Inclusion, equity and anti-racism are not just buzzwords — they’re requirements for social change. 

Social purpose teams and organizations across Canada are reckoning with this fact, the implications for their work, and, in many cases, their own history and complicity with structural and systemic exclusion. Activists have been calling for this reckoning for decades, and organizations are only scratching the surface. 

From inclusive internal organizational culture to anti-racist program design and service delivery to centring racial justice in grantmaking and so much more, it’s a difficult yet essential learning journey organizations are on. They need in-depth reporting on what works, what doesn’t and what the trends are. There are many initiatives, solutions and developments in the world of inclusion and racial justice from coast-to-coast-to-coast, but they need spotlighting, research, analysis and nuanced reporting. 

That’s why Future of Good is thrilled to announce our newest team member, Ramona Leitao, who joins us as editorial fellow to report on all things inclusion and anti-racism. This independent journalism is supported by the World Education Services (WES) Mariam Assefa Fund. 

“As a funder focused on building more inclusive economies and communities for immigrants, refugees, and racialized communities in Canada, the WES Mariam Assefa Fund is excited to support Future of Good and Ramona Leitao to launch this editorial fellowship. Sharing stories and highlighting what’s working – and what isn’t – to advance equity and anti-racism in Canada is key to driving broader systemic change,” said Marina Nuri, associate director of Canada programs and strategy at the WES Mariam Assefa Fund. 

Ramona Leitao (she/her) is a multimedia journalist based in Toronto, the territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples. Through her photo essays and written features, she documents how racialized communities are impacted by politics, the ongoing climate crisis, agriculture and human rights issues. Her work has been published in The Globe and Mail, The Toronto Star, Chatelaine, The Narwhal and elsewhere. 

She was also an investigative journalist at Humber StoryLab, where she researched and critiqued how Canadian institutions impact Indigenous communities. Prior to this, she was a food writer at NOW Magazine, where she highlighted food businesses owned/operated by people of colour. 

Ramona hopes to bring her experience in centering Black, Indigenous and people of colour in her stories to Future of Good. 

“Ramona’s commitment to telling stories about inclusion and anti-racism thoughtfully, prioritizing people’s agency and dignity, has me so excited to edit and learn from her work this year,” says Kylie Adair, editor of Future of Good. “I’m thrilled we’ll have a reporter dedicated to diving into the progress and barriers to making social purpose work inclusive and anti-racist — this is a foundational aspect of our coverage.” 

Please join us in welcoming Ramona to the Future of Good team.