

# data[].attributes.headline
Wesley Williams aka "Maestro Fresh Wes" (born in Toronto, ON, 1968)

# data[].attributes.subject
Wesley Williams aka "Maestro Fresh Wes" (born in Toronto, ON, 1968)

# data[].attributes.body
Rapper, record producer and motivational speaker, he is often referred to as the "godfather of Canadian hip hop."  In 1989 he became the first Canadian rapper to have a Top 40 hit, "Let Your Backbone Slide".  He has toured schools as a motivational speaker, participated in the Toronto District School Board’s Read to Succeed program, and served as a keynote speaker at many corporate and public events. He has also been involved in many causes and charities, including Toronto’s SickKids Hospital, War Child, Save the Children, Covenant House, Special Olympics, Battered Women’s Support Services and The African AIDS Society, among others.

# data[].attributes.headline
Elijah McCoy (born in Colchester, ON, 1844, died Detroit, MI, 1929)

# data[].attributes.subject
Elijah McCoy (born in Colchester, ON, 1844, died Detroit, MI, 1929)

# data[].attributes.body
Born free to parents who were fugitive slaves who had escaped from Kentucky to Canada via the Underground Railroad.  Canadian-American inventor and engineer who was most known for his inventions of lubrication methods for steam engines.

# data[].attributes.headline
Oscar Peterson (born in Montreal, QC, 1925, died in Mississauga, ON, 2007)

# data[].attributes.subject
Oscar Peterson (born in Montreal, QC, 1925, died in Mississauga, ON, 2007)

# data[].attributes.body
Considered to be one of the greatest Jazz pianists and composers of all time, he was a member of many famous jazz groups and also taught piano in Toronto, ON.  He received many honorary degrees from universities.  His friend Duke Ellington called him "the Maharaja of the keyboard," but he was known to others as simply, "O.P."

# data[].attributes.headline
Donovan Bailey (born in Manchester Parish, Jamaica, 1967)

# data[].attributes.subject
Donovan Bailey (born in Manchester Parish, Jamaica, 1967)

# data[].attributes.body
A retired sprinter, he held the record for the 100m after receiving an Olympic gold medal in 1996.  As quoted from his website, "Giving is a reflection of Donovan Bailey's values; values that were instilled in him by his parents. He has always believed that helping others improves your self-worth."

# data[].attributes.headline
Willie Eldon O'Ree (born in Fredericton, NB, 1935)

# data[].attributes.subject
Willie Eldon O'Ree (born in Fredericton, NB, 1935)

# data[].attributes.body
First black player in the NHL, Willie played for the Boston Bruins.  Often referred to as "The Jackie Robinson of hockey." In 1998, was asked to be director for The NHL/USA Hockey Diversity Task Force, a non-profit program for minority youth that encourages them to learn and play hockey.

# data[].attributes.body
A classically trained opera singer (Holds a Bachelor of Music from University of Toronto), she has done many recordings and performs both as an opera singer and concert artist.  She supports charities such as AMREF, WWF and Learning Through the Arts, a Toronto-based Royal Conservatory of Music initiative.  In 2007, she became the Goodwill Ambassador for the African Medical & Research Foundation (AMREF), a charity working for Better Health in Africa. She also learned of her African-American roots from an episode of, "Who Do You Think You Are?" where she discovered that her paternal great-grandparents escaped from slavery during the American Revolution and were transported to Nova Scotia.

# data[].attributes.headline
Bruny Surin (born in Cap-Haïtien, Haiti, 1967)

# data[].attributes.subject
Bruny Surin (born in Cap-Haïtien, Haiti, 1967)

# data[].attributes.body
Olympic Gold medalist in 4 x 100m relay in 1996 and inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 2008.  His desire to give back to the community prompted him to start his own foundation for promoting sports and active healthy lifestyles among youth.

# data[].attributes.body
R&B singer-songwriter whose 1998 song "Nobody's Supposed to Be Here" held the record for longest-running number one single on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart.  Has received numerous Juno Awards and nominations.  She has supported charities such as the Boys and Girls Clubs of America.

# data[].attributes.headline
Molly Johnson (born in 1959 in Toronto, ON)

# data[].attributes.subject
Molly Johnson (born in 1959 in Toronto, ON)

# data[].attributes.body
Juno award-winning singer-songwriter of pop and jazz, She is currently working on The Black History Project: Canada - an initiative she has started to update Canadian history to include its impact and involvement with regards to Black Canadian history and the Underground Railroad