HUE 2024: Beyond the Label
WOCDC
Copyright
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© 2024 Womxn of Colour Durham Collective. All rights reserved.
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Introduction Participants
HUE 2024: Photos
Elise Comrie
Elle de Lyon
Haneefah Haruna
Jaslyn Marshall
Lynda Dortélus
Orica Smart
Poojah Karunakaran
Shay Myers
Treshawna Dehaney
HUE 2024: Videos
Credits
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HUE 2024: Beyond the Label
Welcome to the HUE 2024: Beyond the Label digital exhibition, organized by Womxn of Colour Durham Collective!
The HUE photo series was created a few years ago to highlight the experiences of racialized womxn, femmes, and non-binary people living in or connected to Durham Region while showcasing our community members’ talents, stories, and the beauty that exists across the region and within ourselves. HUE (Honouring Unapologetic Expression) is presenting the 2024 theme, Beyond the Label.
Beyond the Label
If you were to take a moment to describe yourself, what words would you choose? Would they align with the words other people would choose for you? Do these labels empower you? Or make you feel isolated?
Racialized women, femmes, and non-binary people have historically experienced the challenges associated with labels in society. More often than not, these labels have had negative connotations associated with who we are and what we represent. In this project, we hope to expose these labels to confront this social reality, while also countering them by shedding light on the positive labels we do not always get to hear or receive that empower us, give us hope, and make us believe.
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The Creatives, Artists, Business Owners & Entrepreneurs
Meet our HUE 2024 participants!
This project explores the labels, stories and experiences of those who identify as creatives, artists, business owners, and entrepreneurs in our region.
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Elise Comrie
Elise is an advocate for wellness within the Black community. She is currently completing training for Yin Yoga. She is also doing 200 hours of YTT yoga training. Elise is a budding photographer who documents her experiences with fitness, art, and collective healing with her sister in the GTA.
Instagram: @slowdownandlivewell
TikTok: @slowdownlivewell
Elle de Lyon
Born and raised in Scarborough, Elle de Lyon started her career in community organizing as a project manager, where she found her purpose on the page, writing, planning, producing, and directing arts-based programs and events. Evolving into a motivational speaker and spoken word music artist, she found voice on stage, becoming a rebel for mentorship and community engagement. Elle empowers and elevates communities by creating safe platforms and spaces for creatives. A seriel entrepreneur with one mission; to decolonize public spaces; she helps creatives of color shape their narratives and tell their stories authentically. In 2023, Elle received recognition as one of Canada’s Top 100 Black Women to watch, for her work as a creative producer and director; further solidifying her impact in uplifting marginalized voices.
Instagram: @elledelyon | @pdaglobal | Linktree: @elledelyon Business Website: https://thesourceto.my.canva.site/pdaglobalmedia
Haneefah Haruna
Haneefah Haruna (Aduké), is a Nigerian-Canadian who immigrated to Canada with her family in 2008. She is passionate about anything art and creativity; from sewing to graphic design, photography, and videography. She hopes to put out work in the form of wearable art through her upcoming clothing brand; ADÉIZM. This Afro-Streetwear line will offer various eco-conscious pieces using elements from the different countries and cultures of the African Diaspora.
YouTube: Aduké
Fundraising: Sustainable Education in Accra, Ghana Instagram: @adukeharunaa | @dtee.ade
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Jaslyn Marshall
Jaslyn Marshall is a Canadian photographer, storyteller, and creative collaborator based in the Greater Toronto Area. Her work touches on transitions, changes, disconnection, and the existence of liminal times and spaces. Her photographs offer intimate views of ordinary spaces and everyday life in fleeting moments. She takes great pleasure in turning the banal nature of the human condition on its head.
When Jaslyn is not working, she is probably laughing at memes, daydreaming about dogs, or reading a good book.
Website: www.jaslynmarshall.com
Lynda Dortélus
Lynda Dortélus is an educator, an artist and an author. Passionate about the French language and her faith in God, she empowers Black youth to be proud of who they are and pursue their dreams.
Instagram: @lylinnesarts_y1
Orica Smart
Orica Smart is a renowned skincare therapist and the proud owner and director of The O Spot Skincare Clinic, situated in the vibrant community of Ajax in Durham Region, Ontario. Her profound passion for both skincare and community engagement has been the driving force behind her success. Orica’s journey was inspired by a stark realization of the disparities faced by black and brown women within the beauty industry of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).
Orica’s dedication to her community extends beyond her skincare clinic. She has passionately curated GTA’s very first “skin of colour brunch”, an event that has enjoyed resounding success and is poised for even more significant growth in the future. This event serves as a platform to address the black community’s lack of access to education, nurturing a more informed and empowered community.
Instagram: @theospot
Poojah Karunakaran
Poojah is a software engineering student passionate about nature, tech and arts. She has way too many hobbies and she has turned some of them into businesses. Somedays Poojah enjoys helping others and somedays she hopes to make an impact for the future. Right now, she is focused on cultivating her artistic journey and her love for food, one plate at a time.
LinkedIn: Poojah Karunakaran
Instagram: @youngbrownchef | @thegallery_to | @chroniclecreations | @thecooperation
Shay Myers
Shay Myers is a vibrant, patient and inclusive finance professional and community connector. She created the educational platform Finance for the Culture to bridge the gap between financial literacy and everyday Canadians by teaching them how money works. Her mission is to dismantle the fear of finance so people can save money, tackle debt, invest, protect their income and build financial confidence. Shay is passionate about educating and empowering others through empathy and humour.
Instagram: @financefortheculture
TVO Today Appearance: https://youtu.be/uet4igVHj3w
Video: About Me
Website: financefortheculture.ca
Treshawna Dehaney
Treshawna Dehaney is a young business woman, author, student and everything in between. She is an entrepreneur with a Christian clothing brand that amplifies positive messages for everyone. Treshawna is en route to become a future doctor that is determined to challenge society norms and is fixated on making an impact within the medical care system. Treshawna is most passionate about writing, along with giving back to her community and those around her.
Book: Mishandled by Treshawna Dehaney
Website: thervltnattire.com
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HUE 2024: Beyond the Label
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Elise Comrie
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Elle de Lyon
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Haneefah Haruna
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Jaslyn Marshall
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Lynda Dortélus
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Orica Smart
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Poojah Karunakaran
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Shay Myers
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Treshawna Dehaney
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HUE 2024: Beyond the Label
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Who We Are
The Womxn of Colour Durham Collective (WOCDC) is a youth-led community organization in Durham Region, Canada that is run by, for, and with racialized womxn, femmes, and non-binary people from the ages of 16-29+ with the purpose of making space for support and community.
Mission
To build a community that inspires knowledge-sharing, leadership, healing, creativity and amplifies the voices of racialized womxn, femmes, and non-binary people in Durham Region.
Our Pillars
• Connect our community in engaging and meaningful ways.
• Create safer spaces for racialized folks to show up as they are.
• Cultivate change through projects and programs that address community needs.
Email: info@wocdurham.ca
Website: wocdurham.ca
Instagram: @wocdc
Facebook: @wocdurham
Special thank you to our participants; Elise Comrie, Elle de Lyon, Haneefah Haruna, Jaslyn Marshall, Lynda Dortélus, Orica Smart, Poojah Karunakaran, Shay Myers and Treshawna Dehaney.
Thank you to the WOCDC community and everyone that has supported our HUE Project over the years!
HUE 2024 Project Team:
Brianna Nelson
Swetha Srikanth
Mujneen Nahar
KhaRå Martin
Mikaela Julien
Book Design and Editing by Swetha Srikanth.
Photography and Editing by Mujneen Nahar.
Videography and Editing by KhaRå Martin.
Published by WOCDC.
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