Our Founders.
Rachel Bergeron (she/her)
Co-Founder & Executive Director
Rachel is a mother of three, who holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Alberta (‘11). She was born in Edmonton, Alberta and identifies as biracial. Her mother immigrated to Canada from Trinidad when she was a teen. Her father, who was born in Canada, is of British ancestry. At a young age Rachel was exposed to many diverse cultural traditions within her family and community. Her family modelled how people are able to unite and thrive when time is taken to understand, acknowledge, and embrace our differences. Inspired by her life experiences, and those of her family and friends; motivated by her desire to make the future a more safe and understanding place for her children - Rachel helped to conceptualize and co-found The Black Bookshelf Project.
Justine Ma (she/her)
Co-Founder & Communications Director
Justine is a mother to one, designer, and entrepreneur currently living and raising her amazing daughter, Ruby, in Edmonton, Alberta. Justine identifies as biracial - her mother of Austrian and Russian descent; her father immigrated with his family from Hong Kong at the age of 11. Together, her parents raised their four daughters with a deep sense of pride in their diverse backgrounds. Inspired by Ruby and the love that she has of her Chinese heritage, it’s been Justine’s goal to do the work and take action to make a difference within her community - starting with promoting inclusion and diversity through the co-founding of The Black Bookshelf Project.
Inactive Members
Kendra Linton (Aug. 2021 - Mar. 2022)
TBBP acknowledges and appreciates Ms. Linton’s efforts as one of the the initial contributing members of the organization.