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Leading in Colour was founded on July 25, 2019 by Serisha Iyar - who has since served as our Executive Director.
After experiencing the rejection of racialized experiences in activist movements firsthand, Serisha decided to create a space where racialized youth leaders could come together to learn and mobilize. Our goal is to train racialized youth to become activists in and for our communities through peer-to-peer knowledge sharing, in order to demand justice and change for the inequities we are forced to live with. |
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Born on the traditional territory of the Kanien'kehà:ka in Tiohtià:ke/Montreal, where her family landed as refugees from iKwaZulu-Natali/KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Serisha spent most of her life on Huron territory in the small town of Georgetown, ON and now resides in Odàwàng/Ottawa, the unceeded territory of the Algonquin. As a result of this background, Serisha is committed to operating on foundational frameworks of anti-oppression including decolonization, anti-racism, feminism and using intersectional analysis, drawing knowledge and inspiration from liberation and womanist theologies. These frameworks have set the tone for Leading in Colour's work and continue to guide and inspire the programs we develop and opportunities we create. |
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We additionally offer specialized workshops, consulting services and project-based contracts all of which can also be catered to non-racialized and non-youth audiences, to encourage critical discussion, teach active allyship, offer best practices, and provide necessary education.
Below you will find a list of our current workshop rotation. Note: this list is not exhaustive - we are able to develop new workshops to suit your specific needs and/or customize our current selection for your constituents. Compensation operates on a sliding scale to accommodate the needs of community groups, non-profits and those from oppressed communities for whom cost is a barrier
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Below you will find a list of our current workshop rotation. Note: this list is not exhaustive - we are able to develop new workshops to suit your specific needs and/or customize our current selection for your constituents. Compensation operates on a sliding scale to accommodate the needs of community groups, non-profits and those from oppressed communities for whom cost is a barrier
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- Unlearning Introduction to the theoretical concepts of anti-oppression with practical examples.
- Within the System Understand the way colonial governments in Canada operate and where you hold power.
- Double-Edged Explore the historical premise of intersectionality and how it's used in social justice language today.
- "Little" Things Gain a comprehensive understanding of microaggressions, their resulting harms, prevention, and confrontation.
- Listen UP! Develop skills targeted towards getting your voice heard in politics at the federal, provincial and municipal levels.
- No More Leaning Learn concrete ways to challenge movements built on white feminism.
- Our Backyards Combating anti-Black racism, anti-Indigeneity and Islamophobia in racialized communities.
- Influencers Building successful government relations through lobbying, coalition building, campaign strategizing, and media.
- Not For You Examining racialized diaspora feminist movements to develop skills in mobilization and organizing.
Our Clients
Our search for a BIPOC-led organization to guide our group in learning more about anti-racism and anti-oppression led us to Leading in Colour. From the first conversation through to the end of our training sessions we found Serisha to be responsive to our needs, very well prepared and clear in asking thought-provoking questions, and excellent in facilitating our discussions in a manner that was safe and welcoming, while not shying away from strong recommendations and hard truths. She also offered helpful tools for ongoing reflection. If you are looking for an accessible approach to such training, we enthusiastically endorse Serisha and Leading in Colour as an excellent choice! - Open Homes Hamilton
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