Sandy Hudson

Sandy Hudson, a Jamaican-Canadian political activist and writer, was born in Toronto, Ontario. She spent her early life growing up in North York and attending high school in Brampton. Hudson pursued her higher education at the University of Toronto, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and sociology, and later a Master of Arts in Social Justice Education. Her academic background laid the foundation for her subsequent career in activism and public discourse. Currently, she is furthering her education at UCLA School of Law, specializing in critical race theory, and resides in Los Angeles.

Hudson’s activism gained significant momentum in 2014 when she co-founded the Toronto chapter of Black Lives Matter, following police killings of Mike Brown and Jermaine Carby. This initiative, which started with a solidarity rally, led to the establishment of the first official Black Lives Matter chapter outside the United States. Through this platform, she has actively challenged anti-Black racism in Canada, bringing issues like carding and defunding the police into national conversations. In 2017, demonstrating her commitment to systemic change, Hudson co-founded the Black Legal Action Centre with Zanana Akande and Rinaldo Walcott, a legal clinic providing services and engaging in test case litigation for Black Ontarians. She also co-founded the Wildseed Centre for Art and Activism in Toronto, aiming to foster Black radical creation and organizing by integrating arts and culture into social justice work.

Throughout her career, Hudson has been recognized for her impactful contributions. In 2020, she co-authored the bestselling anthology “Until We Are Free: Reflections on Black Lives Matter in Canada”, followed by her book “Defund: Black Lives, Policing, and Safety for All”. As a freelance writer, her work has been featured in notable publications such as The Washington Post, Huffington Post, Maclean’s Magazine, and NOW Magazine. She is also a co-host of the podcast “Sandy and Nora Talk Politics” and co-executive producer of “Black Life: A Canadian History,” an eight-part documentary series. Her influence extends to public speaking, where she engages audiences at universities, labour unions, and institutions across Canada as a speaker with the National Speakers Bureau of Canada. Her efforts have been acknowledged with awards like the Lincoln Alexander Award in 2018 and the Emerging Leader award in 2019, and she has been featured in media outlets including The New York Times, Newsweek, and CBC News.