Karen Black
Class of 2020
Karen has a life‐long interest in how our understanding of history shapes the way we view the present. She is dedicated to understanding how history gets presented and consumed and how this shapes our sense of justice and approaches to public policy. She is optimistic that a diversity of voices can enrich and contest traditional narratives of history. She pressed for the inclusion of underrepresented voices during her time as head of the City of Toronto’s Museums and Heritage Services department and cofounded Doors Open to make the city’s history more accessible. She has a B.A. in history and a Masters of Business Administration from University of Toronto and has served on the boards of a variety of museum and mental health organizations. She is excited about sharing her love of history and why it matters through journalism.
National dental program leaves the vulnerable behind, critics say
‘Trailblazing came at a cost’: The history of Ontario’s Black nursing pioneers
How climate change historians are using centuries-old data to shine a light on our planet’s future
So-called women’s work: Sexism in nursing goes way, way back
War stories my father never told me: 76 years after liberation of Nazi ‘horror camp’ Bergen-Belsen, Canada’s role in airlifting survivors comes to light
The forgotten Toronto doctor who helped develop the first modern vaccine
Making a vaccine is not the same as mass-producing it. This Canadian scientist solved the problem for the polio vaccine — then she was largely forgotten
Why high-school history is going through a ‘mind shift’ in Ontario
An Ontario city has celebrated Emancipation Day — marking slavery’s end — for 158 years. This year feels different
‘Constantly crashing’: Families hit hard by wait times for mental-health care
Artifacts of a dangerous time: A scarf, a mask, a shoe are just some of tomorrow’s museum exhibits
Eighty years after polio swept North America, we’re still learning lessons from ‘the crippler’
How Ontarians came together to fight the Spanish flu
How one Toronto church is beating the odds
When to get loud: tips on navigating the youth mental health system
