Professor Erica S. Lawson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies at Western University. Professor Lawson has a long track record of participating in initiatives that focus on addressing the needs of young Black people in education to fulfill their goals and realize their full potential. She is particularly involved in the Positively Black in Southwestern Ontario project because it highlights the ingenuity of Black youth, their families and communities. Her work as an educator and a volunteer focuses on issues of importance to Black youth and their communities and thus shapes this project.